The Last Straw

By James Hoffman

Matthew 23:1-12 (NASB95)

 1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. 4 “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. 5 “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 “They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. 8 “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11 “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. 

Devotional

It is today that we remember Jesus' last words to the Pharisees before his arrest. Tomorrow we will see the Pharisees lay out a plan to have Jesus arrested and Killed. Jesus’ words in today’s reading are already damning, but they serve as just an introduction to the seven woes, all of which are even more critical of the Pharisees. These words may have been that very last straw that made them set the plan into motion.

In this introduction Jesus lays out exactly what He thinks of the Pharisees: that they are a bunch of actors. He tells the crowd and tells them to do as the Pharisees say but not as they do. He accuses them of being men who say all the right things, but don’t do anything like it in their lives. They are men who speak the words of God but perform only acts of evil. They are men who put on a show, seeking the attention of men, not the attention of God.

Like many of us today, these are men who revel in their positions of power and prestige. They want to be called rabbi, and leader. They dream of having the seat of honor wherever they go. Is this not the dream of celebrity today? The dream of being able to skip the line and be invited to special events because of their fame. The dream of being a big powerful CEO or a leader in their field. Yet Jesus asks us to be the opposite of these men. Jesus asks us to be humble. He desires a complete reversal of the world’s way of things. Those who are great will be servants, and those who are meek and humble will be exalted. 

Jesus goes on to suggest that these Pharisees are men who will tithe even something as small as the spices in their gardens. For our modern context, perhaps think of tithing 10% of a single serving bag of dorritoes (which is like half a chip). It seems like a ridiculous level of detail because it is, and yet these very same men have missed the big picture. They have neglected mercy and justice, the very reason for the law in the first place!

Today, as we remember Holy Tuesday, remember that Jesus was unafraid to call out teachers who didn’t practice what they preached. He was unafraid to call out leaders who had lost their way and missed the forest for the trees. Let us also examine our own lives as well, for many of us, myself included, are far more similar to the pharisees that we care to admit. 

Prayer

Lord, thank you for being willing to call out hypocrisy in the Pharisees. May you give me the strength and the boldness to be able to call out hypocrisy in my own leaders. May you also show me where I’m being an actor just like those Pharisees you spoke about. In Jesus name, Amen.