“Woe to You, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” Jesus said three times in the book of Matthew. (Matthew 23:13)
But what does it mean?
And why did he say it three times?
He meant it.
Let’s see why.
Who were the Scribes?
The scribes were Jews who helped the Pharisees. They were literate secretaries who were not necessarily priests. (All Jewish boys learned to read and write in their synagogue school. The Jewish Queen Salome Alexandra made it compulsory 100 years before Jesus’ birth!)
According to Jeanne Constantinou, the scribes were experts on the Law of Moses,
especially in the oral law–the thousands of rules developed by the Pharisees that had not been written down yet. Because of that, the scribes were sometimes called “lawyers” in the Gospels.
Scribes were highly respected, and because of their depth and knowledge and extraordinary education, they had enormous authority and status.”
She also noted you did not have to come from a wealthy family to be a scribe. It was the only opportunity for significant social advancement for any Jewish man.
They liked to parade around in their special robes that had very long fringes. People stood aside out of respect and called them Rabbi, Father, or Master.
Who were the Pharisees?
I’ve written about them often:
- Am I a Pharisee? What About You?
- Jesus and the Pharisees: Another Look
- What Did it Take to Raise Lazarus Back to Life?
- Jesus’ Ministry During Holy Week
- What Did it Take to Kill Jesus?
Basically, they were the priests in charge of the Temple. They interpreted the Law, many as members of the Sanhedrin.
They were wealthy, they knew it, and they liked to throw around opinions while they appeared in Jerusalem.
Constantinou also details how corrupt they were: loving the gold in the Temple rather than God himself. (Matthew 23:16-22)
The problem with the scribes and Pharisees was they were so busy worrying about tiny errors, they missed the point.
Jesus came to break the power of the law to hurt people.
They kept making up auxiliary laws and trying to control.
The scribes and Pharisees were more interested in power than in people knowing their Creator.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The scribes and the Pharisees were hypocrites, according to Jesus.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. (Mathew 23:15).
And, of course, they objected to anything or anyone who might inhibit their ability to gather wealth.
The Scribes and the Pharisees in Jerusalem, AD 33, give or take a year
The scribes and Pharisees during Jesus’ years were so busy being “holier than thou” that people were losing faith.
And some priests were starving to death as the scribes and Pharisees gained more power and control.
They were self-indulgent hypocrites, and they didn’t obey their own laws.
Constantinou’s The Crucifixion in all Jesus’ Glory is a magnificent overview of Jerusalem during Holy Week, and a fascinating read. You’ll never look at Holy Week the same again.
When a scribe approached Jesus to test him, he asked, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus spoke the heart of God toward his people.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”
The woes came to the scribes and the Pharisees because they were disingenuous.
They lived a different life from that of the other followers of God.
God doesn’t like that.
We’re all one before God, and equal–sinners saved by the cross of Jesus.
Are you a scribe or a Pharisee?
- a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
- a person whose behavior contradicts their stated beliefs or feelings
What do you think is the Church’s purpose?
Do you financially benefit at the expense of others because of your role in the Church?
Do you make decisions that require others to make sacrifices, but not you?
Easter is an excellent time to examine our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits.
Are we scribes–watching for the jots and tittles to catch others in a mistake?
Are we Pharisees–more interested in controlling others than bowing in humility before Jesus?
These are interesting questions we can examine anytime.
Lent and Holy Week leading up to Easter are excellent times to examine our hearts.
He is risen for you and me.
Risen, indeed.
Thoughts? Reactions? Lurker?