Last week of Jesus' Ministry
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39
Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees
Then Jesus spoke to all his disciples and to the multitudes. He spoke so that everyone could hear what he had to say:
Beware of the scribes and the Pharisees. When they speak for Moses, do as they say, but do not do what they do.
They bind heavy burdens to heavy to carry and lay them on men’s shoulders, while they themselves will not lift a finger to keep the very commandments that they ask others to do.
They do their works to be seen by men. They like to be seen keeping the law and make themselves conspicuous whenever they do a good work.
They love to wear the clothing of rulers and kings, and they love to sit in the seats of honor at all events. They love the greetings they receive in the marketplace and they love to be called Master.
They take advantage of the widows and figure out ways to profit from the duties they have. They make a pretense of long prayers.
These will receive greater condemnation.
But do not desire to be called Teacher, for only one is your teacher.
Do not call any man your father except your earthly father and your Father who is in heaven. Do not let them call you Master, for only one is your master. That is Christ.
He who would be the greatest among you let him be the servant of all. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. You shut the doors to the kingdom to others and do not even try to enter into the kingdom yourself.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! For you go sailing around the world to make one convert, and when you make a convert you turn him into twice the son of hell that you are yourselves.
You are the blind leading the blind.
You say:
If anyone swears an oath by the temple, it means nothing.
But if you swear an oath by the gold in the temple then you are a under obligation to keep the oath.
You fools and blind men. Which is greater? The gold? Or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
All oaths are binding no matter what you swear the oath by, because it all belongs to God.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! You tithe the outward things but you leave out the important things like justice and mercy and faith.
You strain a gnat, and yet you will willingly swallow a camel!
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but within you are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
You blind Pharisees, clean the inside of the cup and platter, and the outside will become clean also.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! You are like white-washed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
You appear outwardly to be righteous, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! You decorate the tombs of the prophets and yet your fathers are the ones who killed the prophets.
By your own testimonies you also would have killed the prophets.
How are you going to escape the judgment of hell?
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wing, but you would not stand for it.
Look, your house is going to be left desolate. For I say to you, you will not see me again, until the day you say:
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.