Who Is Jesus? Part 4Sample

Don’t Be a Hypocrite

Jesus doesn’t pull any punches here. He’s calling people snakes, vipers, and blind guides—definitely not messing around. 

These “woes” stand in stark contrast to the blessings Jesus shares in the Sermon on the Mount. Back in Matthew 5, Jesus gave us the Beatitudes, these characteristics or heart postures that are a big deal in His Kingdom. Because what Jesus makes abundantly clear in the Sermon on the Mount is that the goal is not just religious actions or the appearance of holiness; it’s about transformed hearts and devoted lives.

That’s why the Beatitudes are the be-attitudes, not the be-actions. Because the right behavior flows out of a transformed heart. Not the other way around. But the Pharisees were completely missing it. What Jesus is saying through these woes and warnings is that all their religious behaviors had failed to accomplish what actually mattered. 

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” Matthew 23:23 NIV

The Law that the Pharisees followed so strictly was always meant to be a tool to help us become the kind of people who could love others the same way that God has loved us. But instead, these religious leaders were using it as a tool to elevate themselves and take advantage of others. 

So, what does Jesus do? He calls them out and reminds them who they were meant to be. Not hypocrites who teach one thing and do another, but representatives of a holy God to their own communities and to the rest of the world. 

What does that mean for us? It means we are called to put in the work, check our hearts, and never settle for half-hearted devotion, but truly love God with all that we are, and love others with justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Which, no surprise at all, is exactly the same way Jesus has loved us.