Matthew 23

The Explanation

Jesus stood in front of a huge crowd. He looked at his friends, the disciples, and he looked at the people who had gathered close. Then he started to talk about the teachers of the law, men called scribes and Pharisees.

"They sit in Moses' seat," Jesus said. That meant they taught people what God's law said. "So do what they teach," Jesus told the crowd, "but don't do what they do." Why not? Because these teachers said one thing and did another. They loaded heavy rules onto people's backs, like stones piled on shoulders, but they would not lift one finger to help carry them.

They loved to be seen. They made their prayer boxes extra big so everyone would notice. They pushed for the best seat at every dinner. They wanted people in the market to bow and call them "Teacher, Teacher!" Jesus shook his head at this. "The greatest among you," he said, "will be the one who serves like a helper." Whoever puffs himself up like a big balloon will be popped down low. Whoever bends down low will be lifted up.

Then Jesus said something hard, again and again: "Woe to you." That means, "This is terrible, this will hurt you." He said it to the scribes and Pharisees eight times. They shut the door to God's kingdom and stood in the doorway so nobody could get through. They counted out tiny spice seeds to give a tenth to God, but they forgot the big things, being fair, being kind, trusting God. "You strain out a little gnat," Jesus said, "but you swallow a whole camel!"

He compared them to a cup that's polished and shiny outside, but full of dirt inside. He compared them to tombs painted white and pretty, but full of dead bones underneath. "You look beautiful outside," Jesus said, "but inside you are full of things that are not honest."

Then Jesus grew sad. He talked about prophets, God's messengers, who had been chased and hurt in years past. He said Jerusalem's own people had done this. And then his voice softened. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem," he said, like calling out to someone he loved, "how often I wanted to gather your children together, like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you would not let me."

What Does This Mean?

Jesus was not angry about small mistakes. He was angry that important teachers acted out a show while their hearts stayed far from God. Looking good on the outside is not the same as being good on the inside. God always looks past the shiny surface, straight into the heart.

The Common Thread

Jesus pictured himself as a mother hen wanting to gather her chicks close and safe. That is who God is, throughout the whole Bible: someone who wants to gather his people under his wing, to protect them. Jesus came to save people from empty show and to give them real, honest hearts. That is why he later died and rose again, to make hearts truly clean, not just outsides.

For You

You cannot fix your own heart by yourself, but you can start somewhere small. Tonight, when you pray, don't just say pretty words to sound good. Tell God something true, even if it's messy. Say sorry for something real. Thank him for something real. Ask him to clean your heart like he cleans a cup, from the inside out.

Have you ever acted nice on the outside but felt grumpy inside? What happened?

Why do you think Jesus compared himself to a mother hen protecting her chicks?

Praying Together

Dear God, thank you that you see past what's on the outside, straight into my heart. Please make my heart clean and honest, not just my words. Thank you that Jesus wants to gather me close, like a hen gathers her chicks. Amen.