For children ages 3 to 6

Matthew 23

Explanation and Bible story for toddlers and preschoolers (ages 3-6)

1 min read · Updated August 13, 2026
By Jasper & Review team
Bible
By Jasper & Review team

The Explanation

Then Jesus said hard words. "Woe to you," he said. That means, "Oh, how sad for you." He said it again. And again. Because the teachers looked clean outside. Like a cup washed shiny and bright. But inside the cup was dirty. Full of yucky, sticky stuff. Jesus wanted the inside clean too. Not just the outside.

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Questions about Matthew 23

Short answers for anyone reading about this for the first time.

What is Matthew 23 about?
Then Jesus said hard words. "Woe to you," he said. That means, "Oh, how sad for you." He said it again. And again. Because the teachers looked clean outside. Like a cup washed shiny and bright. But inside the cup was dirty. Full of yucky, sticky stuff. Jesus wanted the inside clean too.

What others discovered

Insight Editorial on verse 16

Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated." Notice what they counted as binding: the gold, the thing they could weigh and keep. The temple itself, God's house, was just a building to them. Ask yourself which of your promises you quietly treat as optional, and what that says about what you actually treasure.

— Faith.Network Editorial
Insight Editorial on verse 33

You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?" Notice it ends with a question mark, not a sentence passed. Jesus does not say they cannot escape. He asks how. Even here, in his sharpest words, a door is left standing open. The question is still waiting for your answer.

— Faith.Network Editorial

Looking for something for slightly older children?

We also have dedicated versions for elementary age (7-12) and teens (12 and up).

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For parents and teachers: Written especially to be read aloud to children ages 3 to 6. Use it as a starting point for a conversation with your child, not as the only source. This explanation is generated automatically by language models. While we strive for theological soundness, the software can make mistakes.

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