Weightier Matters of the Law

Greetings, Wayne, a servant of God, by the grace of God, teaching truth under the authority of Jesus Christ to any who are willing to receive it, or as Jesus put it, to any who have ears to hear (Mat 11:15).

I will be the words in green. Purple Highlights will be key words or phrases of truth.

During His woes to the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus made this statement:

Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

For the truth about tithing, see the transcript or video on Supporting the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. For the truth about judgement and mercy, read the Teachings From the Holy Bible topic Be Pleasing in His Sight. And for the truth about faith, read Establishing the Faith to Keep the Sabbath Day Holy, also found in Teachings From the Holy Bible.

Mathew 23 is a critical and profound chapter as it depicts Jesus Christ admonishing the religious authority for a witness against them concerning their handling of both the word of God and the people seeking the truth of that word. The Holy bible has many examples of recorded events as a witness against the people involved. Here is one:

Deu 31:21 And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I swear.

Here is another:

Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

In Mathew 23, Jesus highlights hypocrisy while stressing the importance of inward righteousness over outward appearances. And while doing so, He teaches His disciples. Let us go through the chapter one verse at a time:

Mat 23:1 Then spoke Jesus to the multitude, and to His disciples,

So we have in this setting a multitude of witnesses and a teaching about to proceed from Jesus to His disciples on what to do, and what not to do concerning handling the word of God.

Mat 23:2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

Jesus recognizes the Pharisees' authority as interpreters of the law. However, He is about to critique how they wield that authority, setting the stage to reveal their hypocrisy.

Mat 23:3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not you after their works: for they say, and do not.

The first half of the verse points to the importance of keeping all of Gods laws, statutes, Holy Days, and commandments. The second half of the verse warns against following the Pharisees' deeds concerning the law, for they say the law but do not follow the spirit of the law that they may keep their own man-made traditions. We go to Mathew 15 for an example:

Mat 15:1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

Mat 15:2 Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

Mat 15:3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

Mat 15:4 For God commanded, saying, Honour your father and mother: and, he that curses father or mother, let him die the death.

Mat 15:5 But you say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever you might be profited by me;

The Pharisees were teaching that as long as one gave a gift (usually monetary) to the temple, God was honoured so they need not do any more for their parents. Notice:

Mar 7:12 And you suffer him no more to do anything for his father or his mother;

This is an example of a man-made tradition brought about by leaning on one's own understanding rather than adhering to the word of God:

Mat 15:6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have you made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Mat 15:7 You hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

Mat 15:8 This people draw near unto me with their mouth, and honour me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Here is the prophecy from Isaiah:

Isa 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept [doctrines and traditions] of men:

Do you now see why Jesus made the following statements concerning many religious authorities that would come in His name?

Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ [of Christ]; and shall deceive many.

God's word, the truth of God, will always trump the doctrines and traditions of men. Here are three very important scriptures to expound on this:

2Ti 2:15 Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

1Co 2:14 But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

And that is why repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Spirit of God are so important to form a spiritual relationship and understanding with God. Let us continue in Mathew 23 and verse 4.

Mat 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Far from being humble servants of God, the Pharisees had exalted themselves into an authoritative assembly of prideful men, too important to be caught up with physical burdens that they were more than happy to pass on to the people. Another example from Luke:

Luk 11:46 And he said, Woe unto you also, you lawyers [of the Pharisees; interpreters of the law]! for you lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and you yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

Continuing in Mathew 23:

Mat 23:5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

They put on a form of godliness, but their teachings denied the power of God, the full intent of the commandments of God. Notice, from the apostle Paul, a former Pharisee who clearly had this understanding:

2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Turn away, just as Jesus taught His disciples not to do after their works in Mathew 23:3.

Continuing:

Mat 23:6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

Pride and entitlement will often accompany false religious authority. I have seen this with my own eyes at feasts. Rather than give place to the lame and hard of hearing at the front seats, the seats are adorned with signs reserving them for ministers and their wives.

Mat 23:7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

Some ministers see calling them by their first name as disrespectful and prefer to be called Mr. ...surname. Does this attitude line up with Jesus' teaching to His disciples? Let us see:

Mat 23:8 But be not you called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all you are brethren [equally ranked].

Echoed by the apostle Peter:

1Pe 5:3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples [examples] to the flock.

Mat 23:9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

Jesus here warns not to reverently refer to any religious figure as father, but to reserve that reverence for God the Father only. The only Father we bow our knees unto:

Eph 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Onward:

Mat 23:10 Neither be you called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

Mat 23:11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

Mat 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

And many have come in the name of Jesus Christ and have exalted themselves above the word of God, the truth of God. They may have sincerely thought they were doing God a service, however, they can expect to one day hear these words from the Lord Jesus Christ:

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity [lawlessness].

Jesus' authority is directly from God the Father. Read the rest of Mathew 7 to see that He expects any who claim to love and follow Him to do as He says. Notice:

Joh 14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments.

Moving forward:

Mat 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer you them that are entering to go in.

Again, the same happening today, many false prophets are not even preaching the coming, literal, Kingdom of God on the earth to be ruled by Jesus Christ and the saints who loved Him. If you are not being taught the truth and not following the true gospel, how can you go in with the saints?

Continuing:

Mat 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore you shall receive the greater damnation.

Instead of helping the poor widows remain in their houses, the Pharisees exploited them under the guise of religious authority and then hypocritically made long prayers to justify themselves.

Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Again, the very thing Jesus warned His disciples about. Jesus often stressed carrying out "the will of God the Father". When we read and study the Holy Bible, we become familiar with the will and mind of God. That helps us to determine if someone's piety is genuine or just a pretence to endorse their own doctrines or traditions.

Mat 23:16 Woe unto you, you blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

First, we need to see the holiness towards God that the temple represented in the Old Testament:

1Ki 8:11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

Yet, King Solomon recognized that God could never be contained in a single building on earth. However, he did ask God to recognize the temple as a house of prayer. Notice the following:

1Ki 8:27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain You; how much less this house [temple] that I have built?

1Ki 8:28 Yet have You respect unto the prayer of your servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which your servant prays before You to day:

1Ki 8:29 That Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which You have said, My name shall be there: that You may hearken unto the prayer which your servant shall make toward this place.

1Ki 8:30 And hearken You to the supplication of Your servant, and of Your people Israel [all 12 tribes of the people of Israel, not only Judah - Jews], when they shall pray toward this place: and hear You in heaven Your dwelling place: and when You hear, forgive.

Now we will go to Isaiah to confirm God's recognition of the temple as a house of prayer:

Isa 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon my altar; for my house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

And Jesus confirming this truth:

Mat 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves.

So clearly, as surely as the temple was still standing at that time, all prayers and oaths directed toward God, from the temple, were something. Yet the Pharisees ("blind guides") were teaching that they were nothing in comparison to the oaths sworn by the gold which was something more important, according to their interpretation of the law. Jesus clarifies the weightier matters of the law:

Mat 23:17 You fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

Mat 23:18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever swears by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.

Mat 23:19 You fools and blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

Jesus now teaches, in the presence of His disciples, what the Pharisees should have been teaching:

Mat 23:20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, swears by it, and by all things thereon.

Mat 23:21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, swears by it, and by Him that dwells therein.

Mat 23:22 And he that shall swear by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by Him that sits thereon.

God's teachings carry more weight. And that brings us to the introductory verse:

The physical temple of God is no longer standing. It has been replaced with a direct spiritual connection to God through repentance, baptism, and obedience to His laws. As a child of God, the newly baptised follower of Jesus Christ is then led by the Spirit of God into the truth of God. And, is in the presence of God.

Let us conclude with some scriptures that verify these truths:

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost [Spirit].

Act 5:32 And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost [Spirit], whom [which] God has given to them that obey Him.

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed;

Joh 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

This has been extended to all who the Lord our God shall call:

Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

And finally, the hope of all the saints who love God:

Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from Your presence; and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.

Amen.

Freely I have received, freely I have given.

Farewell,

Servanthood