Outside Clean and Inside Full of Extortion and Excess - Matthew 23:25

Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus said, “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! You fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever swears by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. You fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift. Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, swears by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, swears by it, and by him that dwells therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him that sits thereon. 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. You blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel”, and in chapter twenty-three and verse twenty-five of his book Matthew shared how Jesus said the “scribes and Pharisees, “make clean the outside of the cup... but within … are full of extortion and excess” where we read:

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

The verse reads, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, ...”. Matthew began with the words, “woe unto you” which is “used an expression of grief or denunciation toward the religious leaders”, “scribes” or “men who were learned in the Mosaic law and in the sacred writings as interpreters and teachers” “and Pharisees” which refers the sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile. In addition to Old Testament books the Pharisees recognized in oral tradition a standard of belief and life”, “hypocrites” or “actors, stage players, dissemblers and pretenders”! “for you make clean” which means “because, since and on account that the scribes and Pharisees cleanse, consecrate and purify from wickedness” “the outside of the cup” or “the outward part of a drinking vessel” “and of the platter” which means “and the dish used for dainties or choice food suited not so much to satisfy as to gratify the appetite”. Matthew shared how Jesus gave great warning to the “scribes and Pharisees” for their practice of “cleansing” the outward parts of their “drinking vessels and plates”.

The verse goes on to say, “... but within they are full of extortion and excess.” Matthew added the word, “but within” which means “however, moreover and inside or in the inner part” “they are full” or “the cups and platters are filled” “of extortion” which means “with the act of plundering, ravening and robbing” “and excess” or “and incontinence and intemperance”. Matthew shared how Jesus said inwardly the “scribes and Pharisees” were full of “ravening and plundering” as well as “unrestraint and self-indulgence”.

When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus exposed the real way the “scribes and Pharisees” were within themselves. They looked good to others in their “outward appearance”, however, inside were “extortionist and indulgence”. God desires to have an authentic personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and the beginning of that process is to recognize the “sinful nature” that is within them. When people humble themselves, be real with God, and not attempt to hide their true selves like these “religious leaders”, Jesus will forgive their sins and promises “everlasting life”. May all who read these words examine themselves and determine not only what others see, but also what lies within them.

Next time we see Matthew write how Jesus tells the scribe and Pharisees how they, “cleanse first … within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also of the cup”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.