The Gold or the Temple? - Matthew 23:17

Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus said, “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. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore you shall receive the greater damnation. 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. 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!”, and in chapter twenty-three and verse seventeen of his book, Matthew shared how Jesus asked the scribes and Pharisees, “whether is greater, the gold, or the temple” where we read:

You fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

The verse reads, “You fools and blind: for whether is greater, ...”. Matthew began with the words, “you fools” which means “you impious, dull, stupid, heedless and absurd ones” “and blind” or “and mentally and opaquely seeing leaders of ignorance and inexperience”: “for whether is greater” or “because, since, on account that which one is of more value and importance”. Matthew shared how Jesus identified the “scribes and Pharisees” as “impious and absurd mentally blind” because they could not determine which of the following was of more value and importance.

The verse continues, “... the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?” Matthew added the words, “the gold” which means “the valuable gold metal upon the temple”, “or the temple” which means “or the temple at Jerusalem itself” “that sanctifies” or “that renders, acknowledges, venerates or hallows” “the gold” which means “the gold metal of the temple”. Matthew shared how Jesus asked the “scribes and Pharisees” which object was of more value and importance, “the temple or the gold” within it.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we understand that each of the objects “sworn by” were inanimate and temporary things. Neither of them had any eternal significance at all. God is the only One worthy of receiving honor and glory, and when “stones and metals” are made significant over Him, they are out of order. God desires to have a relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and when they receive Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”, they shall have no need to “swear” by any object that is only temporal to use upon the earth.

Next time Matthew shares how Jesus gives instruction concerning, “whoever shall swear by the alter” and “the gift that is upon” the alter, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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