Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Matthew
Book: Matthew
Chapter: 23
Overview:
Jesus reproves the
Scribes and
Pharisees.
(1-12) Crimes of the
Pharisees.
(13-33) The guilt of
Jerusalem.
(34-39)
1-12 The
Scribes and
Pharisees explained the
Law of
Moses, and
enforced obedience to it. They are charged with hypocrisy in
religion. We can only
Judge according to outward appearance; but
God searches the
Heart. They made
Phylacteries. These were
scrolls of
Paper or
Parchment, wherein were written four
paragraphs of the
Law, to be worn
On their foreheads and left
arms, Ex 13:2-10; 13:11-16; De 6:4-9; 11:13-21. They made
these
Phylacteries broad, that they might be thought more
zealous for the
Law than others.
God appointed the Jews to make
fringes upon their garments, Nu 15:38, to remind them of their
being a
Peculiar people; but the
Pharisees made them larger than
common, as if they were thereby more religious than others.
Pride was the
Darling, reigning
Sin of the
Pharisees, the
Sin
that most easily beset them, and which our
Lord Jesus takes all
occasions to speak against. For him that is taught in the
Word
to give respect to him that teaches, is commendable; but for him
that teaches, to demand it, to be puffed up with it, is sinful.
How much is all this against the
Spirit of Christianity! The
consistent
Disciple of
Christ is pained
By being
Put into chief
places. But who that looks around
On the visible
Church, would
think this was the
Spirit required? It is
Plain that some
Measure of this antichristian
Spirit prevails in every religious
society, and in every one of our hearts.
13-33 The
Scribes and
Pharisees were enemies to the
Gospel of
Christ, and therefore to the
Salvation of the souls of men. It
is bad to keep away from
Christ ourselves, but worse also to
keep others from him. Yet it is
No new thing for the show and
form of
Godliness to be made a
Cloak to the greatest enormities.
But dissembled
Piety will be reckoned double iniquity. They were
very busy to turn souls to be of their party. Not for the
Glory
of
God and the good of souls, but that they might have the
credit and advantage of making converts. Gain being their
Godliness,
By a thousand devices they made religion give way to
their worldly interests. They were very strict and precise in
smaller matters of the
Law, but careless and loose in weightier
matters. It is not the scrupling a little
Sin that
Christ here
reproves; if it be a
Sin, though but a
Gnat, it must be strained
out; but the doing that, and then swallowing a
Camel, or,
committing a greater
Sin. While they would seem to be godly,
they were neither sober nor righteous. We are really, what we
are inwardly. Outward motives may keep the outside
Clean, while
the inside is filthy; but if the
Heart and
Spirit be made new,
there will be newness of
Life; here we must begin with
ourselves. The
Righteousness of the
Scribes and
Pharisees was
like the ornaments of a
Grave, or dressing up a dead body, only
for show. The deceitfulness of sinners' hearts appears in that
they go down the streams of the sins of their own
Day, while
they fancy that they should have opposed the sins of former
days. We sometimes think, if we had lived when
Christ was upon
Earth, that we should not have despised and rejected him, as men
then did; yet
Christ in his
Spirit, in his
Word, in his
ministers, is still
No better treated. And it is just with
God
to give those up to their hearts' lusts, who obstinately persist
in gratifying them.
Christ gives men their true characters.
34-39 Our
Lord declares the miseries the inhabitants of
Jerusalem were about to bring upon themselves, but he does not
notice the sufferings he was to undergo. A
Hen gathering her
chickens under her wings, is an apt emblem of the
Saviour's
tender
Love to those who trust in him, and his
Faithful care of
them. He calls sinners to take
Refuge under his tender
protection, keeps them safe, and nourishes them to eternal
Life.
The present
Dispersion and unbelief of the Jews, and their
future
Conversion to
Christ, were here foretold.
Jerusalem and
her children had a large share of guilt, and their
Punishment
has been signal. But ere long, deserved vengeance will fall
On
every
Church which is
Christian in name only. In the mean time
the
Saviour stands ready to receive all who come to him. There
is nothing between sinners and eternal happiness, but their
proud and unbelieving unwillingness.