Sunday, June 10, 2011 am
LIFE OF JESUS (28-3)
Attitudes – Acceptable and Unacceptable (3)
Matthew 23
i.
They had a distorted
view of the Law. This is an
example of their “works” based salvation. By that I do NOT mean, one who
understands the need for obedience, but one who thinks that he can EARN
his salvation or is entitled to it because he follows “the letter of the
law.” USUALLY, those who act
in such a way will first interpret the law the way they want it and thus
justify themselves by themselves. (cf. 2 Cor. 10:12).
These leaders reasoned that by keeping the “letter of the Law” that such
was all that was needed.
HOWEVER, there was a problem with their reasoning.
They keep (exactly) certain laws, while totally ignoring 1) Other
matters (as we have seen throughout this text) & 2) the NECESSARY
motives that properly govern our keeping “the letter of the Law.”
ii.
Notice vs. 24 – they
stained out the gnat, but swallowed the camel.
iii.
Jesus noted that in the
process they neglected “weightier” matters – justice, mercy and faith.
These are the attitudes that need to accompany the actions.
Consider these 3 attributes:
1.
Justice
– the idea of doing the right thing without discrimination.
We have already seen their failure to show justice - their prejudice and
manipulation of the Law showed a lack of justice – they bound heavy
burdens on the crowd, but they would not do the things they demanded.
In arrogance they looked down upon the poor and “lowly” loving
recognition and praise.
Furthermore, they exploited whomever they need to if it meant
profit for them.
2.
Mercy
– involves the concept of compassion.
Being kind, considerate and forgiving. In devouring widow’s
houses, they showed a tremendous lack of mercy.
In Matt. 9:13 the Lord told His audience to learn this lesson, “I desire
mercy, and not sacrifice.”
3.
Faith
– or faithfulness. Their
lies and deceit in giving oaths showed a failure in this.
iv.
We are reminded that
motive and attitude is just as important as our actions.
1.
That was true even under
the Old Law. In fact, the
reason many struggled with the Old Law was their indifference and impure
motives.
2.
For example: Consider
sacrifices. On many
occasions they offered their sacrifices to God thinking that such would
justify them by themselves.
Yet we read: Amos 5:21-24 reads of how God hated and despised their
feast days. But He commanded
the sacrifices and feasts!
Were they important
YES – but their attitude was wrong!
NOTICE what He wanted in vs. 24, “But let justice run down like
water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Remember what the prophet Samuel said to King Saul when he failed to
completely destroy the Amalekites?
1 Sam. 15:22, “Has the Lord
as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the
voice of the Lord? Behold,
to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.”
In these and other texts (e.g. Isa. 1:10-18, Micah 6:7-8, Zech. 7:8-14,
etc.) we find God rejecting their sacrifices NOT because He did not want
sacrifices, but He wanted the “weightier matters of the Law” to govern
them!
David said in Psalm 51:16-17 says, “For
you do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight
in burnt offering. The
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart –
these, O God, You will not despise.”
3.
Recall how Jesus had
answered that the two greatest commandments involved loving God and your
neighbor (Matt. 22:34-39).
The whole law hinged upon this – and it was an ATTITUDE of love.
IF the proper attitude is there, the “small things” would take
care of themselves.
v.
DOES THIS APPLY TO
US?
1.
Absolutely!
All that we do for God needs to be based upon proper motives.
Passages emphasizing this are too numerous to address in this
lesson –
cf. 1 Tim. 1:5, Jas. 2:14-17, 1 Cor. 13:1-7, 1 Cor. 9:19-23, etc.
It’s about attitude!
2.
Does getting the little
things right justify us neglecting “weightier matters”? NO!
This is the main point Jesus is addressing.
We need both! But I am fearful that such might be the attitude of
many!
a.
For example – there are
some who assemble together (every time the doors are open) - BUT their
heart is properly worshipping God (mind elsewhere, etc.), there in body
but with hatred for a brother (present or not), etc.
b.
WE emphasize getting our
work as the Lord’s church correct, but what about our personal life? Is
our personal integrity is out of order, do we live the godly life
bringing glory to God and His church the rest of the week?
c.
We need to remember what
our Lord taught – in Luke 17:10, “When you have done all these things which you are commanded, say, ‘We
are unprofitable servants.
We have done what was our duty to do.’”
3.
Does this command excuse
us from following the details?
NOTICE that a proper motive does not excuse the need to keep God’s word
including the details.
Jesus did NOT rebuke the Pharisees for tithing their spices.
IT was their superficial attitude, selective obedience, and ignoring the
intent of the law. Psa.
119:160 says, “the entirety of Your word is truth…”
We CANNOT use this text to get out of God’s instructions, even the
details.
4.
Does motive nullify
proper actions?
Absolutely not! When we have
proper motives we WANT to do the right things in the right way.
Why would we NOT want to follow God’s instructions, unless we have some
self-serving motives?
5.
Does the “weightier
matters” mean that there are occasions when we can set aside God’s
instructions?
a.
There is an interesting
principle that Jesus addresses on more than one occasion.
He speaks of exceptions – Luke 15:4 Jesus speaks of an ox falling
in the ditch on the Sabbath and making effort to pull it out.
Also consider Luke 6:3-5 where David ate the showbread that was reserved
for the priests. In both of
these instances, Jesus sites an exception which was governed by mercy.
And there might be some circumstances where we ought to consider
exceptions – but I want you to realize that the ox in the ditch was an
extraordinary circumstance that required immediate attention – it was
not planned, something done regularly, not something you welcome and not
something that took all day to do.
b.
Is that really what
Jesus is teaching here in this context? Is this context justification
for setting aside God’s instructions about attendance (Heb. 10:25)?
Is this justification for setting aside God’s pattern of
discipline? Does this
justify instrumental music in worship because of the principle of
singing in worship deals with praising God from the heart?
Again I ask, I this really what
Jesus was teaching in our context?
The answer is NO!
Jesus was exposing their FAILURE to show godly attitudes in carrying out
His divine instructions.
c.
When God gives us
instructions we need to follow them!
If we are seeking ways to get out of little details, we don’t
understand the “weightier matters.”
6.
Consider Luke 16:10 as
you think about the little things and “the big stuff”.
Jesus said, “He who is
faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust
in what is least is unjust also in much.”
It is by obeying “the little things” that we demonstrate a TRUE
understanding of the underlying motives.
i.
Jesus now makes
application to their condition as a result of the behaviors we have
discussed thus far. And in
these verse we have another description of what a hypocrite is
ii.
He used the illustration
of a cup that outwardly was clean, but inside it was filthy, maybe even
unsafe to drink out of.
Specifically Jesus described that which was “inside” as being full of
extortion and self-indulgence – So we have an outward appearance of
honor, but really they were thieves and selfish.
iii.
Next Jesus used the
illustration of a well-kept tomb.
Outwardly it looked beautiful, (like a well maintained cemetery)
but the content was dead and decaying flesh and bones.
Under the Old Law, this scene was equated with being unclean.
Jews were not to touch dead bones lest they be unclean (Num.
19:11-16, etc.). Jesus was
exposing their internal corruption.
To the uninformed they APPEARED to be pious and godly, but God
knew who they were.
iv.
FIRST, note that you
CANNOT hide from God! Heb.
4:13
v.
Vs. 28 says, “Even
so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full
of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
Again we have in these verses a good description of what a
hypocrite is!
vi.
WE have already
discussed passages challenge us
to serve God not merely with outward ritual, but from the heart - 2 Tim.
3:5 – have a “form of godliness” but denying its power
1 Tim. 1:5 – the purpose of the command is “love from a pure heart, a
good conscience, and a sincere faith.”
i.
Jesus also exposes their
arrogance and spiritual blindness.
They THINK they are fine with God.
But in this final observation, Jesus makes application to the
FRUIT of their hypocrisy.
ii.
He illustrates by noting
how they had built monuments to the various prophets and the righteous
and claimed that if they had been there they would not have partaken in
their persecutions and murders.
iii.
BUT Jesus notes that,
their present conduct had them doing the very same thing and that they
would do even worse things to God’s coming prophets.
IN fact Jesus said, “Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’
guilt.” (vs. 32) He says
that their conduct would bring upon them the blood of all the prophets
from Abel to Zechariah.
iv.
It is NOT enough to be
religious – Jas. 1:27, Matt. 7:21-23
v.
Let us learn from this
to guard against arrogance – 1 Cor. 10:12; Rom. 11:20 – “Do not be
haughty but fear.”
vi.
This will lead to a
discourse dealing with their judgment which we will discuss beginning
next week!
Conclusion:
Truly, we can see in this passage the problem of hypocrisy.
There were so many attitudes and actions that manifested
themselves in their hypocrisy.
May we take this chapter to heart and sincerely examine our
lives.
The
result of their ungodly and hypocritical conduct led Jesus to pronounce
upon them the fate that lies ahead.
He dealt with the judgment to come – both of the nation and at
the end times. In our next
lesson we want to discuss these things in some detail.