Reading
Matthew 23:13-22
13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. [14]
15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.
Comment
Starting from this point in Matthew's Gospel we have eight "woes", which counterbalance the eight beatitudes pronounced by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
The expression "woe to you" is frequent in the prophetic and apocalyptic Jewish tradition, to indicate the horror of sin and the punishment of those who commit it. It is not so much a real curse, but rather a threat full of indignation for a series of attitudes that Jesus condemns.
The accusation of hypocrisy addressed to the scribes and Pharisees refers to their falseness and ostentation, but also to the exercise of authority in such a way as to hinder access to the kingdom of heaven. Their legalistic religiosity, in fact, prevents the experience of grace and sanctification, in a filial relationship with God. The words of Jesus show that every wrong attitude can have an impact not only on us but also on those we might draw wrong with a bad example.
The Pharisees "travel over land and sea" (v. 15) with their missionary campaigns among the pagans, exhorting them to fully embrace Judaism through circumcision and the acceptance of the obligations of the law. The characteristic zeal of the proselytes makes them more "sons of Gehenna" than the Pharisees.
Jesus attacks the Pharisaic casuistry, which makes some oaths valid and others not, considering those relative to minor things valid and neglecting major duties. Dispensed of the oaths made for the temple, for the altar, and for heaven, the Pharisees profaned the name of God; by making binding the oath on the temple gold they encouraged offerings, demonstrating their attachment to money.
The "woes" pronounced against the Pharisees set a "standard" for Christians as well. When legalism and ceremonial law suffocate the spirit of prophecy, Christianity is reduced to mere religion, alienating men from the Church, which is not an institution, but the kingdom of heaven among us (Lk 17:20). Indeed, God wants to be worshiped "in spirit and in truth" (Jn 4:23).
No believer should feel himself above others, boast of possessing the keys of the kingdom, but hindering or narrow the way of salvation that God has established. The kingdom of heaven is near (Mt 4:17), more than we believe and more than we sometimes make those in search of salvation believe.
Prayer
Give integrity to our life, o Lord, so that we can consistently welcome your Gospel, bearing witness to your closeness to those who seek you with a sincere heart Amen.
- Rev. Dr. Luca Vona
