Whether it be too many responsibilities at work or at home, we can easily become overwhelmed and burdened to the point where we cannot handle what is expected of us. Sometimes others place too much burden upon us. Sometimes we are too blind to see what burdens we place upon others.

We begin Matthew twenty-three by seeing the overwhelming burden of works-righteousness that the Jerusalem Temple leaders imposed upon the people they were called to serve. These men sat on ‘Moses’ seat’ as Jesus points out in verse two. They held a divinely called authority that came from the Mosaic Law, God’s Law. Rightly so, the scribes and priests, the Pharisees and Sadducees, were responsible for guiding God’s people under the authority of God’s Law. HIS Word was to live out in these people.

But we will see in Matthew twenty-three that Jesus exercises and boldly proclaims what TRUE authority is and where it originates. This was Jesus’ last public sermon. Matthew 24 & 25 contain the Olivet Discourse, a final and private teaching with his disciples.

By declaring the seven ‘woes’ upon the Scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23, Jesus reveals the light of truth in contrast to the darkness of deception. He contrasts right teaching with false living.

The first twelve verses are an introduction to Jesus’ warnings to the people and to these religious leaders. The first twelve verses will reflect Jesus’ warning to all of us about what to listen to with humility and reverence and what practices to avoid. The first twelve verses introduce the right and the true authority to listen to and to follow. And it is not what the Scribes and Pharisees ‘do’ that we model.

Truth always reveals itself and Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the light. This is his lesson: learn from THE GREAT master teacher and do not get distracted by the false teachers who claim to be great but are truly weak.