Matthew 23…

  1. Jesus clearly points out that the Pharisees hold positions of authority (like a father and/or spiritual father; like a church elder, like a PhD credentialed Christian counselor).
  2. Jesus clearly believes in the 5th commandment.
  3. So now we must honestly wrestle with the way Jesus interprets and applies the 5th commandment in relationship to the father and/or spiritual father; or church elder, or PhD credentialed Christian counselor.
  4. Jesus clearly offends the spiritual fathers; and church elders, and PhD credentialed Christian counselors when He says, “They love the place of honor at feasts, and the best seats at gatherings, and greetings in the marketplaces, and being called “Dr.”
  5. Jesus clearly chastises our superficial view of greatness when He says, “The greatest among you shall be your servant.”
  6. Jesus grossly offends affronts the fathers, and spiritual father, and church elders, and PhD credentialed Christian counselors when He says, “Woe to you, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.”

[PAUSE] how do you feel about the fact that Jesus is saying this about some of the most renowned and venerated PhD, conservative, theologians in the PCA? For example, think of some historic church (circa 18th century), with an iconic, picturesque, steeple, and a venerated – highly educated – PhD Pastor at the helm. …How do you feel about the fact that Jesus is talking about that guy?  

  • Jesus continues to grossly offend the fathers, and spiritual father, and church elders, and PhD credentialed Christian counselors when He says, “Woe to you, hypocrites! You occupy yourselves with tedious confessional conversations, and credit yourselves with ‘protecting what’s really important,’ and all the while you neglect the truly weighty matters (like justice, mercy, and faithfulness). You blind guides! You strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”
  • And Jesus just keeps on offending fathers, and spiritual father, and church elders, and PhD credentialed Christian counselors when He says, “Woe to you, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you’re full of greed and self-indulgence. You are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

[PAUSE] honestly ask yourself if you’re actually okay with Jesus confronting the esteemed elders of the community like this! Think about how the wives of the men Jesus is confronting felt about this. This is inescapably, extremely, offensive stuff Jesus is saying. Certainly you yourself (on some level) feel like Jesus is breaking the 5th commandment by speaking this way to these men!

  • And Jesus just keeps on offending fathers, and spiritual father, and church elders, and PhD credentialed Christian counselors when He says, “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth.”

 And Jesus just keeps on offending fathers, and spiritual father, and church elders, and PhD credentialed Christian counselors when He says, “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”