Mat 23:13  But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Mat 23:14  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Mat 23:15  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Mat 23:16  Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

Mat 23:17  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

Mat 23:18  And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.

Mat 23:19  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

Mat 23:20  Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

Mat 23:21  And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

Mat 23:22  And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Mat 23:23  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Mat 23:24  Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

Mat 23:25  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

Mat 23:26  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Mat 23:27  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

Mat 23:28  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Mat 23:29  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

Mat 23:30  And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

Mat 23:31  Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

II. Condemnation of the Pharisees (Mat 23:13-36)

There are eight “woes” here, and you can contrast them with the eight “blesseds” (Beatitudes) of Mat 5:3-12. “The poor in spirit” inherit the kingdom (Mat 5:3), while the proud “shut up the kingdom” (Mat 23:13). Mourners are comforted (Mat 5:4) while the devourers receive damnation (Mat 23:14). The meek “inherit the earth” (Mat 5:5) but the proud send people to hell (Mat 23:15). God fills those who are hungry for holiness (Mat 5:6), but those who are greedy for material gain go away empty (Mat 23:16-22). The merciful “obtain mercy” (Mat 5:7), but the Pharisees rejected mercy as they majored in trivialities (Mat 23:23-24). “The pure in heart” see God (Mat 5:8), while the outwardly religious are inwardly corrupt (Mat 23:25-28). The peacemakers and persecuted are the “children of God” (Mat 5:9-12), but the murderers and persecutors are called “children of the devil” (Mat 23:29-33).

Jesus did not utter these “woes” with a feeling of hatred or malice in His heart. There is a sense of “pitying sorrow” in these verses, as the loving heart of Christ reveals the wicked hearts of His enemies. It was anguish that He revealed, not anger.

How did they “shut up the kingdom”? (Mat 23:13) First, by refusing to receive the message of John the Baptist (Mat 21:25-27; Mat 11:16-19). Second, by refusing to acknowledge Christ Himself (Jhn 7:47).

Third, by keeping the true meaning of the Scriptures from the people (Luk 11:52). By hiding “the key of knowledge” (Christ as seen in the Scriptures) behind their man-made traditions, the scribes and Pharisees actually locked the door to the kingdom of heaven! How tragic when “religious leaders” today shut people out of heaven by rejecting Christ, resisting His Spirit, and refusing to preach and teach His Word.

The Pharisees preyed upon poor widows and took their possessions under the pretense of using them for God (Mat 23:14). They were covetous liars and “religious racketeers.”

Their values were confused (Mat 23:16-22). They were interested in the gold and the gifts but not the spiritual worship in the temple (see Luk 16:14).

“Whited sepulchers” (Mat 23:27) refers to the practice of whitewashing tombs so that the Jews would not accidentally defile themselves (see Num 19:16).

[Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.]