LESSON VII.—SABBATH, NOVEMBER 18, 1899.
WOE PRONOUNCED ON THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES.
In the Temple at Jerusalem, A.D. 31.
1 "THEN spake Jesus to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; 3 all things therefore whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe; but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not. 4 Yea, they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will 5 not move them with their finger. But all their works they do for to be seen of men; for they make broad their phylacteries, 6 and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the chief 7 place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the market-places, and to be called of men, 8 Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your Teacher, 9 and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father on the 10 earth; for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters; for one is your Master, even the Christ. 11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted. 13 "But wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men; for ye 14 enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter. 14 "Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, even while for a pretense ye make long prayers; therefore ye shall receive greater condemnation. 15 "Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, ye make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves. 16 "Wo 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. 17 Ye fools and blind; for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath 18 sanctified the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift 19 that is upon it, he is a debtor. Ye blind, for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? He 20 therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all 21 things thereon. And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth 22 by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that 23 sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by Him that sitteth thereon. 23 "Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, judgment, and mercy, and faith; 24 but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other 24 undone. Ye blind guides, which strain out the gnat, and 25 swallow the camel. 25 "Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye 26 cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within 26 they are full from extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, 27 cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also. 27 "Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear beauti28 ful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all un28 cleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto 29 men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29 "Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye 30 build the sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of 30 the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our 31 fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the 31 blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, 32 that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets. Fill ye up 33 then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye offspring 34 of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell? Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; some of them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of 35 them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from 35 city to city; that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto 36 the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killeth the prophets, and 38 stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have 38 gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her 39 chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your 39 house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord." NOTE.—The texts inclosed in marks of parentheses, while not essential to the lesson study, will be found to throw much light upon the lesson, and are suggested for those who wish to study further. - Notwithstanding Christ had exposed the evil character of the Jewish officials, what did He tell the people of the position they occupied? Matt. 23:1, 2. Note 1. (Neh. 8:4-8; Mal. 2:7.)
- In view of the place held by them, what attitude did Jesus say the people should hold toward these rulers? Verse 3. (Rom. 2:19-24.)
- How did He justify His statement, "They say and do not"? Verses 4-7.
- After pointing out the glaring defects of those in power, what counsel did Jesus give? Verses 8-10. (James 3:1; 1 Peter 5:3.)
- What is true of one who is really great in the service of God? Verse 11.
- What is sure to come to those who put themselves above others? Verse 12. (1 Peter 5:5-7; Ps. 35:22.)
- What reason did Jesus give for pronouncing the first wo upon the scribes and Pharisees? Verse 13. Note 2.
- For what reason was the second wo pronounced? Verse 14.
- Repeat the charge against them under the third wo. V. 15.
- In pronouncing the fourth wo, what did He call them? What errors had they taught? Verses 16-22.
- What greater wrong made them subject to a fifth denunciation? Verses 23, 25. (Micah 6:8.)
- Under a sixth wo pronounced, what did Jesus say those leaders were like? Verses 25-26. (Luke 11:39; Acts 23:3.)
- Under the seventh and last wo, with what did Christ charge the scribes and Pharisees? Verses 29-32. (Acts 7:51, 52.)
- In what terms did He describe their character? What question did He raise? Verse 33.
- What did He say would be required of the generation guilty of these things? Verses 34-36. (Rev. 18:24.)
- Suddenly changing His manner, what tender yet mournful words were uttered by the Lord? Verses 37, 38.
Side Lights.—"Desire of Ages," chapter 67; "Spirit of Prophecy," vol. 3, chapter 4. 1. Then spake Jesus.—Mark says that after the public silencing of the Pharisees, "the common people heard Him gladly." They were then prepared to hear dark revelations concerning their former leaders. After they had perceived the hypocrisy of the men in high places, there was no longer any danger of their turning against their Lord. On the other hand, their attitude would deter the officials from laying violent hands on Christ until He had fully brought out their character in its true light. His words of condemnation on this occasion were most scathing; yet they were those of gentleness; to the Pharisees, however, they were but the voice of volumed terror. Never were more terrible denunciations uttered than were heaped on those Pharisees. Yet this was done without any commingling of sinful passion or of revengeful malice. His words were those of the Eternal Judge, which all who shall be found at last in the same class, will hear concerning themselves. 2. But wo.—How different the words of this last day's message in the temple, from the teaching of the Saviour on the mount of blessing! The words of blessing were uttered on a mountain-side of Galilee; the words of wo were pronounced in the courts of the Lord's house. But it can not be that these wo were uttered simply because those men were sinners. There must have been something about them more terrible then mere acts of evil; for to the woman taken in adultery the Saviour kindly said, "Neither do I condemn thee; go and sin no more." But to the haughty Pharisees at whose table Christ sat, He spoke altogether differently. These wo were directed against those who cherished hidden sins,—corruption of heart,—while they outwardly posed as God's servants. Hypocrisy must therefore be one of the most hideous, nauseating sins in God's sight, especially where its influence is used to lead souls to perdition. The Gospel is, therefore, like the cloudy-fiery pillar,—a glowing light to the faithful, but a lowering gloom to the faithless; to some it speaks tenderness; to others, terror; to some it is all blessing; to others it proves a curse.