Read & explore together
Warnings about Religious Hypocrisy
Jesus warns the crowd, his disciples, and all who hear him about religious leaders whose public religion looks important while their actions harm others. He also speaks severe woes and ends with sorrow over Jerusalem’s refusal of God’s messengers.
Understanding the passage
Understanding the passage
Matthew presents Jesus speaking to the multitudes and his disciples. Mark says these words came in his teaching, and Luke says he spoke to his disciples in the hearing of all the people. The passage includes warnings about scribes, repeated woes against hypocrisy, and a lament over Jerusalem.
Matthew 23:1–13; Matthew 23:15–39; Mark 12:38–40; Luke 20:45–47Main takeaway
Jesus condemns honour-seeking hypocrisy and points to humility, service, and the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith.
Explore the teaching
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Words and works do not matchJesus speaks to the multitudes and his disciples about the scribes and Pharisees. He says they sit on Moses’ seat, so the people should observe what they say, yet not copy their works.
Explanation
Jesus speaks to the multitudes and his disciples about the scribes and Pharisees. He says they sit on Moses’ seat, so the people should observe what they say, yet not copy their works. His reason is plain: they say, and do not do. They also place heavy burdens on others without helping to lift them.
02They seek honour, but Jesus teaches serviceJesus says these leaders do their works to be seen. They enlarge visible religious items, love places of honour, greetings, and important titles.
Explanation
Jesus says these leaders do their works to be seen. They enlarge visible religious items, love places of honour, greetings, and important titles. Mark and Luke repeat the picture of robes, marketplaces, synagogues, and feasts. In contrast, Jesus says his followers are brothers, have one teacher and master, and the greatest must be a servant.
03Pretence, harm, and blind valuesJesus warns that scribes devour widows’ houses and make long prayers as a pretence, bringing greater condemnation.
Explanation
Jesus warns that scribes devour widows’ houses and make long prayers as a pretence, bringing greater condemnation. He says they work hard to make a proselyte, yet make him worse. He also calls them blind guides and blind fools because their oath rules value temple gold and altar gifts above the temple and altar that sanctify them.
04Small details kept, weightier matters neglectedJesus says they tithe mint, dill, and cumin, yet leave undone justice, mercy, and faith. He says these should not have been neglected.
Explanation
Jesus says they tithe mint, dill, and cumin, yet leave undone justice, mercy, and faith. He says these should not have been neglected. His pictures sharpen the warning: they strain out a gnat and swallow a camel, clean only the outside of cup and platter, and look like whitened tombs, beautiful outside but unclean within.
05Honouring prophets’ tombs while repeating rejectionJesus says they build and decorate prophets’ tombs and claim they would not have shared in earlier bloodshed, yet this shows they are children of those who killed the prophets.
Explanation
Jesus says they build and decorate prophets’ tombs and claim they would not have shared in earlier bloodshed, yet this shows they are children of those who killed the prophets. He speaks of righteous blood from Abel to Zachariah, says judgment will come on this generation, and then laments Jerusalem, which would not receive those sent to her.
Read the accounts alongside one another
Keep each reading’s setting and wording in view.
Scroll across to compare the readings.
| Book | Included readings | Explore in this guide |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew | Matthew 23:1–13 Matthew 23:15–39 | Words and works do not match They seek honour, but Jesus teaches service Pretence, harm, and blind values Small details kept, weightier matters neglected Honouring prophets’ tombs while repeating rejection |
| Mark | Mark 12:38–40 | They seek honour, but Jesus teaches service Pretence, harm, and blind values |
| Luke | Luke 20:45–47 | They seek honour, but Jesus teaches service Pretence, harm, and blind values |
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01Why does Jesus tell the people to observe what these leaders say, but not do what they do?
Use Jesus’ own explanation that they ‘say, and don’t do’ and that they place burdens on others without helping.
02What repeated details show the kind of honour these leaders loved?
List the examples from Matthew, Mark, and Luke such as being seen, robes, greetings, chief seats, important places, and titles, then compare them with Jesus’ words about serving.
03How does Jesus connect decorated prophets’ tombs with the rejection of God’s messengers?
Notice that he says their words testify against them, then read his warning about prophets, wise men, and scribes being rejected and about righteous blood from Abel to Zachariah.
Read the Bible passages
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Matthew 23:1–13
1Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
2saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.
3All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do.
4For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
5But they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the fringes of their garments,
6and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
7the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
8But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.
9Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
10Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
11But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
12Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
Matthew 23:15–39
15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves.
16“Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’
17You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated.’
19You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it.
21He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who has been living in it.
22He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it.
23“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
24You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!
25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.
26You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also.
27“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness.
28Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous,
30and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
31Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
32Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
33You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?
34Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,
35that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.
36Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
37“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
38Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
39For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”
Mark 12:38–40
38In his teaching he said to them, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and to get greetings in the marketplaces,
39and to get the best seats in the synagogues and the best places at feasts,
40those who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”
Luke 20:45–47
45In the hearing of all the people, he said to his disciples,
46“Beware of those scribes who like to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts;
47who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”