Matthew 23:1-39 Woe to the Scribes & Pharisees, Hypocrites, Who Say & Thing & Do Another

 

Woe to the Scribes & Pharisees, Hypocrites, Who Say & Thing & Do Another

Matthew 23:1-39    The Gospel According to Matthew [in Smaller Chunks]

Then, Jesus [spoke] to the multitude & His disciples, saying, The scribes & the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. Therefore, [of] [whatever] they bid you [heed.] [Obey] that & do; but don't you do [according to] their works: for they say, & don't [do it.]

[Matthew 15:7-9 You hypocrites, [Isaiah] did well [to] prophesy of you saying, *This people draws [close] to Me with their mouth, & honors Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. But they do worship Me in vain, teaching for doctrines, the commandments of men.]

For they [tie] heavy burdens, grievous to be [carried,] & lay them on men's shoulders, but they, themselves, wouldn't move them with one of their fingers. But they do all their works, [a.k.a. deeds,] to be seen [by] men. They make their phylacteries, [a.k.a. charms, wide,] & enlarge the borders of their garments.

[Matthew 6:5 And when you pray, you shall not be [like] the hypocrites are. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues & in the corners of the streets, [so] that they may be seen [by] men. [Truly,] I say to you, They have their reward.]

And [they] love the uppermost rooms at feasts, the [best] seats in the synagogues, greetings in the markets, & to be called, Rabbi, Rabbi, [by] men. But [don't] you be called Rabbi: for One is your Master, [a.k.a. Teacher,] even Christ, & all you are brethren.

And call no man upon the earth, your father. For One is your Father, [Who] is in heaven. [Matthew 5:15-16 Neither do men light a candle, & put it under a bushel, [a.k.a. basket,] but on a candlestick.

And it gives light to all, [who] are in the house. Let your light [also] shine before men, [so] that they may see your good works, & glorify your Father, [Who] is in heaven.]

Neither [let] [yourselves] be called masters. For One is your Master, even Christ. But he, [who] is greatest among you, shall be your servant. And [whoever] shall exalt himself, shall be abased, [a.k.a. humbled,] & he, [who humbles] himself, shall be exalted.

But woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the Kingdom of heaven, against men. For you neither go in yourselves, & neither [do] you [allow those, who] are entering, to go in.

[Luke 11:52 Woe to you, lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You [didn't] enter in yourselves, & you hindered [those, who] were entering in.]

Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, & [as] a pretence, make long [prayers.] Therefore, you shall receive the greater [condemnation.]

Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you [span] the sea & land to make one proselyte, [a.k.a. convert,] & when he is made, you make him [twice as much] the child of hell, than yourselves.

Woe to you, you blind guides, [who] say, [Whoever] shall swear [an oath] by the temple, it is nothing. But [whoever] shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! You fools & blind. For whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

And, [Whoever] shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but [whoever] swears by the gift that is upon [the altar,] is guilty. You fools & blind. For [which] is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

Therefore, [whoever] shall swear by the altar, swears by it, & by all [the] things [upon it.] And [whoever] shall swear by the temple, swears by it, & by Him, [Who] dwells [in there.] [Psalm 26:8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, & the place where Your honor dwells.]

And he, [who] shall swear by heaven, swears by the throne of God, & by Him, [Who] sits [on it.] [Revelation 3:21 I will grant to him, [who] overcomes, to sit with Me [on] My throne, even [like] I also overcame, & Am [sitting] down with My Father, [on] His throne.]

Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay [10%] [tithes] of: mint, anise, & cummin, & have [left out] the weightier, [a.k.a. more important,] matters of the Law: [justice,] mery, & faith. These you ought to have done, & not leave the [others] undone. You blind guides, [who] strain at a gnat, & swallow a camel.

Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you make the outside of the cup & platter clean, but [inside,] they are full of extortion & excess. You blind Pharisee, 1st cleanse [what] is [inside] the cup & platter, [so] that the outside of them may also be clean.

Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are [similar] to [whitened tombs, that] indeed appear beautiful [on the outside,] but [inside] are full of dead men's bones, & all uncleanness.

Even so, outwardly you also appear righteous to men, but [inside] you are full of hypocrisy, [a.k.a. saying one thing & doing another,] & [sinfulness.]

Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the [prophets'] tombs, & [decorate] the sepulchres, [a.k.a. tombs,] of the righteous. [Luke 11:47 Woe to you! For you build the sepulchres of the prophets, & your [forefathers] killed them.]

And [you] say, If we had been [during] the days of our [forefathers,] we wouldn't have been [participants] with them in the blood [shed] of the prophets. [For this reason] you [are] witnesses [about] yourselves, that you are the children of [those, who] killed the prophets.

[Acts 7:51-52 You stiff-necked, [a.k.a. stubborn, with] uncircumcised [hearts] & ears, you always do resist the Holy Ghost, [a.k.a. Holy Spirit,] & you [also] do, [what] your [forefathers] did.

Which of the prophets haven't your [forefathers] persecuted? And they have [killed those, who previously declared] the coming of the Just One; of Whom you have now been the betrayers & murderers.]

Then, you [also] fill up the [measurement] of your [forefathers.] How can you serpents & [offspring] of vipers, [a.k.a. poisonous snakes,] escape the damnation of hell? [For this reason, look,] I send prophets, wise men, & scribes to you.

*And some of them you shall kill  & crucify; & some of them you shall scourge, [a.k.a. whip,] in your synagogues, & persecute them from city to city. [Acts 8:3-4 *As for Saul, he made havoc, [a.k.a. devastation,] of the church, entering into every house, & [catching] men & women, & [committing] them to prison. Therefore, [those, who] were scattered abroad, went everywhere preaching the Word.]

[So,] all the blood shed of the righteous upon the earth, may come upon you. From the blood of righteous: Abel, [all the way to] the blood of [Zechariah, Barachias' descendant,] whom you [killed] between the temple & the altar.

[2 Chronicles 24:20-21 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, the priest, [who] stood above the people, & said to them, God [says this;] Why [do] you transgress, [a.k.a. sin against,] the commandments of the Lord, [so] that you can't prosper?

Because you have [abandoned] the Lord, He has also [abandoned] you. And they conspired against [Zechariah,] & stoned him [to death,] in the [courtyard] of the [Lord's] house, at the [king's command.]

[Truly,] I say to you, All these things shall [happen to] this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you, [who] kill the prophets, & stone [those, who] are sent to [warn] you.

How often I would have gathered your children together, even [like] a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, & you would not! [Look,] your house is left desolate to you.

*For I say to you, You shall not see Me [from now on until] you shall say, Blessed is He, [Who] comes in the Name of the Lord. [Psalm 118:26 *Blessed [is] He, [Who] comes in the Name of the Lord. We have blessed you [from] the house of the Lord.]

Matthew 22:1-46 The Pharisees & Sadducees Trying to Trap Jesus by What He Said

 

The Pharisees & Sadducees Trying to Trap Jesus by What He Said

Matthew 22:1-46    The Gospel According to Matthew [in Smaller Chunks]

And Jesus answered & [spoke] to them again by parables, & said, The Kingdom of heaven is [similar] to a certain king, [who] made, [a.k.a. prepared,] [for] a marriage for his son, & sent his servants [out] to call [those, who] were [invited] to the wedding; & they wouldn't come.

Again, he sent [out] other servants, saying, Tell [those, who] are [invited, See,] I have prepared my dinner. My oxen & [fattened animals,] are killed, & all things are ready. Come to the marriage. But they made light of it, & went [on] their [way,] 1 to his farm, & another to his merchandise.

And the [rest] took his servants, & [treated] them spitefully, & [killed] them. But when the king heard [of it,] he was [angry.] And he sent [out] his armies, & destroyed those murderers, & burned up their city.

Then, he [said] to his servants, The wedding is ready, but [those, who] were [invited,] weren't worthy. Therefore, you go into the highways, & [invite] to the marriage, as many as you shall find. So those servants went out into the highways, & gathered together as many as they found, both bad & good.

And the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there, a man [who didn't have] on a wedding garment. And he said to him, Friend, how [did] you [come] in [here without] having a wedding garment?

And he was speechless. Then, the king said to the servants, [Tie] him hand & foot, & take him away. And cast him into outer darkness, [where] there shall be weeping & gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.

Then, the Pharisees went & [got advice] [about] how they might entangle [Jesus] in [what] [He says.] And [the Pharisees,] sent out their disciples [along] with the Herodians, to [Jesus,] saying, Master, [a.k.a. Teacher,] we know that you are true, [a.k.a. faithful,] & teach the [path] of God in truth.

Neither [do] You [show partiality to] any man. For you [don't] regard the [person's] [status] of men. Therefore, tell us, What [do] You think? Is it lawful to give tribute, [a.k.a. taxes,] to Caesar, or not? But Jesus [realized] their wickedness, & said, You hypocrites, why [do] you tempt, [a.k.a. test] Me?

[Show] Me the tribute money. And they brought a penny to [Jesus.] And He said to them, Whose image, & [inscription] is this? They said to Him, Caesar's. Then [Jesus said] to them, Therefore, [give] to Caesar the things [that] are Caesar's; & [give] to God, the things that are God's.

When they had heard these Words, they marveled, & left [Jesus,] & went [on] their way. The same day, the Sadducees came to Him, [who] say that there is no resurrection.

And asked Him, saying, Master, [a.k.a. Teacher,] Moses said, If a man [dies] having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, & raise up seed, [a.k.a. offspring,] to his brother.

Now, there were 7 brethren, [a.k.a. brothers,] with us. When the 1st had married a wife, [died,] & having no issue, [a.k.a. offspring,] left his wife to his brother. [Furthermore,] the 2nd also, & the 3rd, [until] the 7th, [died without offspring.] And last of all, the woman also died.

Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the 7, shall she be? For they all had her [as a wife.] Jesus answered & said to them, Not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God, you do err, [a.k.a. are mistaken.] For in the resurrection, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are [like] the Angels of God in heaven.

But [related to] the resurrection of the dead, you haven't read [what] was spoken to you by God, saying, Am I the God of Abraham, & the God of Isaac, & the God of Jacob? God isn't the God of the dead, but [the God] of the living.

And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at His doctrine, [a.k.a. teaching.] But when the Pharisees had heard that He had [silenced] the Pharisees, they were gathered together.

Then, one of them, [who] was a lawyer, asked [Jesus] a question, [testing] Him, & saying, Master, [a.k.a. Teacher,] which is the [greatest] commandment in the Law? Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, & with all your mind.

This is the 1st, & [greatest] commandment. And the 2nd is [similar] to it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. [Matthew 7:12 Therefore, [of] all things, [whatever] you [want] that men should do for you, you, even do so to them. For this is the Law & [of] the prophets.]

All the [Laws] & the prophets, hang on these 2 commandments. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What [do] you think of Christ? Whose Son is He? They [said] to [Jesus,] The son of David.

[Jesus] said to them, Then, how [does] David, in Spirit, call him Lord, saying, *The Lord said to my Lord, You, sit at My right hand [side,] [until] I make your enemies Your footstool? Then, if David [calls] Him Lord, How is He his Son?

[Matthew 17:5 *While [Peter still spoke, saw,] a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, This Is My beloved Son, in Whom I Am well pleased. You, hear, [a.k.a. listen to] Him.]

And no man was able to answer a word [to] [Jesus.] Neither [did] any man from that day [on, dare] [to] ask [Jesus] anymore questions.

Matthew 21:1-46 Palm Sunday Jesus Came into Town Riding on a Donkey

 

Palm Sunday Jesus Came into Town Riding on a Donkey

Matthew 21:1-46    The Gospel According to Matthew [in Smaller Chunks]

And when they drew [close] to Jerusalem & [came] to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent 2 disciples, saying to them, Go into the village [opposite to] you, & [immediately] you will find [a] [donkey] tied & a colt with her. [Loosen] them, & bring them to Me. And if any man says [anything] to you, you shall say, The Lord has need of them, & he will send them [right away.]

All this was done, [so] that it might be fulfilled, [what] was spoken by the prophet saying, *You, tell the daughter of [Zion, Look,] your King comes to you, meek, [a.k.a. humble,] & sitting upon [a donkey,] & a colt, the foal of [a donkey.] And the disciples went, & did [like] Jesus commanded them.

And brought the [donkey,] & the colt, & put their clothes on them, and they set [Jesus on there.] [Zechariah 9:9 *Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. [Look,] your King comes to you. He is just, [a.k.a. impartial,] & [has] Salvation; [but is] lowly, & riding upon [a donkey,] & upon a colt, the foal of [a donkey.]

And a very [large] multitude spread their garments in the [road.] Others cut down branches from the trees, & [spread] them in the [road.] *And the multitudes that went [in front,] & that followed, cried [out,] saying, Hosanna to the son of David.

Blessed is He, [Who] comes in the Name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. [Psalm 118:26 *Blessed [is] He, [Who] comes in the Name of the Lord. We have blessed You out of the house of the Lord.]

And when He [came] into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus, the prophet [from] Nazareth of Galilee. *And Jesus went into the temple of God, & cast out all [those, who] sold & bought in the temple.

*And overthrew the [money changer's] tables, & the seats of [those, who] sold doves, & said to them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves. [Isaiah 56:7 *I will bring even [those] to My holy mountain, & make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings, & their sacrifices shall be accepted upon [My] altar; for [My] house shall be called [a] house of prayer for all people.]

[John 2:15 And when He had made a [whip] of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, & the sheep & oxen, & poured out the changers' money, & overthrew the tables.]

*And the blind & lame came to [Jesus] in the temple; & He healed them. [Isaiah 35:5-6 *Then, the eyes of the blind shall be opened, & the ears of the deaf shall be [unplugged.] *Then, the lame man shall leap [like a rabbit,] & the tongue of the dumb [shall] sing. For waters shall break out in the wilderness, & streams in the desert.]

*And the chief priests & scribes were [very] displeased when they saw the wonderful things that [Jesus] did, & the children crying [out,] in the temple, saying, Hosanna to the son of David. And said to [Jesus,] [Don't] You [hear] what these say?

And Jesus [said] to them, [Yes;] haven't you ever read, Out of the mouth of babes & sucklings, You have perfected praise? [Psalm 8:1-2 *O Lord, our Lord, how excellent Your Name is in all the earth! Who has [put] Your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes & sucklings, You [have appointed] strength, because of Your enemies, [so] that You [might calm] the enemy & the avenger.]

And [Jesus] left them, & went out of the city & into Bethany; & He lodged there. Now, in the morning, as He returned into the city, He [was hungry.] And when He saw a fig tree [on] the way, He came to it, & found nothing [on it,] but only leaves. And said to it, Let no fruit grow on you [from now on,] forever.

And [shortly,] the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How soon the fig tree [has] withered away! Jesus answered & said to them, [Truly,] I say to you, If you have faith & [don't] doubt, You shall not only do this, which is done to the fig tree, but if you shall also say to this mountain, You be removed, & you be cast into the sea; it shall be done.

And you shall receive all things, [whatever] you shall ask in prayer, believing. [John 14:12-13 [Very, truly,] I say to you, He, [who] believes [in] Me, & the works that I do, he shall also do, & greater works than these; because I go to My Father. And [whatever] you shall ask in My Name, I will do that, [so] that the Father may be glorified in the Son.]

And when [Jesus had] come into the temple, the chief priests & elders of the people came to Him, as He was teaching. And said, By what authority [do] You [do] these things? And who gave you this authority?

And Jesus answered & said to them, I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will [also] tell you by what authority I do these things. [Where] was the baptism of John [from?] From heaven, or of men?

And they reasoned [among] themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; He will say to us, Then, why didn't believe Him? But if we say, Of men; we fear the people; for all [consider] John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, & said, We can't tell.

And He said to them, Neither [shall] I tell you by what authority I do these things. But what [do] you think? A certain man had 2 sons. And he came to the 1st, & said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered & said, I won't; but afterward he [regretted it,] & went.

And he came to the 2nd, & said [the same.] And he answered & said, I [will] go, Sir: & [didn't go.] [Which] of the [two] did the will of his father? They [said] to Him, The 1st.

Jesus [said] to them, [Truly,] I say to you, that the publicans, [a.k.a. tax collectors,] & harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you. For [on] the [road,] John came to you in righteousness, & you [didn't believe] him. But the publicans & the harlots believed him.

And you, when you had seen it, [didn't] repent [afterwards, so] that you might believe him. Hear another parable. There was a certain [land owner, who] planted a vineyard, & hedged [around] it, & [dug] [& put] a winepress in it, & built a tower, & [rented] it out to [farmers.]

And [the owner] went into a far country. And when the [fruits'] time drew near, he sent his servants to the [farmers, so] that they might receive the fruits of it. And the [farmers] took his servants, & beat one, killed another, & stoned another.

Again, he sent other servants, more than the first [time,] & they did [the same] to them. But last of all, he sent his son to them, saying, They will reverence, [a.k.a. respect,] my son. But when the [farmers] saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, & let's seize his inheritance.

And they caught him, & [threw] him out of the vineyard, & [killed] him. Therefore, when the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those [farmers?]

They [said] to [Jesus,] He will miserably destroy those wicked men, & will [rent] out his vineyard to other [farmers, who] shall [give] him the fruits in their seasons.

*Jesus [said] to them, [Didn't] you [ever] read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same [has] become the head of the corner. This is the Lord's doing, & it is marvelous in our eyes? [Ephesians 2:19-22 Therefore, now you are no [longer] strangers & foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, & [those] of the household of God.

*And are built upon the foundation of the apostles & prophets. Jesus Christ, Himself, being the chief cornerstone, in [Whom] all the building [is tightly] framed together & [grows into the] Holy Temple of the Lord. [Through] Whom, you are also [built] together for [a] habitation [for] God, through the Spirit.]

*Therefore, I say to you, The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you, & given to a nation bringing forth the fruits [of it.] [Acts 13:46-48 Then, Paul & Barnabas [grew] bold, & said, It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you, [a.k.a. Jews.]

But [since] you put it from you, [a.k.a. refuse it,] & judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, [look,] we turn to the Gentiles. *For the Lord has so commanded us, saying, I have [put] you to be a light [for] the Gentiles, [so] that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad & glorified the Word of the Lord. And as many as were [appointed] to eternal life, believed.]

*And [whoever] shall fall on this stone, shall be broken: but [whomever] it shall fall [upon;] it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests & Pharisees had heard [Jesus'] parables, they [realized] that He [spoke] of them.

But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitude, because they [considered Jesus] for a prophet. [John 4:39-42 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed [in] Him, [because] of the woman [who] testified saying, He told me all that I ever did.

So, when the Samaritans [came] to Him, they [urged] Him, that He would [stay] with them. And [Jesus stayed] there 2 days. And many more believed, because of His Own Word.

And said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of [what] you [said,] for we have heard Him ourselves, & know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.]