There are seven “woe” statements in Matthew chapter 23. Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees and scribes. However, they are still applicable to “Christians” today! Why do I use quotes around the word Christians? I use quotes because many profess they know Jesus Christ, when in actuality they only of Him. I was very religious before my salvation. But my heart was dark with sin and had not experienced the freedom that Christ’s salvation brings. So let’s take a look at these “woes” to see if you can see yourself in them.

• Matthew 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.

Do you invite people to your church in hopes that they will start attending and your numbers will increase? Is salvation in Jesus Christ, and only through Him, a priority in your church? If you are one of these, then you are guilty of this woe.

Matthew 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.

The Pharisees knew they were supposed to take care of the widows. But instead, they would cheat the widows out of their property. They also would stand in the marketplace and make long public prayers so people would notice them and think how holy they were. Do you pretend to be more spiritual than you are? If you are one of these, then you are guilty of this woe.

Matthew 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.

Are you a Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness going door-to-door spreading a false gospel? They don’t believe that Jesus IS God but yet they adamantly spread their false teachings. If you are one of these, then you are guilty of this woe.

Mat 23:16-22  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!  (17)  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?  (18)  And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.  (19)  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?  (20)  Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.  (21)  And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.  (22)  And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Jesus is confronting them about their teachings which had become tradition rather than what God had taught their fathers. Making an oath to God was serious business but they found a loophole. They could make an oath and swear by the temple, for example, because it couldn’t possibly be a binding oath since it was not made to God directly. They got around this by deception. If you are one of these, then you are guilty of this woe.

Matthew 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.

They were paying their tithes but they did not enforce righteous law, judgment, mercy and faith. They did the obvious but left out what meant something to God. It’s no different than a religious person going to church to fulfill an obligation but leaving and living the same way. If you are one of these, then you are guilty of this woe.

Matthew 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.

If you are “religious” looking on the outside but your heart is full of sin, then you suffer from the same thing Jesus was pointing out. You are guilty of this woe.

Matthew 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.

Hypocrisy is at its best when you paint a picture of yourself to others as being a holy Christian but yet you live a life filled with lies. I have heard many a “Christian star” living in the limelight but yet their personal lives were filled with sin. They were living a lie. If you are one of these, then you are guilty of this woe.

Matthew 23:29-33  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, (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. (31)  Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. (32)  Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. (33)  Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 

These Pharisees promoted their prophets and claimed they would have never had them killed. However, they were making the same religious mistakes as their fathers had made. They were following traditions, rather than faith in God. If you are one of these, then you are guilty of this woe.

If you see yourself in any one of these woes, ask yourself if you are truly born again? If you are not certain, follow this link and read the Scriptures that will show you how you can be born again according to God’s Word!