Woe is Me? | Matthew 23

Jesus began his public ministry with one of the most famous sermons ever delivered: the Sermon on the Mount. And here, beginning in chapter 23 is Jesus’ final sermon. As I study this section, I am amazed at the beautiful balance of Matthew’s gospel. This final sermon is almost exactly the same length as the Sermon on the Mount, and there is a careful balance between the first and last sermons. 

The Sermon on the Mount began with nine great blessings, and now he ends with seven great woes. Woes are a funeral lament, a mix of music and poetry meant to mourn the dead. But they are not dead, or are they? They appear to be active and attractive on the outside, but what are they like on the inside? 

The Sermon on the Mount paints a beautiful picture of how to live. This sermon paints a darker procure of how not to live. Both are needed. And for those with eyes to see, the hypocrisy that Jesus calls out here will hit a little too close to home.