25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
Matthew 23:25–26 (ESV)
Through the Bible: Matthew 23, Luke 20-21
When I was a kid, there were two big Jesus musicals that floated around church culture: Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell. They were products of the early 70s Jesus movement. They both had catchy songs, they were both immersed in hippie culture, and they both played very fast and loose with orthodox theology.
Yet despite Godspell’s creative license (to put it generously), the dialogue comes straight out of Matthew’s Gospel, and many of the lyrics are lifted directly from Scripture. And buried under all the patchwork denim and face paint is a scene that always stops me in my tracks.
It’s a song called “Alas for You.”
It’s based on the Seven Woes in Matthew 23 — the very passage we read today — and whatever else you think about the musical, they got the tone of this moment exactly right: Jesus is done whispering. The storytelling Rabbi becomes the thundering prophet. The Shepherd who gathers lambs now confronts wolves.
The Lamb of God roars like the Lion of Judah.
And in that moment, He is not speaking to the rebellious outsiders or the repentant sinners. He is warning the religious.
People like me.
People like us.
These are among the harshest words Jesus uttered in His public ministry. But even here, Jesus’ goal is not condemnation of the religious leaders, but redemption for them. The Seven Woes are not a rage-filled rant; they are a warning siren. They expose the danger of religion without repentance, ministry without mercy, purity without compassion. And they remind us that the greatest spiritual danger isn’t being far from God — it’s believing we already have Him figured out.
Jesus Confronts Religious Pride
Jesus aims these woes at people who looked holy, sounded holy, and convinced others they were holy — but were hollow inside. They majored on the minors. They polished their image and ignored their hearts. They tithed their herbs but neglected justice and mercy and faithfulness.
Jesus wasn’t correcting their ignorance. He was calling out their arrogance. Their problem wasn’t a lack of knowledge, it was a lack of humility. They knew their Scriptures– and they weaponized them. And Jesus calls them out:
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Matthew 23:27–28 (ESV)
The scary thing? These are people who would have felt good about their devotional life. They would have been in the front row of synagogue. They would have been leading Bible studies. They would have been the ones others admired.
And Jesus says, “Woe to you.” And I am forced to say, “Woe to me, too.”
What Hypocrisy Really Is
The word “hypocrite” is borrowed from Greek theater. It’s the prefix hypo, which means “under” and krino which means to judge or interpret. So it became the word for an actor–one who interpreted their lines beneath a mask. If you were to say “You’re such a hypocrite!” to an actor in ancient Greek, they probably would thank you for the compliment.
Today, we hear “hypocrite” and think of someone pretending to be godly while secretly living in sin. But Jesus’ definition goes deeper. A hypocrite isn’t someone who struggles — a hypocrite is someone who refuses to struggle because they already assume they’re righteous. Rather than confessing their sins, they compare themselves to others, saying, “Well, at least I’m less sinful than that guy.”
They might know all the churchy language about repentance, but those are just lines they are speaking beneath the mask. Rather than admitting their brokenness, they project their perfection. Somewhere along the way, a living relationship with God becomes a role to play instead of a life to surrender.
And Jesus says, “Woe to you.” And I am forced to say, “Woe to me, too.”
The Danger of Religious Sophistication
The Pharisees didn’t start wrong. They began as a renewal movement — a desire to return to faithfulness to Torah (see Day 308: Sorting Out the Sects). But zeal without humility quickly curdles into self-righteousness.
It’s frightening how easy it is to drift there. How simple it is to become more impressed with our theology than with our Savior. To love being right more than being repentant. It’s like the kid who wins every Bible Drill competition and gets in a fight with his brother on the way home from church.
The Seven Woes warn us that someone can win every debate, quote every verse, guard every boundary, and still miss Jesus standing right in front of them. They might have their seminary diploma, their ordination certificate, and their license to preach, but their hearts have grown cold and callous .
Woe to you. Woe to me, too.
The Heart Jesus Wants
Right in the middle of the woes, Jesus says, “These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”
Obedience matters. Truth matters. Holiness matters. But obedience without mercy becomes oppression. Truth without humility becomes cruelty. Holiness without love becomes a costume.
Jesus doesn’t demand a flawless heart. He wants a surrendered heart. Not spotless, but honest. Not loud, but low. A heart that says, “Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner” (see Day 303: When You Stand by Yourself at Church ).
The Tears Behind the Tirade
We would misunderstand this chapter if we thought Jesus was merely angry. The same voice that pronounces woe also weeps over Jerusalem. Behind every warning is lament. Behind every rebuke is love longing to rescue.
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate.
Matthew 23:37–38 (ESV)
This is the heart of God on full display. Like a mother hen, God doesn’t want to fry the chickens. He wants to gather them. He is fierce against pride, fierce for His people. He knows the spiritual suicide that results from self-righteous pride.
The Lion roars with tear-stained eyes.
The Only Safe Place for Religious People
So what do we do with the Seven Woes? Do we cheer Jesus on for putting the Pharisees in their place? Do we see them as the villains of the gospel story, and thank God that we are nothing like them?
No. We come singing, “This is all my righteousness– nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
And for every “Alas for you,” we add, “Alas for me, too.”
The difference between a disciple and a Pharisee is how they respond when Jesus exposes their heart. A Pharisee defends and deflects. A disciple repents and returns.
Lord, make me a disciple, Rree me from pretending, and bring me again beneath Your wings.
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