Essay: Woes against the Pharisees in Matthew

Answer

1. Woes on the Pharisees in Mathew

   Question 1

   Jesus' statement in Mathew 5:17-20 creates a focal point of Mathew's pedagogy on the law. According to Duffield (2020), scholars advocate that these verses unveil an influential Jewish nature, with electric layers of customs that repudiate each other.  Mathew's Gospel is accused of modest inclusion, which results in contradictory teaching of the laws. Dragutinović (2019) indicates that declaration constitutes an integral part of the Sermon on the Mountain, through which Mathew in a pastoral manner speaks the issues of his community concerning their spirituality. Mathew 5:17-20 is crucial to Mathew's teaching of law, not only in the Sermon on the Mountain but within the entire structure of his Gospel. According to Duffield (2020), this verse is immensely formulated, creates Jesus' first statement about the law, and introduces the discussion and forensic element in the Gospel.

   Question 2

   Jesus started by conceding that the Pharisees were seated in the seat of Moses (Viljoen, 2018). While saying it in fewer words, Jesus used this manner of teaching to imply that the Pharisees were usurpers who were not heirs of Moses. Nonetheless, their positions should be acknowledged. According to Thellman (2017), Jesus told his disciples that whatsoever the Pharisees did, they must perceive and practice. By directing them to discern and practice what the Pharisees taught, Jesus did not suggest that the believers should support the false pedagogy of the Pharisees, but preferably those instructions that openly and accurately emerge from Moses' Laws (Viljoen, 2018).  These instructions for the disciples related to Jesus' teachings earlier in the gospel and his mission instructions in chapter 10, given that the commandments by Jesus of the pretense of the Scribes and the Pharisees do not eradicate significant acceptance of authority in Israel or the Church, but perceptibly forbids practicing their deeds (Corinthians 4:15, 1^st John 2:13-14).

   Question 3

   John the Baptist often rebuked the Sadducees and the Pharisees as "brood of vipers" (Mathew 3:7). Jesus also repeats this statement in John 8:44, where he states that the skeptical Jews belong to the devil, their father. When Jesus and John named the Pharisees a brood of vipers, they signified that these men were dishonest, treacherous, and mean. According to Viljoen (2018), they were insincere in that they were hypocrites, threatening in they were blind leaders of the blind and mean in that their hearts were full of evil (John 8:37; Mathew 15:14, Mathew 23:15).  Different echoes of John the Baptist are heard in Jesus’ rebuke of Pharisees. They both emphasized repentance (Thellman, 2017).

   John preached repentance by indicating that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Mathew 3:2). On the other hand, Jesus teaches that repentance corrects the will; and if a person will not repent through fear of evil, at least they may pleasure of goods things. Thus, he repeats John the Baptists' message, "the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, signifying the blessings of the Heavenly Kingdom (Mathew 4:17). Jesus continues the John the Baptist’s mission and building upon it through His teaching and prophetic proclamations using different approaches including emphasizing the significance of repentance. Moreover, Jesus continues the mission by addressing the differences between repentance and good deeds as directed by Jews and transformation of consciousness by faith, which He commanded as the cost of entry to the Kingdom of Heaven (Thellman, 2017). According to the Gospel of Mathew, Jesus is the Jewish messiah. he emphasizes that Jesus is the new Moses designated by God to deliver His souls from bondage and to present the new law.

   Question 4

   The first readers of Matthew's Gospel would understand that Mathew 23:35-39 indicates that Jesus reveals the sufferings of Jerusalem dwellers were about to cause. However, he does not recognize the afflictions He was to encounter. According to Viljoen (2018), a fowl culling her chicks under her wings is an appropriate representation of Jesus' compassionate love to those who believe in him, and his devoted attention. He invites sinners to take shelter under his tender shield and offers them everlasting life. The existing dispersal and disbelief of the Jews and their ultimate conversion to Christ are foretold here. Duffield (2020) indicates that first readers would also understand that Jerusalem and her children had a significant portion of guilt, and their suffering has been signaling. However, justified retribution will fall on each church that is only Christian in name and not practices.

   Meanwhile, Christ stands ready to receive all who repent. These words relate to the vision of a "rebirthing" of Israel in Mathew 19:28, given that these verse emphasizes on repentance and following Jesus Christ as the Savior. According to Viljoen (2018), the vision of the Church and mission in the woes discourse inform our understanding of the church and its mission today that Church leaders and the teachers of law should practice what they teach. Moreover, congregations should observe and follow what the law requires and not follow the deeds portrayed by the teachers of the law.  The discourse also indicates that both leaders and congregations should often repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.