Free group study handout
Matthew 23: Group Study Handout
How to use: read Matthew 23 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.
Overview
Jesus speaks to the multitudes and his disciples. He warns them about the scribes and Pharisees who sit on Moses’ seat (vv. 1-3).
Key verse
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.”
Matthew 23:23 (WEB)
Outline
- Matthew 23:1–3 Jesus Addresses the Multitudes
- Matthew 23:4–12 Critique of Religious Leaders
- Matthew 23:13–24 Woes Against the Scribes and Pharisees
- Matthew 23:25–28 Outward vs. Inward Cleanliness
- Matthew 23:29–36 Condemnation of Jerusalem
- Matthew 23:37–39 Jesus' Lament over Jerusalem
Discussion questions
- In v2, what does it mean that the scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat?
- What do the Pharisees do to their garments in v5, and why?
- In v23, why does Jesus mention justice, mercy, and faith as weightier matters of the law?
- What does Jesus mean when he calls the Pharisees 'blind guides' in v24?
- When have you felt pressured to conform to expectations like those the Pharisees impose in v4?
Go deeper
Passages that echo Matthew 23: Proverbs 29, Luke 11, Matthew 5.
Before next time: read Matthew 24.