St Matthew Chapters 23-25: Teachings about the End Times

Jesus Denounces Scribes and Pharisees

Eileen Fitzpatrick, Parish of Sacred Heart, Ilkley

The Lament over Jerusalem

Rob Edwards, Parish of St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Shipley

The Desolating Sacrilege

Mark Startin, Parish of Our Lady and St Joseph, Bingley

The Coming of the Son of Man

Lilly, Pupil at St John Fisher School, Dewsbury

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

Flavia Vaz, Parish of St Stephen, Skipton

The Necessity for Watchfulness

Mmanuela Ghosal, Pupil at St John Fisher School, Harrogate

The Faithful or the Unfaithful Slave

Bernard Corcoran, Parish of St Mary’s and St Alban’s, Halifax

The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

Katie Lanigan, Parish of Our Lady and St Joseph, Bingley

The Parable of the Talents

Paul Grafton, Parish of St Joseph’s, Wetherby

The Judgement of the Nations

Carmen Costanza, Leeds University Chaplaincy

Our Readers reflect …

Eileen Fitzpatrick- Jesus Condemns the Scribes and Pharisees (23:1-36)

Who or what in the passage draws your attention?

I read through the whole gospel first and settled on Jesus  speaking to the Scribes and Pharisees because I was struck by two things: the sheer power and indeed simplicity of the language and images and also the clear distinction between what Jesus said to the crowd, telling them to obey the law but also to reject the values manifested in the behaviour of the Scribes and Pharisees; and then the withering attack on the Scribes and Pharisees themselves.

What do you find most challenging in this passage? 

The passage is challenging us all. Jesus is uprooting something very deeply embedded in the society of his time. He accuses the Scribes and Pharisees of being no better than their ancestors who killed the prophets and very powerfully predicts they will do the same. 

Which part of this passage brings you encouragement, comfort, or hope? 

The ideal of leadership as service and the exalting of the humble changes the focus away from external show to inward commitment and love. There is true hope in this.