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The First Woe (Woe to You Scribes and Pharisees)

The eight woes which Christ uttered against the Scribes and Pharisees (v. 13-36) were to condemn them and warn others against their vanity, selfishness, lack of true religion, and no doubt also to open their eyes and if possible convert them from the error of their way. There are eight woes, directed against hypocrisy, foolishness, blindness, and greediness of the lowest type; lack of moral understanding and values, exalting ritual above justice, mercy, and faithfulness; hostility to the truth; hatred of the light; and inability to recognize divine messengers and ministries. He denounced the hated antagonism toward the prophets, whose tombs were built in pretense to honor those whom the forefathers had murdered, while inwardly nurturing the same bitter spirit which had slain the prophets, and would, in a few hours, slay the Son of God.

The first woe was uttered against these pretenders and hypocrites, literally masked play-actors, because they were slamming the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in the face of men. They pretended to be on the inside of the palace of the Kingdom, but Jesus said that they "are not coming in themselves, nor permitting those attempting to come in to enter."

Their hypocrisy consisted in the fact that, supposedly, they were opening the road of the Kingdom, but in reality they were covering up the word, and blocking the way of those who were sincere seekers from entering.