The Pharisees spent a chapter asking questions. They seemed to care. It was artifice. They were trying to trick Jesus. They couldn’t. They quit asking him questions.

He didn’t need their questions to give them answers, however. Jesus spends chapter 23 of Matthew critiquing every aspect of their behavior, the very behavior they believed made them special. He deliberately works his way through every practice, showing them more of their hearts than they dreamed possible.

And his language is far from the neutral, loving language we expect from Jesus. Everyone who looks at religious leaders and calls them hypocrites has to get in line behind Jesus who says that seven times. Everyone who calls religious gathering places quiet as a tomb was topped by Jesus calling the leaders themselves whitewashed tombs full of dead men’s bones. Everyone who has cursed the irresponsibility of religious leaders is echoing Jesus who called them “sons of hell”. Snakes, vipers, blind guides…the imagery Jesus uses is rich and devastating.

Why is he worked up?

Because he cares so passionately about the people who are trying to live up to the behavioral expectations of people who completely neglected the attitude (and the relationship) the behaviors were meant to express.

So when we talk about righteous indignation, this is what it looks like. This is what where it comes from.

He will be offering himself as a ransom for the very people being held hostage by these rule-bound holiest-of-all sanctimonious spotlight-seeking religious people.

Like I am capable of being. And so are you. Any time we pile rule upon rule beyond the simple commands of Jesus, we are creating religion where he intends relationship.

But for everyone who has wept for fear of not measuring up, he offers hope beyond imagination, he offers relief.

Thank you, Jesus.