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When I was 25, I was serving as a youth pastor at Yorba Linda United Methodist Church. After 18 months of a very successful ministry, during our weekly youth service on a Sunday night, the Pastor-Parish committee came in…unannounced…with a cake. We were confused as this had never happened. They proceeded to say: “We brought this cake to say thank you to Keven for serving as our Youth Pastor and to wish him well since tonight is his last night.” It was a total ambush and as they all stood around the youth room, I opened my bible and proceeded to read Matthew 23. By the end of the chapter, the youth had chased the committee members out into the parking lot, cursing them, and playing “Fade to Black” on the balcony of the church.

I share this story because there is visceral experience to religious fundamentalism and we find ourselves cheering him on. Our lives are full of examples where institutional power crushed us or tried to.

Watching Jesus curse religion, opens a timeless portal through which we discover why Institutional Power (èxousias) is the physical manifestation of evil. Despite his unfiltered, scathing rebuke, church history has muted his voice and softened the edges. His curse has been removed from the Easter story, and quarantined to “certain people” and not religion at large. I ask, how could the Ecclesia Christ is establishing become a redemptive alternative to religion if it is itself another religious institution? Christ’s alternative community was and remains a subversive, power-divesting dynamic, of service and self sacrifice for all others.

Let this sink in, for it’s the basis for the remaining condemnations..

The next curse is found in verses 16-23 and Jesus takes issue with the practice of swearing by various aspects of the temple. For example, swearing “by the temple” or the “gold in the temple” (v.17), or “by the altar” versus the “gift on the altar” (v.19). The practice was meant to hold people accountable by pledging according to these things. Jesus calls them “blind guides” (v.16) and “blind fools” (V.17) because they can’t see the obvious fact that their hearts are dishonest. When a liar or a deceiver pledges, it means nothing. They are blind to the fact that the presence of God is immanent, and thus pledging by anything other than God is an obvious indicator that they have no concept that God is at hand. They should know better.

When we’re aware of God’s presence, we adopt what Jesus’ brother would later suggest, “But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but your yes be yes and your no, no. so you don’t fall into condemnation.” (James 5:12) Why put on a display to prove yourself as trustworthy? Just be so.

²³ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. ²⁴ You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

Giving a portion of one’s “first fruits” or possessions goes back to Levitical Law. Measurable metrics create a vortex of optics around them. We feel this when the “offering basket” gets passed to us in church. It’s much easier to quiet our conscience or deflect the sideways glances if we throw a few bucks in than if we are one of those who just passes it on. Even if we gave generously, it’s likely not even a tenth of all we possess, so these optics remain to this day.

Jesus condemns them because they are as Mark Driscoll said, “Tithing their spice rack” for the optics, but have (hàphinmi– stopped, neglected, divorced) the (barús-important, heavy, fierce, burdensome) aspects of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Not only does he call them hypocrites, but again, blind guides. His comment about straining out a gnat and swelling a camel reveals how comically oblivious they are to the heart of the law. Both gnats and camels were forbidden to eat (Leviticus 11) but the focus on being pedantic reveals just how far off the mark they are. Have you ever been judged for not going to church? The judgment is a camel, missing church is a gnat.

Concern over optics is a hallmark of fundamentalism. To “put on aires” or a “good face,” is literally the definition of hypocrite (upo-kryto-under a mask, hidden under).

Verses 25-28 are two such examples. First is a cup that is clean outside, but filthy inside. The terms for “inside” are (àrpagé– violent greed, plunder) and (àkrasia-lack self control, self-indulgence).

The second example is that of a tomb painted white, where the outside appears beautiful, but inside it’s full of dead people’s bones and (àkatharsia-filthy immorality, corruption).

Jesus’ condemnation of religion uses these metaphors to deconstruct the optics of looking pure, holy, righteous and good, while actually being morally corrupt, having filthy sexual practices, violence, hatefulness, and selfishness. Jesus is saying religion looks good but is very bad. Do you agree?

I once led a small group where one of the members was railing against the immorality of homosexuals, but who had numerous live-in girlfriends. When religion says it “hates the sin but loves the sinner,” that’s just more optics that would receive Jesus’ condemnation. Any pastor or believer who thinks themselves to be morally superior to any other sinner is acting a white-washed tomb, and is blind to the true realities within their heart. The mercy seat of God finds us at the bottom of the cesspool, not once we reach moral superiortity. There is nothing to gain by “appearing” holy.

“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

This helps us see why Jesus said the tax collector and prostitute begin to experience heave before the religious person does. (Matthew 21:31)

The last curse Jesus levies against the leaders of religion is their posturing as the mouthpiece for God. Religion talks a big game, setting up monuments to the righteous in their history. Jesus deconstructs the sin of revisionist history. Religion always stands proud of its heritage, traditions, lineage, legacy, while trying to separate itself from the bad parts of that history. (Sound familiar?) Jesus reveals they are the original gaslighters…distorters of reality (v.31) witnessing against themselves. He calls them serpents, and broods of vipers. (v.33). They are “fake news”, unwilling to see themselves as they are.

Jesus places complete blame for the entire Hebrew history on religion which just like modern politics, is immune to self-criticism and since it will not humbly look at itself, but pridefully defends itself constantly. Since it refuses to heed correction, institutional power is to blame for all atrocities throughout history. This is demonstrated by the aorist and future active voice, making this curse an ongoing state of being and action.

Jesus is not on the side of religion. When he says: “Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.”(v.36) Jesus is not forecasting 2000 years into the future. As we’ll see in the next chapter, Jesus is preparing his disciples for what will take place within their lifetime, and how to prepare for a divorce from religion.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (v.37)

May we reflect on these words of Jesus. As people who subscribe to mainline denominations and institutional power. Is there a sense where God has sent us voices for the church’s self criticism and we’ve ignored them? Are we focused on optics? Do we gaslight people with our cultural narratives and traditions? May we take these words seriously, and act accordingly.