Tuesday of Holy Week is traditionally remembered as a day of teaching. In Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 23 stands out as one of the most intense and honest teachings Jesus gives during his final week. It is a direct and passionate rebuke of religious hypocrisy, but in the end, we see how deeply He loves even these religious leaders.

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As we move through Holy Week, each day draws us closer to the cross. While Monday and Tuesday may seem less climactic than the days that follow—like the betrayal of Wednesday, the intimacy of Maundy Thursday, or the sorrow of Good Friday—they are no less significant. These quieter days are still filled with movement, meaning, and deep truths about Jesus’s heart and mission.

Tuesday of Holy Week is traditionally remembered as a day of teaching. Much of what Jesus does in the Gospels on this day is offer lessons—some in parables, some in pointed challenges. In Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 23 stands out as one of the most intense and honest teachings Jesus gives during his final week. It is a direct and passionate rebuke of religious hypocrisy.

The Seven Woes: A Sobering Warning

Matthew 23 is structured in two primary parts. The first is often referred to as the “Seven Woes,” where Jesus addresses the scribes and Pharisees in a stinging critique. He calls out their public displays of piety, their obsession with appearances, and their neglect of the weightier matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faith.

“They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.” (v. 4)

“You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” (v. 25)

Jesus’ words are direct and unfiltered. He doesn’t tiptoe around the issues—he confronts the truth that the religious leaders had made the faith more about show than substance, more about control than compassion.

It’s a powerful warning to all of us, especially those in positions of influence within the church. It reminds us that God is not impressed with performance, but with the heart. It challenges us to look inward and ask if we’re truly practicing what we preach.

A Heartbreaking Lament

But just when the tone feels almost unbearably sharp, Jesus shifts. His voice, once full of righteous fire, becomes tender and sorrowful.

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

This is perhaps one of the most poignant verses in all of Scripture. After naming their hypocrisy, Jesus weeps over their hardness. This wasn’t anger for anger’s sake. This was love—wounded and longing.

He doesn’t rage against the Pharisees because he hates them. He laments because he loves them. His heart breaks over their resistance. He wants to gather them in, to protect them, to offer them the very kingdom they are blind to.

This is the Jesus we walk with during Holy Week—the Savior who tells the truth, even when it’s hard, and still reaches out in love to those who reject him.

Reflections for Holy Tuesday

Holy Tuesday calls us to reflect deeply on two important questions:

1. Where might we be like the Pharisees?
   It’s easy to cast stones at religious leaders in Scripture, but if we’re honest, their temptations are ours too. Are we more concerned with how we look than how we love? Are we quick to judge, slow to show mercy? Are we burdening others with expectations we don’t carry ourselves?
2. Do we recognize the voice of the Savior calling us back?
   Jesus longs to gather us to himself, even in our failures. He doesn’t give up on us. His lament over Jerusalem is his lament over all who resist his love. He’s not waiting to condemn. He’s waiting to restore.

A Final Thought

Jesus stood at the teaching steps that day, calling out hypocrisy, not to shame—but to save. He called out power, not to tear down, but to lift up what truly matters. His voice thundered with truth, but it ended in a whisper of love:

“How I longed to gather you…”

Let that be our reflection this Holy Tuesday. May we respond—not with defensiveness—but with humility. May we allow ourselves to be gathered once again by the One who still calls us home.