Title Path / Do not respond to this generation
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you shut the gates of the kingdom of heaven in front of men, and you neither enter nor those who are about to enter. They traverse sea and land to get them, and when they do, they make them twice as many children of hell as you are / woe to you, blind guide..." (Matthew 23:13-16)
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you tithe mint, anise, and cumin, but have neglected the weightier matters of the law, such as justice and mercy and faith. But you must do this and not leave the other behind” (Matthew 23:23). )
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you clean the outside of the cup and of the bowl, but inside they are full of greed and debauchery. / Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside, and the outside will be clean too. scribes and Pharisees who say, “You are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 25-28)
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites” (Matthew 23:29), “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how can you escape the judgment of hell?” (Matthew 23:33)
Therefore, only religious leaders such as the scribes and Pharisees should be included in "this generation" that was in conflict or tension with John the Baptist or Jesus and should be understood.
Neither of these two interpretations, in spite of their differences, detract from the important fact that today's text tells us. That is, whether Jesus rejected the beliefs and practices of that generation, or that generation rejected the gospel and teachings of Jesus, in any case, there was a conflict and tension between Jesus and that generation. Today's text also tells us that there is bound to be a conflict and tension between the faith of God's people and the thinking and wisdom of the people of this world. How should we Christians resolve these conflicts and tensions? In other words, how can we respond to this generation that is hostile to the church and Christians and rejects the gospel of God and Jesus Christ?
The last verse, “Wisdom is justified by what it does” at the end of verse 19, although there are different interpretations, it can be seen that the ultimate understanding is largely the same. The personified wisdom here can be said to be true wisdom, God's wisdom, and the wisdom of God's children. And the meaning of the saying, “Wisdom is justified by its deeds” is between the scribes and Pharisees of that generation who thought they were wise, and John the Baptist and Jesus, who said they had a demon and knew nothing but greedy for eating and drinking. Who is right and on whose side the wisdom of God is will be judged by what they each have done. In other words, it is self-evident whether it is wisdom to reject, condemn, and kill the Son of God and his precursor, or to proclaim the gospel and lead mankind to God through death.