Matthew 23 Commentaries for Preaching: A Homily Guide
This paper evaluates four biblical commentaries on Matthew 23 — by Harrington (1991), Pilch (1995), Senior (1998), and Witherington (2006) — assessing their relative value for constructing an expository sermon or homily. The paper argues that Senior's commentary is the most thorough and enriching, particularly for its treatment of Matthew 23 within the context of prophetic wisdom and its analysis of Jesus's denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees. Harrington's commentary is praised for its detailed explication of the Pharisees' role and its treatment of egalitarianism. Together, these two commentaries provide the strongest foundation for a homily centered on hypocrisy, humility, social justice, and the formation of Christian community.
- Overview of the Four Commentaries: Introduces and broadly ranks the four commentaries
- Harrington on Leadership, Equality, and Hypocrisy: Harrington's insights on Pharisees and egalitarianism
- Senior on Denunciation, the Woes, and Social Justice: Senior's diction analysis and treatment of the woes
- Pilch and Witherington: Additional Perspectives: Minor contributions of Pilch and Witherington
- Conclusion: Building a Homily on Matthew 23: Recommends Harrington and Senior for sermon construction
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper takes a clear evaluative position early — identifying Senior and Harrington as the most useful commentaries — and supports that judgment with specific textual evidence throughout.
- Direct quotations from the commentaries are integrated smoothly and cited accurately, grounding the analysis in the source material rather than general impressions.
- The paper moves beyond simple summary by connecting commentary insights to practical homiletical applications, such as themes of feminism, political populism, and social justice.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates comparative source evaluation: it reads multiple commentaries against a single scriptural passage and ranks their usefulness according to explicit criteria — depth of analysis, clarity of diction, and applicability to sermon construction. This is a useful model for theological and biblical studies writing, where selecting and justifying sources is itself a scholarly task.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a framing statement about Matthew 23 and then introduces all four commentaries together before evaluating them individually. It devotes the most space to Harrington and Senior, which mirrors its argumentative conclusion. A brief dismissal of Witherington and an acknowledgment of Pilch's narrower contribution round out the comparative analysis before a short concluding synthesis.
Overview of the Four Commentaries
On its own, Matthew 23 offers rich opportunities for an expository sermon or homily. Biblical commentaries enhance the original text and offer new angles and fresh ways of approaching the material. All commentaries on Matthew 23 will offer some fruitful information that can be incorporated into a sermon or Bible study. Depending on the angle the preacher or theologian wishes to take, a commentary should focus on one or more elements contained in scripture, also taking into account historical and cultural contexts.
Harrington (1991), Pilch (1995), Senior (1998), and Witherington (2006) each offer unique perspectives on Matthew 23. Of these, the most thorough and enriching is Donald Senior's, because the author includes correspondences and places Matthew 23 within the context of prophetic wisdom. Harrington (1991) also describes the passages clearly and in great detail, allowing for a greater understanding of the role of the Pharisees and why Jesus criticizes them harshly. Taken together, the Harrington (1991) and Senior (1998) commentaries would be most useful for a homily.
Harrington on Leadership, Equality, and Hypocrisy
The tone of Matthew 23 is fervent; a homily needs to discuss Jesus's anger with the Pharisees and how Jesus constructs a Christian community largely in opposition to what he perceives as hypocrisy. The passage is also unique in that it reveals Jesus as a politician willing to use negative campaign tactics to draw disciples away from the established Jewish religion and toward his own redefinition of faith. As Harrington (1991) puts it, "Matthew uses the scribes and Pharisees as negative examples to define true Christian leadership" (p. 323). From the opening of Matthew 23, readers learn that the Pharisees, who can symbolize all people in positions of authority or power, often fail to practice what they preach. The core theme of Matthew 23 is hypocrisy.
Interestingly, Harrington (1991) also notes that Jesus exhibits a "resistance to hierarchically structured roles" and an "emphasis on equality" — issues that could easily become central themes in a homily. A sermon could broach concepts like feminism or political populism, for example. Harrington (1991) also points out that Christian communities continue to reconcile the essential message of egalitarianism embedded in this passage with "the sociological necessity for institutionalization" (p. 324).
References
Harrington, D. J. (1991). The Gospel of Matthew. SP. Collegeville: The Liturgical Press.
Pilch, J. J. (1995). The Cultural World of Jesus, Sunday by Sunday, Cycle A. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press.
Senior, D. (1998). Matthew. ANTC. Nashville: Abingdon Press.
Witherington, III, B. (2006). Matthew, A Commentary. Smyth-Helwys Bible Commentary. Macon, GA: Smyth-Helwys Publishers.
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