How does Matthew 27:6 illustrate the Pharisees' understanding of "blood money"? \Matthew 27:6—The Scene\ “The chief priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, ‘It is unlawful to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.’” \Defining “Blood Money”\ • “Blood money” describes payment connected to the shedding of innocent blood. • The phrase signals moral contamination; money acquired by unrighteous means carries guilt with it. • By calling the coins “blood money,” the chief priests openly acknowledge that the thirty pieces of silver are tainted by Jesus’ impending death. \Old Testament Foundations\ • Numbers 35:33 — “Do not defile the land where you are, for bloodshed defiles the land.” • Deuteronomy 27:25 — “Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person.” • Deuteronomy 23:18 — Illicit earnings are forbidden in the house of the Lord. • Exodus 23:7 — “Do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty.” These statutes taught Israel that bloodguilt pollutes both people and place; anything purchased with such funds spreads defilement. \What the Pharisees Understood\ • The temple treasury was holy (Malachi 3:10); defiled money could not be mixed in. • They interpreted the Law literally: the silver itself was unfit for consecrated use. • Their decision reflects a detailed, legalistic conscience that grasped ceremonial purity. • By recognizing the coins as “unlawful,” they indirectly concede that innocent blood is involved—an admission of Jesus’ innocence even while seeking His death. \The Stark Irony\ • They are meticulous about coins yet careless about crucifying the Messiah (Matthew 23:24). • Their scruples expose hypocrisy: outward observance of minor regulations coupled with flagrant violation of weightier matters—justice and mercy (Micah 6:8; Matthew 23:23). • The very rule meant to keep the temple pure highlights their inward impurity; they “strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.” \Takeaway Truths\ • Scripture’s laws are literal and binding; the priests rightly feared contaminating God’s house. • Knowing the Law is not enough; submission to its spirit matters even more (James 1:22). • Religious correctness without repentant hearts leads to tragic blindness. • The incident underscores Jesus’ innocence and the unjust nature of His betrayal, fulfilling prophecy (Zechariah 11:12–13). |
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