Matthew 23:1
“Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,”
What does Matthew 23:1 mean?
Jesus is about to deliver some of his most direct and forceful teaching. He's addressing both the crowds who followed him and his own disciples, which signals that what comes next matters for everyone listening, but perhaps for different reasons. The disciples need to understand something crucial about their own path ahead, while the crowds are about to hear hard truths about the religious leaders of their day. This simple opening line invites us into a moment where Jesus doesn't pull punches about what authentic faith looks like versus empty religious performance.