In addition, Jesus continues both his "woe to you"" speech and his attack on the Pharisees and scribes, comparing them to an internally dirty cup and plate. He declares: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity. You blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean"" (23:25-26). Jesus says that the Pharisees and scribes are like the cup: they appear to be clean, or religious, because of their appearance, but in actuality, they are dirty, or full of greed, as they only care to be seen as disciples of God so that they may receive luxuries. However, Jesus advises them, saying that they should first clean their undying yearning for honor and reward in order to be disciples of God and be allowed into the kingdom of heaven. .
Once Jesus shows the people of Jerusalem that the scribes and Pharisees are not worthy of acceptance into the kingdom of heaven and do not deserve any real religious authority, Jesus grants himself the power above them, threatening the established social order. Upon reciting the Lord's Prayer with the crowds, Jesus tells them, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my father who is in heaven"" (7:21). Before Jesus, it was the scribes and Pharisees who told people how to reach the kingdom of heaven and become a disciple of Jesus. Yet, because Jesus has degraded their authority and legitimacy by exposing them as hypocrites, he decides to give himself that authority. He makes the declaration that people must do the will of his father in order to receive acceptance into the kingdom of heaven, displaying his newfound power over the Pharisees and in the social hierarchy. .
Moreover, Jesus persists in his establishment of power by allowing himself to decide who is accepted into the kingdom of heaven.
