What is the context?
Jesus has warned His disciples against seeking honor and placing burdens on others. He now addresses the scribes and Pharisees directly with a series of woes. The first charges them with shutting the kingdom against people: they do not enter, and they obstruct others who want to enter.
Woe is οὐαί, ouai (oo-EYE), an expression of grief or denunciation. Thayer's entry includes the warnings in this chapter. Here the word introduces a grave charge about the damage religious leaders do to those they guide. Luke 11:52 gives a related warning about taking away the key to knowledge and hindering those entering.
The BSB places the words numbered 23:14 in some translations in a footnote. Its main text moves from verse 13 to verse 15. That note points to the warning about exploiting widows and making long prayers in Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47; this page follows the BSB's main-text numbering.
How is this passage commonly understood?
Christians commonly read this as a warning that religious teaching can become an obstacle to entering God's kingdom. Wesley on 23:13 connects the barrier with a refusal of humility; the US Catholic bishops' note emphasizes authority used to obstruct entry.
Where does this fit in God's plan?
Jesus' purpose is to bring people into life. In John 10:7–10, He describes Himself as the gate through whom people enter and are saved, contrasting His life-giving work with destruction. Ephesians 2:13–22 describes people brought near through His death, sharing access to the Father and a place in God's household. Leadership that closes the way stands against that gathering purpose.
What is our position?
We don't have a position on this passage yet. When our study reaches a conclusion the text supports, it will appear here.