Dear Jehovah's Witnesses

In Gospel of Matthew 23:16–19, Jesus delivers a sharp rebuke to the religious leaders of his day. They had developed a way of thinking that elevated certain religious objects above the very things that gave those objects meaning.

“Which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? … Which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?” (Matthew 23:17, 19)

Jesus’ point is simple but profound:
The greater reality is what makes something holy—not the object itself.

• The temple sanctifies the gold.
• The altar sanctifies the gift.

In each case, the source of holiness is more important than the thing being offered.

A Biblical Principle: Symbols Derive Their Meaning

This pattern appears throughout Scripture. Sacred things often function as symbols pointing to something greater:

Blood represents life — “the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Book of Leviticus 17:11)
The law pointed forward to deeper realities — “a shadow of the good things to come” (Epistle to the Hebrews 10:1)

In each case, the symbol is meaningful because of what it represents, not because it is greater than the reality itself.

Applying Jesus’ Reasoning to the Question of Blood

Among Jehovah’s Witnesses, blood is regarded as sacred, and its use in transfusions is prohibited based on passages such as Genesis 9:4 and Acts 15:28–29.

The reasoning is that blood is holy because it represents life.

But this raises an important question in light of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 23:

Is the symbol (blood) greater than the reality it represents (life)?

If we follow Jesus’ logic:

• The altar is greater than the gift
• The temple is greater than the gold

Then by extension:

• Life would be greater than blood, because blood symbolizes life

Jesus consistently emphasized that God values mercy and human well-being over ritual observance:

“I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” (Book of Hosea 6:6; quoted in Gospel of Matthew 9:13)

He demonstrated this by healing on the Sabbath, showing that preserving life outweighed strict adherence to religious rules (Matthew 12:9–12).

This reinforces the same hierarchy:

• Human life and mercy are greater realities
• Religious symbols and regulations are secondary

A Question Worth Considering

If blood is sacred because it represents life, then preserving life would seem to honor the very principle that makes blood sacred.

Jesus’ words invite reflection:

What truly sanctifies what? Does a symbol ever take precedence over the reality it represents?
In a life-and-death situation, which aligns more closely with God’s priorities—protecting a symbol, or preserving life?

Jesus corrected a mindset that elevated religious objects above the deeper realities they pointed to. His teaching in Matthew 23 establishes a principle that applies beyond his immediate audience:

The greater sanctifies the lesser—not the other way around.

Applied thoughtfully, this principle encourages a careful reexamination of how we understand sacred symbols and the values they are meant to uphold.