Matthew 23:1-12 NIV
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Mosesʼ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other peopleʼs shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesus is in the temple courts teaching and, after several attempts by the religious elite to expose Him as fraudulent or lacking, Jesus warns the crowd about the Pharisees and teachers of the law. They're hypocritical.
Jesus tells the crowd that they love the power and influence they enjoy in their positions. They love the respect they are shown. They do not practice what they preach, Jesus said.
Being a preacher myself, I'm certainly guilty of not practicing what I preach. After all I didn't write the holy book from which all my sermons find their foundation. I've always thought my job is to lift up the ideals of scripture even if I'm not living them out. The perfect righteousness of God is not attainable by sinners. The last time I checked, we are all guilty of sin and continue to be. We don't always treat others the way we want to be treated. We don't always act out of love, but more often out of fear, anger, depression, jealousy, and cynicism. So I feel a little sympathy for teachers who lift up the ideals but do not achieve them perfectly.
But that's not what Jesus is denouncing. He wants us to long for perfection and lean upon His grace to pursue it. He doesn't expect us to be perfect by choosing obedience, but rather He promises to perfect us on the Day of His return. What Jesus is denouncing is the abuse of power, the double standard by which He saw the religious leaders living.
"They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other peopleʼs shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them."
Matthew 23:4
"Everything they do is for show," Jesus said. Boy, I know that game. It's almost like the church expects their ministers to keep up the illusion of righteousness as an example. Rather than love their ministers where they are in their journey toward Christlikeness, they'd rather have a public charade. It's easier to keep the illusion rather than love our way through the messy realities of human brokenness and sin.
After warning the crowd of the wrong way to go about our faith, Jesus lifts up the example of humility. Don't go by titles like teacher, because any teaching worthy of Christ, comes from The Teacher, Christ Himself. And don't allow people to call you father, like some traditions today do their clergy, because there is only One Father, God in heaven.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
Ephesians 3:14-15 NIV
Jesus sums up His warning by saying, "The greatest among you will be your servant. Those exalt themselves will be humbled."
Humble service is the model Jesus set and He beckons us not to lord it over on those we may lead. The Pharisees and teachers of the law in the gospels are gatekeepers. Their behavior depicts them as religious policeman pointing out flaws in Jesus and His disciples, challenging Jesus' authority to carry out His ministry. Jesus saw that their walk wasn't without flaws, so perhaps they ought to stick with teaching, and not policing.
How often does the church behave like policemen? How often do pastors load burden after burden on their people but do nothing to help carry them? How often do the people of the congregation watch the pastors and staff like law enforcers and taskmasters?
If you would be great in God's eyes, you will humble yourself and serve with love.
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Mosesʼ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other peopleʼs shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesus is in the temple courts teaching and, after several attempts by the religious elite to expose Him as fraudulent or lacking, Jesus warns the crowd about the Pharisees and teachers of the law. They're hypocritical.
Jesus tells the crowd that they love the power and influence they enjoy in their positions. They love the respect they are shown. They do not practice what they preach, Jesus said.
Being a preacher myself, I'm certainly guilty of not practicing what I preach. After all I didn't write the holy book from which all my sermons find their foundation. I've always thought my job is to lift up the ideals of scripture even if I'm not living them out. The perfect righteousness of God is not attainable by sinners. The last time I checked, we are all guilty of sin and continue to be. We don't always treat others the way we want to be treated. We don't always act out of love, but more often out of fear, anger, depression, jealousy, and cynicism. So I feel a little sympathy for teachers who lift up the ideals but do not achieve them perfectly.
But that's not what Jesus is denouncing. He wants us to long for perfection and lean upon His grace to pursue it. He doesn't expect us to be perfect by choosing obedience, but rather He promises to perfect us on the Day of His return. What Jesus is denouncing is the abuse of power, the double standard by which He saw the religious leaders living.
"They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other peopleʼs shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them."
Matthew 23:4
"Everything they do is for show," Jesus said. Boy, I know that game. It's almost like the church expects their ministers to keep up the illusion of righteousness as an example. Rather than love their ministers where they are in their journey toward Christlikeness, they'd rather have a public charade. It's easier to keep the illusion rather than love our way through the messy realities of human brokenness and sin.
After warning the crowd of the wrong way to go about our faith, Jesus lifts up the example of humility. Don't go by titles like teacher, because any teaching worthy of Christ, comes from The Teacher, Christ Himself. And don't allow people to call you father, like some traditions today do their clergy, because there is only One Father, God in heaven.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
Ephesians 3:14-15 NIV
Jesus sums up His warning by saying, "The greatest among you will be your servant. Those exalt themselves will be humbled."
Humble service is the model Jesus set and He beckons us not to lord it over on those we may lead. The Pharisees and teachers of the law in the gospels are gatekeepers. Their behavior depicts them as religious policeman pointing out flaws in Jesus and His disciples, challenging Jesus' authority to carry out His ministry. Jesus saw that their walk wasn't without flaws, so perhaps they ought to stick with teaching, and not policing.
How often does the church behave like policemen? How often do pastors load burden after burden on their people but do nothing to help carry them? How often do the people of the congregation watch the pastors and staff like law enforcers and taskmasters?
If you would be great in God's eyes, you will humble yourself and serve with love.
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