Matthew 23:1-12 – Cultivate the spirit of humility

The Gospel of Matthew has five major teaching blocks that form the basic structure of this book. Chapters 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount; chapter 10, the task and assignments of the disciples; chapter 13, the parables of the Kingdom, chapter 18, the call to live together as a community in obedience to Jesus’ teaching; and chapters 23-25, anticipating what’s ahead and warning of impending event.  

In these verses, we find Jesus speaking to the crowd and His disciples, taking aim at the scribes and Pharisees. He pointed out that they were people who purportedly love the Law of Moses and would teach others about it. But they themselves would not practice what they taught. In essence they were saying, “Do what I teach but don’t do what I do.” Furthermore, they would make huge demands that were burdensome to the people but they themselves would not even lift a finger to move them. They would do things to be noticed by others with the intention to show how pious they were. The amulets or little leather cases that carry holy relics and wore over their heads or arms were bigger than others. They deliberately made their prayer tassels longer. They loved places of honor and would jostle for the chief seat in the synagogue. They loved being greeted with respectable terms and be recognized as teachers.

 

With so many things about the scribes and Pharisees who would not practice what they taught, Jesus warned the people to be discerning. He asked them to recognize one true and real teacher, acknowledge one Father, i.e. God Himself, and follow one leader, the Messiah. He then rounded up by calling for humility. Those who choose to exalt themselves will be brought low. Those who show humility will be exalted.

 

We can see that what Jesus described are the false expressions of godliness. It is possible to pretend to be godly. In many ways Christians can fall prey to this temptation. How often we do succumb to it. Who doesn’t love the places of honor or be respectfully saluted in the open? Many would make long and impressive prayers for others to hear, and even draw attention to impress people with their knowledge of the Scripture. How can we safeguard ourselves from this tendency to impress by outward show? We do so by focusing on Christ, and staying closely connected to Him. We must seek to emulate Him. This is the reason that the author of the letter to the Hebrews exhorts us “… to fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”