The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example.
Mt 23:1-2
Jesus warns the crowds and his disciples not to follow the example of the scribes and Pharisees. They increase the duties of religion for others, but do not practice any charity; they are ostentatious in the performance of religious practices, and look for honor and reward from men in the present, rather than from God in the future. The true way is the opposite of this: to be a servant and humble in the present, and so to be exalted by God in the age to come.
Matthew has used Mark 12:37bff. as the occasion for this much longer denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees; but he has also made use of some of the Marcan wording in vv. 1f., 6f. Verse 4 is similar to Luke 11:46. Vv. 11f. may be alternative versions of sayings in Mark 9:35, Luke 18:14, etc. Verses 3, 5, 8ff. have no parallel in the other Gospels.
v. 1. Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples….
Cf. the first section of teaching, which is -given to the disciples in the presence of the crowds (5:1f, 7:28).
v. 2. Saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
The chair of Moses is not just a- figurative expression, meaning 'have the teaching authority of Moses'. Moses' seat is the name of a piece of furniture in the synagogue, the seat from which the teacher delivered the sermon. Cf. Luke 4:20ff.
v. 3. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.
Their teaching is to be followed, but not their example. Cf. 7:21ff. for the antithe-sis between saying and doing.
In “they preach but do not practice”, “preach” is an unfortunate translation of the Greek word (legein): in Matthew, preach is a different word (kerussein) and it means to proclaim the coming of the kingdom; the word used here means 'speak', 'talk'.
It is difficult to believe that Jesus really commanded obedience to the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees; this seems to have been the attitude of Matthew or of one of his sources. See 5:19.
v. 4. They tie up heavy burdens [hard to carry] and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.
They tie up heavy burdens: See 16:19, 18:18 for binding and loosing, i.e, making regulations and exceptions. The charge against the scribes and Pharisees here is that they increase the regulations; contrast what Jesus says of his own teaching, My yoke is easy, and my burden is light (I1:30); and the two commandments on which all the law and the prophets depend (22:40). '
They will not lift a finger to move them: The meaning of this may be that they have nothing positive and constructive to say to those who have broken the laws.
v. 5. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
A different charge begins in this verse - the charge of religious ostentation. It is a repetition of 6:1ff. “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them”. Examples of this follow.
They widen their phylacteries: This is the only place in the New Testament where phylacteries are mentioned. Apparently they were texts written on parchment and worn on the forehead and forearm at times of prayer, perhaps to ward off demons.
And lengthen their tassels: The Israelite was obliged to wear 'tassels' on the four corners of his outer garment, according to Num. 15:38f. and Deut. 22:12. See also 9:20 and 14:36. The Marcan parallel is: Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes (Mark 12:38). Matthew may be explaining what long robes means.
v. 6. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues….
See Mark 12:39. The seats of honor in the synagogues were those on the bench in front of the ark where the scrolls were kept, facing the congregation.
v. 7. … greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
Greetings in the marketplaces (from Mark 12:38): The rule was that 'a man must salute his superior in the knowledge of the Law'; therefore to love salutations is to love to be, or to be recognized as, superior to others.
And the salutation ‘Rabbi.’: The word rabbi originally meant 'great' and so, 'lord, master, teacher'. In this Gospel, Jesus is addressed as rabbi only by Judas Iscariot (26:25. 49).
v. 8. As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
“As for you” is emphatic in the Greek. The disciples are to be different from the scribes and Pharisees. Cf. 20:26.
You have one teacher: i.e. Jesus.
And you are all brothers: The word 'brother' was used of members of the Church; cf. 1Cor. 8:11. The idea of brothers leads on to the idea of father in the next verse.
v. 9. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven.
Call no one your father on earth: The title' abba', father, was used of the patriarchs and great Jewish teachers of the past.
You have but one Father in heaven: The fatherhood of God is more frequently mentioned in this Gospel than in the others; and Matthew is particularly fond of the antithesis on earth ... in heaven.
v. 10. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Messiah.
This verse repeats v. 8; the word master (kathegetes) means 'teacher', possibly 'interpreter'.
v. 11. The greatest among you must be your servant.
Notice the play on “rabbi” (great) in v. 8. The saying appears in different forms elsewhere in the Gospels.
Some translations have “shall be your servant”. This is then to be taken as a warning of what will be the punishment for pride, rather than the way of humility as the means to greatness.
v. 12. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
The passive voice (will be humbled, will be exalted) refers to the punishment and reward that God will give at the judgment.
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