Matthew 23:1-12
A Warning Against Hypocrisy
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 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. 4They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees knew the Scripture...They wanted the people who listened to them to obey the law obediently...Jesus thought this was hypocrisy, because they did not follow the Bible obediently...Jesus teaches us more than once about hypocrisy...He tells the crowds and His Twelve disciples that the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, try to look impressive...Everything these teachers and Pharisees did was for people to see...Jesus had a problem with this...Because man can only judge by what he sees and hears...Man cannot see in people's hearts...But He can see our hearts...He sees what is in them...Jesus knows our motives, and what we put an emphasis on, and are focused on in our lives (by looking at our hearts)...
It is difficult to manage and control our own egos, when we are searching and wanting praise from other people...Jesus teaches us that we are not to inflate our own egos...Pride can come quickly, if we are not on guard...We should not seek honor from a title or a job...When we look for fame from the things on earth, we lose sight and focus away from our LORD...
Jesus did not wear fancy tassels and garments...He wore nothing that drew attention to Himself...He did not seek honor at banquets, nor did He want the best seat in the synagogues...Nothing in His appearance or the way He dressed was attractive in the sense that made us want to follow Him...He never sought honor or had an inflated ego...Jesus did not seek praise from men, but sought praise from His Father..Jesus searches the heart and teaches us not the things that catches our desires on earth, but teaches us the eternities, the things that last...In the end, Jesus teaches us the true word of God and not from the best seat and in the best of clothes...We learn from Jesus, that when our motives and emphasis are not in the right place, we may even dishonor God...