In my previous study, I offered what I believe to be the reason for Jesus’ severity in pronouncing seven woes upon the scribes and Pharisees. Nowhere else in the Gospel narratives does Jesus treat his subjects with such unyielding determination. In this study, I hope to show what sins the Jewish authorities secretly committed, which prevented them from embracing their offices, as guides of the people and teachers of the truth. The problem was one of attitude, a determination on their part that both blinded them to their position before God and kept them from repentance. They valued their positions as authorities more than exercising their authority in a manner that honored God. Therefore, in the end, they honored themselves, instead of God.
The problem was that the Jewish authorities bound the people to carry heavy, oppressive burdens, having neither the impulse nor the desire to show them mercy (Matthew 23:4). Yet, they made excuses for themselves in the form of technicalities in the Law, so that they could appear righteous without the strict obedience they demanded of the people.
Many scholars, but not all, believe this has to do with the Jewish authorities demanding obedience to the Oral Law, but why would Jesus tell the people or his disciples to obey the Oral Law. While some of his disciples practiced the Oral Law, some did not, and Jesus defended them for not doing so, when the Jewish authorities demanded a reason why Jesus permitted their lack of obedience (Mark 7:1-13). Therefore, in the present context, Jesus had to be speaking of the Mosaic Law, because, later, even Peter claimed the Law was a burden that could not be borne (Acts 15:10). In fact, the Lord told Moses (Exodus 19:8; Deuteronomy 5:28-29) and, later, Joshua told Israel that they would not be able to obey the Law in their own strength (Joshua 24:19), only a disposition to be obedient was necessary (Joshua 24:14-15, 23).
Men would like to appear righteous to others, so they do those things that others admire. For example, the Law commanded men to make tassels on the borders of their clothes, and this was supposed to remind them to keep the commandments of God and avoid behaving after their own thoughts (Numbers 15:37). What the scribes and Pharisees did was enlarged the borders of their robes and lengthened the tassels, so the people couldn’t miss seeing them, and take a mental note that these authorities emphasized and took to heart remembering the commandments of God (Matthew 23:5).
Moreover, the scribes and Pharisees loved the places of honor at the table,[1] during festivities, and the chief seats in the synagogues, which were situated close to where the speaker was, thus a place of honor and distinction (Matthew 23:6). Finally, Jesus mentioned the they loved to be greeted in the market places, where so many people were gathered, but not simply greeted, but greeted with a formal salute: “Rabbi, Rabbi!” which was with honor or respect. The manner of greeting is a figure of speech, known as Epizeuxis. The term expresses duplication for the purpose of respect (cp. Genesis 22:11; Psalm 77:16).
Still speaking with his disciples, in the presence of the listening multitude, Jesus told them: “Don’t **you** (emphasis on ‘you’) be called “Rabbi!” because you have a Master or Guide, which is Christ (Matthew 23:8), and you, vis-à-vis the disciples and those, whom they teach or preach the Gospel, are brethren, implying equals. Moreover, Jesus’ disciples were not to hail any man as their father, in the sense of being a patriarch, similar to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (cp. Acts 13:17, 32, 36), because Jesus’s disciples have only one Father, who is in heaven (Matthew 23:9). Finally, Jesus disciples were not to be referred to as Teacher, because there is only one Teacher and he is Christ, and is available to all (Matthew 23:10). In the final analysis, if any of us wish to be great, he must become the servant of all (Matthew 23:11; cp. Matthew 20:26; Mark 9:35; 10:44), for whosoever exalts himself will be humbled (cp. James 4:6).
[1] The KJV has uppermost rooms, but this doesn’t adequately express the Greek. The ancient Jews reclined at the table, while eating. Three low standing tables were placed together in a “U” shape with one end open for the servants to serve the guests. Three or more people reclined on cushions at each of the three tables. The head table, where the host or the most important person reclined, was the top of the “U” configuration. He reclined at the center, and the places of honor were to the right and left of him. The man to the right reclined upon the host’s breast, while eating, and the host reclined on the breast of the man to his left. These were positions of intimacy, whereby the two on the left and right of their host could speak with him without the other guests knowing what was said (cp. John 13:23).
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