Matthew 23:1–12 (NKJV)
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ 8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
After shutting down the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes for the final time (Matthew 22:46), Jesus turns to His apostles and other followers to offer more of God’s truth. He instructs them to keep listening to Moses (which is God’s proper Law, the purpose of which being to drive them to need the Gospel that comes through Christ), but abandon all manner of their added, man-created, works (which they weren’t even doing themselves). They were all about themselves and making themselves look, and feel, good before men, that’s it.
The same thing, sadly, happens within Christendom today. There are false teachings in certain church bodies that turn listeners away from the Gospel to focus people on themselves. It’s really a sad pretending that’s taking place. They may give the appearance that all is well with them, but everything is about works to get into heaven. Even their own ‘appearance’ before men is a work. It’s all a charade, though, and because they exalted themselves they will be humbled straight into eternal condemnation.
We Christians, have been brought to repentance and belief in the merits of the Christ (the One). This means that, through God-created faith, God accounts our flesh as being humbled (that is, drowned and killed). And through that same God-created faith, the New Man arises to live before God as holy and righteous—again, because of God’s accounting Christ’s fully atoning meets to us through faith alone. Rejoice that God’s means of grace focus us on the One!
Let us pray: Almighty and Everlasting God, who is always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than we either desire or deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of Your mercy, forgiving those things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things that we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
