1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. 4 They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. 5 But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.”
Following the intense debate, Jesus began to speak with open disdain for the scribes and the Pharisees, with the force of a judge passing definitive assessment on them. Years later this must have echoed in the memory of Jesus’ half-brother, James, when he wrote, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment” (James 3:1).
The problem with the Pharisees was not so much what they taught but the fact that they themselves did not do what they demanded of others. They presumed to act like Moses, adding to the Law of Moses as though they carried the same authority in themselves. The burden on the people was multiplied, but without help from the leaders on how to live with such burdens. What were these burdens? They are the kind toward which religious leaders throughout history have had a tendency: burdensome religious deeds and activities all meant to control the people rather than to help them live. That is why so many leave Christian churches and movements – they give up trying to do all the man-made requirements. This was not God’s intention, as He said through Moses, “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach” (Deut 30:11). Even if sin makes God’s commandments difficult, the burden becomes completely crushing when the manmade element is added. Even the religious leaders can’t handle that burden,
The Pharisees found it far easier to enact things that had the appearance of piety, though lacking the reality thereof. Phylacteries were leather containers strapped to the forehead or arm. Tassels were related to prayers. The Pharisees made sure they had the largest! They took the best seats at banquets and synagogues, demanding to be addressed with the utmost respect and titles. Such were the things important to them, rather than genuine piety. This monologue by Jesus is depressing if we fail to heed the warning: Don’t be like this!
Father, show me when my words and actions are out of sync and I prove to be hypocritical. Illuminate me and convict me, so that I might live with integrity.
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