The Pharisees

26. March 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

Today we start a new chapter.  For those of you who have been with us from the beginning then this month is our one year anniversary of studying the book of Matthew.    Lady Crystal brought that to my attention.   We should be finished in a few weeks and I will be revealing our next study.  I think you’re going to be excited.  I’m already excited about my preparation for it.

Our text is as follows:

Matthew 23:1 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 obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 ”Everything they do is done for men 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 in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’ 8 ”But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master 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 ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

This chapter opens up with a series of rebukes that are directed to the Pharisees.  First Jesus addresses the crowd and his disciples.   He tells them that the teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat so you must obey them and do everything that tell you.  Jesus was telling them that they are the teachers of the law and they are in charge of teaching the Law of Moses.  In other words, the word of God that they teach is to be obeyed but then he warns them about their actions.   He tells them to obey the teachings of Moses but do not mimic the actions of the Pharisees for they are hypocrites.   They do not practice what they preach.

Jesus goes on to get specific about their hypocrisy.

(1)  They tie up heavy loads and put them upon men’s shoulders and do not lift a finger to move them.  The Pharisees started out as a zealous people for the things of God.   They wanted with all their hearts to please God yet somewhere down the road their attempts to cause the people to obey God’s word became bondage.   There were 613 laws that existed in the Torah (first five books of the bible) or Law of Moses.  The Pharisees taught these laws with bondage demanding that the people keep them when they themselves were not obeying them yet making the people believe that they were.   Jesus came with the gospel of freedom.   Through Jesus, God creates a love in our hearts for God and our fellow man so that naturally through love we have a desire to do the right thing.     Rules without relationship ultimately lead to bondage.

 (2) They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;   They did this to appear to be more religious than they actually were.  Phylacteries comes from  Tefillin, (Hebrew: תפילין‎), also called phylacteries, are a pair of black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with bible verses. The hand-tefillin, or shel yad, is worn by Jews wrapped around the arm, hand and fingers, while the head-tefillin, or shel rosh, is placed above the forehead. They serve as a “sign” and “remembrance” that God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and serve several purposes in the fulfilment of the scriptual commandments proscribing them to be worn by Jews.  (Source:  Wikepedia)

(3) They loved to sit at the seat of honor at a banquet and the most important seats in the synagogues.

(4)  They loved to be called out and noticed at the market place and have men call them Rabbi.  

Jesus says that they are hypocrites and goes on to say call no man Father for our Father is in heaven and call no man teacher for our teacher is Christ.   Jesus was not saying that these titles could not be used but that we were not to exalt any person over God or their teachings over the teachings of Christ.

This text closes with Jesus giving us the definition of a true servant.   The greatest among you will be your servant and whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.   Greatness is serving.  A person that is truly greats seeks to serve and not to be served.

Stay encouraged!!!!!!!!

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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