Mat. 23:1-12
From the Outward Form of Religion to the Reality of Life—
Bearing a Counter Testimony in a Hypocritical Generation (1)
Scripture Reading: Mat. 23:1–39; 2 Cor. 4:7–12, 16; Phi. 2:15–16
If we read Matthew 23 merely as the Lord’s eight rebukes of the scribes and Pharisees, we can very easily focus our attention on “what wrong things they did.” But the Lord did not intend for us merely to focus on the things they did and then conclude that this was why He rebuked them. Rather, in verses 1–12, the Lord first tells us what kind of people those whom He rebuked actually were. Then, beginning in verses 13–36, He says again and again, “Woe unto you!”
In other words, first comes the person, and then the work; first the root, and then the fruit; first the cause, and then the inevitable result. This is very important, because if we deal only with the eight outward wrongdoings without touching the kind of person who produced them, then even if the practices are changed, after some time the same fruit will grow again.
Therefore, today we are not merely fellowshipping about “what the Pharisees did.” Rather, we need to know: What kind of person will inevitably do such things? Going one step further, we should ask: What is the principle of such a person in the service of the church today? Can such a person still appear in the service of the church? Finally, we must also ask: If this kind of darkness has already formed a spiritual environment, how should those who truly love the Lord stand firm?
First Comes What Kind of Person; Then Comes What Kind of Work
Matthew 23:1–12 is the root of the eight woes. In verses 1–12, the Lord describes at least five very clear characteristics of the scribes and Pharisees.
I. They Loved to Sit in Moses’ Seat—They Wanted Position, Not the Cross
The Lord said, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.” Moses’ seat was originally a position of representing God in speaking, leading the people, and bearing responsibility. The problem was not “Moses’ seat” itself. The problem was that they loved that position. In verse 6, the Lord said that they “love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues.” This exposed the motive within them.
They served God, but in the service of God there gradually arose within them a desire: I want to be seen; I want to be respected; I want a position—I want a voice; I want to sit in the front. This is one of the deeply corrupt roots found in religious people. When I was young and learning to serve the Lord—in fact, I am still learning today—an older brother once told me: “If your service reaches the point where everyone gathers around you and even wants to compete for your position, then your service has completely failed and become corrupted. This is because you are serving from a position rather than in spirit and in life. Your service has stimulated and stirred up the fallen nature within people—the desire to be great and to have a position. People begin to want to sit in the same kind of position in service that you occupy. On the other hand, if the brothers see that, because you deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow the Lord, the Holy Spirit has been able to work through you, yet because you disregard your own interests and losses, they feel that this way is too narrow, too lonely, and too costly, so that they do not want to sit in that position—even if you invite them to take it, they still do not want it—then your service will receive God’s approval.”
If a person is unwilling to allow the cross to deal with the heart that says, “I want to be great” and “I want a position,” then even though he is serving God, he may eventually turn God’s work into his own stage. Therefore, at the end of this passage, the Lord does not give His disciples an administrative system of reward and punishment—what kind of performance should be rewarded and promoted, and what kind of behavior should be punished and demoted. Rather, He says, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”
The Lord was not like the scribes and Pharisees, teaching the people what was “right” while being able to speak but unable to do. The Lord Himself, “being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth” (Phil. 2:6–10). The Lord’s position was not something He seized in rivalry with God. “He was…,” and “He did not regard….” Only Satan seeks to seize the position he desires. The Lord taught His disciples and the crowds, and He Himself lived according to what He taught. He could speak, and He could also do.
The way to solve the problem of “Moses’ seat” is never simply to replace one group of people with another group and let them sit there instead. Rather, the cross must touch the desire within man—the desire to sit there, the enjoyment of sitting there, the longing to sit there, and even the love of sitting there. When a person’s heart has been dealt with by the cross, he knows that he is no more righteous than others and that others are no more sinful than he is. No matter how spiritual we may become, we are still only members of the Body of Christ. Then we can take Christ as the Head, have the mind of Christ Jesus, willingly be members one of another, and gladly become servants of all.
“Moses’ seat” is not something anyone can occupy merely because he wants to. When Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, the Scripture says, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3). Only such a person could sit in such a position. If one is Moses, he naturally sits in Moses’ seat. Anything else is a struggle for position according to the principle of Satan.
II. They Could Speak, but They Could Not Do—They Searched the Scriptures but Would Not Come to the Lord to Receive Life; Truth Became a Demand upon Others Rather Than Their Own Life
“For they say, and do not.” This may be one of the most fundamental statements in the whole chapter. In John 5:39–40, the Lord said to the Jews, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. Yet ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” These two verses greatly help us understand what Matthew 23 means when it says, “They say, and do not.”
The problem with the scribes and Pharisees was not that they did not have the Scriptures, nor that they were unable to speak. Quite the opposite. They searched the Scriptures, knew the Scriptures well, and were able to teach others. Yet the Lord pointed out the most fundamental problem: “Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” This shows us that a person may come into contact with the words of Scripture without necessarily coming into contact with the Lord to whom the Scriptures bear witness; a person may study the truth without necessarily entering into a living relationship with Christ through that truth.
The Scriptures were given to testify of Christ. If we search the Scriptures but do not finally come to the Lord Himself, we may gain much knowledge and may even be able to teach others accurately, yet still fail to receive life from the Lord. Then the word remains merely in the mind and does not enter into life. This is the deeper root of being able to speak but unable to do.
In the parable of the Sower, the Lord said that the seed must fall into good ground in order to bear fruit—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. The word of God is not merely to be heard; it must fall into a heart that is open, tender, and honest before God. If the word does not fall into good ground, it may be heard, remembered, and even explained, yet it cannot bear fruit in a person’s life. Therefore, the real question is not, “Do I understand this verse?” but rather, “Has this verse brought me to the Lord? Has the Lord worked within me through this word?”
We may also understand this through another picture in 2 Peter: “wells without water.” A well looks like a place where water should be found. When a person comes to a well, he naturally expects to receive water. But if there is no water in the well, only the form of the well remains, while the very purpose of the well has been lost. In the same way, a person may have biblical knowledge, spiritual terminology, teaching, service, and even a “spiritual position,” but if there is no life from the Lord in his speaking, and even his own words have no effect upon himself, then he is a “well without water.”
Jude also speaks of “clouds without water.” A cloud should bring rain. But if it has only the appearance of a cloud and no rain, it cannot supply a dry land. This is one of the greatest dangers of religion: spiritual form without spiritual content; words without life; teaching without the supply of life.
Therefore, when Matthew 23 says, “They say, and do not,” it does not merely mean, “They say one thing and do another.” The deeper problem is this: the words they spoke had never first brought them themselves to the Lord. Their words had not become the means through which they communed with the Lord. Their words had not caused them to receive the supply of the Lord’s life. Their words had not passed through the cross, had not touched their self, and had not changed their inner man. Consequently, truth gradually became a standard by which they demanded things of others, rather than a life that they themselves lived.
We do not merely hear the word; we also believe the word. We mingle the word we hear with faith. True faith toward the word spoken by the Lord must produce results in life. If faith is merely a concept, merely a doctrine confessed with the mouth, merely a religious identity, but produces no result in a person’s living, choices, character, and relationships with others, then at the very least that faith has not yet manifested the life-effect it ought to produce.
True faith is not merely, “I believe this doctrine is true.” Rather, it is, “Because I believe, this truth has produced an effect in my life.” If I truly believe that Christ is Lord, then He has authority over my living. If I truly believe in the cross, then I cannot forever protect myself and insist upon myself. If I truly believe that the Body is one, then I cannot speak of oneness while living in rivalry and jealousy. If I truly believe that God is Father, then this must affect my relationship with my brothers and sisters. This is faith that produces results, faith that has consequences, faith that can be seen in life.
This also explains why the condition of the scribes and Pharisees was so serious. It was not that they had no objective language of faith. They did. Nor was it that they lacked biblical knowledge. They had much of it. The problem was that what they believed did not produce the corresponding result in life. Therefore the Lord said, “Search the scriptures…they are they which testify of me; yet ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” The words “ye will not” are especially serious. The problem was not merely insufficient understanding. Ultimately, it was that their hearts were unwilling to turn to the Lord. They preferred to remain in their biblical knowledge, in their religious system, in their position, and in their familiar traditions, but they would not come to the Lord of whom the Scriptures testified.
Thus they had the Scriptures, but no life; a well, but no water; clouds, but no rain; faith, but no corresponding result in life. Such people can only become those who “say, and do not.” And this becomes one of the deepest roots of the eight woes that follow. For when a person has not received life from the Lord through the Lord’s word, then no matter how much spiritual truth he possesses, those very words can easily become tools for demanding things of others, tools for establishing his own authority, and tools for maintaining a spiritual image.
But for one who truly receives life from the Lord, the word of God is not first used to make demands upon others. Rather, it first becomes life within him, and then from that life he supplies others. Therefore, the true spiritual question is never merely, “How much do I know?” but rather, “Have I come to the Lord through this word to receive life, so that my living has been changed?”
III. They Bound Heavy Burdens upon Men’s Shoulders, but Would Not Move Them with One of Their Fingers—No Companionship, No Supply of Life
The Lord said, “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” This reveals a very serious problem: they had demands, but no companionship; they had standards, but no supply of life.
The “heavy burdens” refer to the countless detailed regulations and religious traditions that developed when the scribes and Pharisees distorted and expanded the original intention of God’s law. In order to “ensure” that everyone would not violate the law, they added hundreds upon hundreds of minute oral regulations and human traditions. These eventually became heavy yokes, burdens that even they themselves could not bear. The Lord called these things “the commandments of men”: “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9). After Paul believed in the Lord, he also acknowledged that these things were not the law itself, but rather “the traditions of my fathers”: “And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers” (Gal. 1:14).
The words, “they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers,” show that the scribes and Pharisees had neither mercy nor empathy. They had no desire to understand, comfort, or relieve the suffering of the people who could not keep all these regulations. They were like cold judges who only blew the whistle and pronounced penalties but were unwilling to stretch out a hand to help. Their attitude was one of self-satisfaction: as long as I know what is right and require others to do it, I consider myself to have fulfilled the demands of the law. When they saw that the people could not measure up, their superior position of knowledge unconsciously produced in them a sense of superiority. What they wanted was “control” and “self-glory.” They enjoyed watching others carry burdens because this confirmed their position as lofty “lawgivers” and “instructors.”
Religious people most easily say: You must be holy. You must love the Lord. You must attend the meetings. You must give. You must obey. Everything they say may be correct, but in such religious people none of these things may be real. The god of this age has blinded their minds, and their pride has covered them, so that although they desire to be teachers of the law, they understand neither what they say nor the things they confidently affirm (1 Tim. 1:7). Because they themselves have never passed through an experience like Paul’s cry, “O wretched man that I am,” they are unable to sympathize with others, stoop down to others, stand in another person’s place, or consider what that person is passing through. In short, the “heavy burdens” are false religious regulations; and “not moving them with one finger” is cold, merciless, inconsistent pride.
But the service of life is entirely different. It does not merely tell others, “This is what you should do.” Rather, the service of life says: I will walk with you. I will bear the yoke together with you. I will go with you to the Lord. Someone once served me in this way, so I will support you with life and minister Christ to you. Before you know how to find the Lord, before you know how to return to the Lord, before you know how to follow the Spirit and mind the things of the Spirit, before the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in you, I am willing to accompany you and walk with you. Such a service of life requires not merely labor of the body, but labor of the heart and even the laying down of one’s life. Only the life of Christ can produce such a service.
The Lord did not come to place burdens upon men and leave them to find their own way. The Lord said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” The Lord accompanies us. The Lord carries us. The Lord supplies us. This is one of the most fundamental differences between the Lord and the Pharisees. May the Lord gain in the church a people who have the mind of Christ Jesus, who possess a humble spirit and a teachable heart, and who can truly accompany others and bear them.
IV. Everything They Did Was to Be Seen by Men—Without the Reality of Life, Public Display Becomes Performance
In Matthew 23:5 the Lord says, “But all their works they do for to be seen of men.” This statement completely exposes the inner motive of the scribes and Pharisees. The issue is not merely what they did, but why they did it.
They made their phylacteries broad, enlarged the borders of their garments, loved the chief places at feasts, loved the chief seats in the synagogues, and loved greetings in the marketplaces. All these outward expressions had one common direction: Let people see me.
This forms a very striking contrast with the Lord’s teaching in Matthew 6. There the Lord says, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them…Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee…that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee.” Matthew 6 speaks of good works done in secret. Matthew 23 exposes public display before men.
The difference is not simply between what is “public” and what is “private,” because some good works will naturally be seen by others. The real question is: Am I doing this because there is a life from God operating within me, or because I want to establish a spiritual image before men? Good works done in secret are the response of life toward God. Again and again in Matthew 6 the Lord says, “Thy Father which seeth in secret.” This is very important. True spiritual life is not first a life lived before men; it is a life lived before the Father.
If a person truly lives before God, he does not need the eyes of others to prove that he is spiritual. He does good, not to be praised. He serves, not to be remembered. He gives, not to establish his reputation. He prays, not to appear devout before men. He does these things because the life within him responds to God. This is the reality of the hidden life. It is not merely that no one sees what he does. Rather, even if no one sees, I will still do it. That is reality.
“Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth”—do not make the self the center. The Lord even says, “But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth.” This is a very deep word. It is not merely: Do not let others know. It even means: Do not keep reminding yourself of how much good you have done.
The natural man easily accumulates spiritual things as personal capital. How much I have served. How much I have given. How many people I have helped. How much I have suffered. How much I have sacrificed for the church. Eventually, things that were originally done for God may gradually become the glory of the “I.”
Therefore the cross deals not only with the self that displays itself before men, but also with the self within us that constantly counts its own spiritual achievements. True spiritual life is this: after we have done something, we still return to the Lord and say that we have only done what it was our duty to do (Luke 17:10). We do not remain behind admiring ourselves.
Without the life of the Holy Spirit as reality, public display is merely performance. This is precisely why the “hypocrisy” in Matthew 23 is so serious. The outward actions themselves may have been entirely proper: prayer is right, giving is right, serving is right, and even the religious markings worn by the scribes and Pharisees had a historical background. But if there is no inward reality of the life of the Holy Spirit, these outward spiritual practices can very easily become performance.
We may even say: an outward form without life can only be maintained by performance. If there is life within, there is no need for deliberate display. A living tree does not need to make an effort to prove that it is alive. Life naturally expresses itself. But if there is no life within, a person must depend upon outward things to maintain an image. This is the great difference between religion and life. Religion asks, “What do people think of me?” Life asks, “What does the Father see in me?” Religion is concerned with, “Am I being noticed?” Life is concerned with, “Is the Lord satisfied?” Religion needs a stage. Life can live in secret, like the roots of a tree.
The Lord was not forbidding a testimony before men. He was dealing with doing things “to be seen of men.” We must be careful here not to misunderstand Matthew 6 as though everything done before others were wrong. The Lord Himself says in Matthew 5, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Therefore, the problem is not simply being seen. The crucial question is: When people see, to whom does the glory go?
Matthew 5: people see the good works, and the Father receives the glory. Matthew 6: people deliberately do things before men in order to receive glory from men. Matthew 23: everything they do is in order to be seen by men. When these three passages are placed together, the distinction becomes very clear. A true testimony of life—even when seen by men—directs people to the Father. Religious performance—even when it performs spiritual things—directs people’s eyes to the performer.
This also becomes one of the important roots of the eight woes that follow. Once a person builds his service upon “being seen,” many other things naturally follow. He begins to value position, because position makes him visible. He begins to value titles, because titles confirm his identity. He begins to value outward results, because results prove his worth. He becomes concerned with other people’s evaluations because his spiritual identity has been built upon the eyes of men. Eventually the service of God may gradually become the management of one’s own spiritual image. Once this happens, rivalry, comparison, jealousy, manipulation, flattery, exclusion, and factionalism easily follow. Therefore, “to be seen of men” is not a small matter. It is one of the roots of much later spiritual corruption.
The Lord’s way is therefore very simple: return to the secret place. This does not mean that all service must be hidden. Rather, it means recovering an inward life that is responsible to God alone: faithful when no one sees; loving the Lord when no one praises; serving when there is no position; giving when no one remembers; praying when no one knows. Such a life is not easily controlled by the eyes of men, and this is precisely the reality of the life of the Holy Spirit. There is a hymn, “Let Me Love,” that describes such a life.
The life that truly comes from the Holy Spirit is not maintained by human applause. Its source is the Lord Himself. Therefore, we may summarize this point in one sentence: good works done in secret are the natural expression of life before God; public display, if it lacks the reality of the Holy Spirit’s life, becomes nothing more than spiritual performance. The truly spiritual person is not concerned with, “Does anyone see me?” but with this: “My Father sees in secret.” That is enough.
V. They Loved Titles, Honor, and the Chief Place among Men—The Lord Forbade Three Titles in Succession in Order to Bring His People Back to “All Ye Are Brethren”
In Matthew 23:6–10, the Lord says that the scribes and Pharisees “love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues; and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.” Then the Lord mentions three titles in succession: “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.”
These three titles are not placed together accidentally. They touch three deep desires within man in spiritual relationships: I want people to recognize me as one who teaches; I want people to recognize me as a spiritual source; I want people to recognize me as one who has authority to lead. Therefore the Lord was not merely giving a verbal rule forbidding the use of three particular titles. He was dismantling the mentality of a “spiritual hierarchy.”
The First Title: “Rabbi”—I Want to Be the One Who Teaches Others
“Rabbi” carries the sense of “my teacher” or “my master.” The problem is not that teaching itself is wrong. The New Testament clearly speaks of the gift of teaching and of the ministry of teachers. What the Lord deals with is this: a person turns “I am one who teaches” into his personal identity and glory.
A person may genuinely have a gift of teaching, but if he gradually begins to enjoy the dependence of others upon him, enjoys being called “teacher,” and enjoys having his own word become the standard, then the ministry of teaching can easily change from “bringing people to the truth” into “bringing people to myself.” Therefore the Lord says, “One is your Master; and all ye are brethren.”
The words “all ye are brethren” are extremely important. They restore all spiritual relationships to their proper place. Some may teach. Some may lead. Some may be more mature than others. But in the standing of life, we are all brothers. No person’s teaching can replace the Lord Himself as another person’s Teacher. A genuine teacher does not cause people to stop with him; he helps them increasingly hear the Lord for themselves.
The Second Title: “Father”—I Want to Become the Source of Another Person’s Spiritual Life
The Lord continues, “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” This should not be interpreted merely according to the surface meaning of the words, as though the term “father” can never be used under any circumstances. The Bible itself obviously uses the term for earthly fathers, and Paul also uses the imagery of begetting and fatherhood to describe spiritual service.
What the Lord is dealing with is this: no human being should be allowed to occupy the place that belongs only to the heavenly Father. That is, we should never regard a spiritual leader as the ultimate source of our life. We should never think, “Without this person I cannot come to God.” Nor should a servant of God accept such a place in the hearts of others. This is an extremely serious warning.
True spiritual service does not make people increasingly dependent upon me; rather, it causes them increasingly to know the Father. If a servant of God causes people to feel, “My life, my direction, and my spiritual security must all come through this person,” then that servant has begun to occupy a dangerous place. God alone is Father. God alone is the source of life. A person may beget, accompany, and support, but he cannot replace God. As Paul says, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase” (1 Cor. 3:6–7).
The Third Title: “Master / Guide”—I Want to Become the Final Leader and the One Who Determines Direction
The Lord also says, “Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.” The emphasis here goes beyond merely being a teacher. It concerns: Who has the final authority? Who determines the direction? Who is the ultimate Leader? The Lord’s answer is very clear: Christ.
Of course there is leadership in the church. But all human leadership must be relative; only Christ’s leadership is absolute. Whenever a person begins to make others feel, “You no longer need to seek the Lord; simply listen to me,” he has crossed the line. A genuine leader does not seek the Lord in place of others; he helps others learn to live under the lordship of Christ.
These three titles correspond to three positions that belong ultimately to God and Christ alone. When we place them together, the meaning becomes very clear. Rabbi—Who is your Teacher in the truth? The Lord says: There is only one true Teacher, and we are all brothers. Father—Who is your Father, the source of your life? The Lord says: There is only one true Father, the heavenly Father. Master / Guide—Who is the final Lord over your way and direction? The Lord says: There is only one true Master, Christ.
Therefore, the Lord is not denying teaching in the church, fatherly care, or spiritual leadership. He is protecting one thing: no human being may replace the direct relationship between God and man. This is also why the Lord repeats three times, “One…,” because there is no second one. This connects directly with the first woe that follows. Why did the Pharisees eventually “shut up the kingdom of heaven against men”? Because when a person begins to enjoy spiritual titles and spiritual position too much, he can gradually move from “I am helping people come to God” to “You must come through me in order to come to God.” Then there is no longer only one; another one has appeared.
“All Ye Are Brethren”—The Fundamental Relationship among Brothers and Sisters in the Church
In the midst of these three prohibitions, the Lord inserts one extremely important statement: “All ye are brethren.” This may be regarded as the center of the whole passage. The church is not made up of a group of “important people” and another group of “ordinary believers.” In Christ, we have one Lord, one Father, and one life. Therefore, we are all brothers.
This does not deny differences in gifts. It does not deny differences in maturity. Nor does it deny government and leadership. Rather, it means this: our gifts differ, but our standing in life is the same. A teacher is still a brother. A leader is still a brother. An older one is still a brother. A gifted one is still a brother.
If a person serves longer and longer, but increasingly needs others to address him in a special way, increasingly needs special treatment, and increasingly needs others to acknowledge his position, then this has already come into conflict with the Lord’s word: “All ye are brethren.”
Once a spiritual title becomes a person’s identity, competition easily follows. This also explains why the Lord had already said that they “love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues.” Titles and positions are often closely connected, because a title defines, “Who am I?” And once a person’s sense of worth is built upon a “spiritual identity,” comparison easily begins: Who has more seniority? Who has greater authority? Who is more respected? Who sits further forward? Who has the right to speak the final word? This is where spiritual competition begins. Even the next generation may gradually learn: if you want influence in the church, you must first obtain a certain position and recognition. In this way, spiritual service becomes infiltrated by the logic of worldly power.
The Lord’s way is not upward climbing, but downward service. Therefore, in verse 12 the Lord gives a very clear conclusion: “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” He also says, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” This completely overturns man’s concept.
In man’s eyes, to be great means to stand higher; in the Lord’s eyes, to be great means to be able to serve. In man’s eyes, to have authority means that others listen to me; in the Lord’s eyes, to have authority means being able to deny oneself for the sake of others. In man’s eyes, a title gives identity; in the Lord’s eyes, our true identity is this: “All ye are brethren.”
Therefore, concerning this point, we may ask ourselves: As I serve longer, do I increasingly need others to respect me? If I have some gift, do I increasingly want others to acknowledge me? As I lead others, have I gradually begun to think that I have the right to determine their spiritual path? When I teach the truth, am I causing people to depend more upon me, or am I helping them know the Lord more directly? Healthy spiritual service should produce one result: the more I serve, the more people are able to come directly to the Lord; the more I serve, the more they see that there is “only One.”
A true teacher only brings people to Christ, just as our Lord brings people to the Father, for we are all brothers. True fatherly care brings people to the heavenly Father, for He is the source of life. True leadership brings people under the lordship of Christ, serving them so that in all things they may grow up into Christ, who is the Head. Therefore, the final word is not, “You must listen to me,” but, “You must know the Lord.” Not, “You must follow me,” but, “You must follow Christ.” Nor, “Remember who I am,” but, “We are all brothers.”
When people love the titles “Rabbi,” “Father,” and “Master,” service can easily become the establishment of one’s own “spiritual identity.” But the Lord brings us back to the simplest and safest place—there is only one Teacher, only one Father, only one Master, and we are all brothers.
Before the Eight Woes Begin, the Root Has Already Been Exposed
By the time we reach this point in our fellowship, we should already see that Matthew 23:1–12 is not merely a preliminary passage placed before the eight woes. It is the true root of the entire chapter. The Lord does not first hurry to tell us what they did. He first exposes what kind of people they had become.
They loved to sit in Moses’ seat because they wanted position within; they could speak but could not do because the Scriptures they searched had not brought them to the Lord to receive life; they laid heavy burdens upon men’s shoulders because they themselves lacked the experience of life and had neither mercy nor companionship; they did everything to be seen because they were not living before the Father but before the eyes of men; they loved the titles “Rabbi,” “Father,” and “Master” because they were not satisfied simply to be brothers, but wanted a special spiritual position among men.
When these five things are placed together, we see something very serious: when a person does not live before God, has not received life from the Lord, and has not allowed the cross to deal with the self, yet enters into spiritual service, then the more knowledge, gift, and position he possesses, the deeper the damage he may cause.
The issue is never merely the outward system, nor is it merely that a certain passage of Scripture has been wrongly interpreted or a certain practice is wrong. The real question is: What kind of person is serving God? If the one serving God is still the natural man—the “I” that loves to be great, the “I” that needs to be seen, the “I” that wants others to depend upon him, the “I” that can make demands upon others but refuses to let the cross first touch himself—then even if everything he does outwardly is spiritual, eventually all those spiritual things will still be used by the self.
Then Scripture becomes a tool for establishing authority, teaching becomes a tool for demanding things from others, service becomes a tool for establishing identity, titles become a tool for creating hierarchy, and the church may gradually become a place where people compete for position. Therefore, what the Lord truly deals with is not merely “wrong things.” He deals with the person who produces those wrong things.
This is why, at the end of this passage, the Lord does not give His disciples a better religious system, nor does He teach them how to redistribute positions. Instead, He says, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” The Lord brings man back to the principle of the cross. True spiritual service is not: I want to become something. Rather, it is: I am willing to humble myself so that Christ may have the place. True service is not: I want people to listen to me. Rather, it is: I want to help people hear the Lord. Not: I want people to see me. Rather: I want people, through the life I live, to see the Father. Not: I want people to depend upon me. Rather: I want to serve people so that in all things they may grow up into Christ, who is the Head.
Therefore, Matthew 23:1–12 should not merely cause us to ask, “What kind of people were the scribes and Pharisees?” It should become a question we ask ourselves before the Lord: “What kind of person am I?” Has the truth I know first judged me? Have the words I speak first become my life? Has the Lord first worked in me what I require of others? If I receive no human praise or title, am I still willing to serve? If I have no position, am I still willing to love the Lord? If no one remembers me, am I still willing to be faithful? What is the result of my service? Am I bringing people to myself, or am I bringing them to the Lord? These questions are far more important than, “How much have I done?”
Because before God, the person always comes before the work, life always comes before service, and what we are always comes before what we do. And when we come to verse 13, the Lord begins to show us what kind of things such people will eventually do. What comes first is the root. What follows is the fruit. What comes first is the person. What follows is the work produced by that person.
Therefore, the eight woes in the second part are not eight sins that suddenly appear out of nowhere. They are the inevitable fruit produced when the condition of life described in verses 1–12 has fully matured. This is why the Lord’s rebuke is so severe. For these things do not merely corrupt the people who practice them; they also hinder others, distort spiritual values, corrupt the service of the church, and pass a wrong spiritual culture on to the next generation. This is what we will continue to consider in the second part.