Matthew 23:1-4

Matthew 23:1-4
This chapter contains one of the most scathing rebukes Jesus gave to any group. It is significant to point out that such a rebuke would be called judgmental and considered to be out of step with a true Christian. But unlike our society, Jesus was concerned with truth. Truth is naturally exclusive and absolute. It is not “personal” and is not determined by the whims and desires of humans. It is only by the truth that we can be saved (Jn. 8:31-32). Therefore, Jesus rebuked a strongly religious group of Jews who were at the forefront of leading the people away from God. Being religious, and even being religiously zealous, does not mean that God has accepted such a person. They must both teach the truth and live by it. Something the scribes and Pharisees did not do.
When Jesus says that the scribes and Pharisees “sit in Moses’ seat,” He is referring to the fact that they were in charge of transmitting and teaching the Law to the people. Obviously, it was rare for a person to have a personal copy of the scriptures. Therefore, these leaders gave them the Law and they were required to obey what that Law required. However, Jesus warns that though they must do what they teach from Law, they are not to do as they do. The Pharisees were famous for adding traditions into the Law that they would find loopholes around. Jesus refused to obey their traditions and repeatedly clashed with them over their man-made rules and inconsistent interpretations of the scriptures.
Barclay states this about the Pharisees: “But their whole outlook on religion had one fundamental effect. It made it a thing of thousands upon thousands of rules and regulations; and therefore it made it an intolerable burden. Here is the test of any presentation of religion. Does it make it wings to lift a man up, or a dead weight to drag him down? Does it make it a joy or a depression? Is a man helped by his religion or is he haunted by it?
Berry Kercheville