But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

                                                                                                     Matthew 23:11-12

Today: Read Matthew 23

As we travel down life’s road, we are sure to make mistakes. Learning from these missteps is important if our desire is to not repeat them. However, even greater than learning from our own mistakes is learning from the mistakes of others. Jesus begins this chapter of Matthew by discussing the Pharisees, pointing out their flaws, giving us some practical examples of what not to do. Our passage today is a reminder of what true discipleship looks like. But before exploring what true discipleship is, let’s learn from the Pharisees’ mistakes discovering what it is not.

First, the Pharisees did not live a life consistent with what they were teaching (v 3). They were operating out of the “Do as I say, not as I do” playbook. The church is often criticized for being full of hypocrites. I believe it is important for us to define hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is not an absence of mistakes rather it is pretending that we don’t make any. The word hypocrisy comes from a theatrical term meaning “to put on a mask.” Hypocrisy is pretending to be someone you are not. When we make a mistake, we should own up to it. This is something that the Pharisees were unwilling to do therefore their lives were not consistent with what they were teaching.

Secondly, the Pharisees were laying heavy legal burdens on people (v 4). Living in Christ means living in the freedom that comes from God. The yoke of Jesus is pleasurable and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). Once freed, believers should stand firm against any form of legalism that can so easily enslave us (Galatians 5:1). Long-faced religion can be an outward expression of the inward reality that heavy burdens have been placed on your shoulders. Pharisaical teaching is a sure joy stealer and for that reason Jesus identified it as a flaw.

Thirdly, the Pharisees’ motivation for their spiritual work was to be seen by others (v 5). Phylacteries and tassels were outward adornments indicating their devotion to scripture and to prayer. The problem was that these outward symbols were used to impress others. Contrast that with what Jesus teaches about fasting, prayer, and giving (Matthew 6:1-18). When we engage in spiritual activities, it should be done in private, as much as possible. Others do not need to know you are fasting. Praying in a private place brings great reward as does giving in secret. God sees what we do and the reward comes from Him. The Pharisees were after the approval of others rather than God.

Lastly, the Pharisees loved being popular with the people (v 6-7). They were often given special consideration because of their position. Special seating at banquets and friendly greetings in the marketplace were just some of the perks they enjoyed. Everyone loves to be treated respectfully and with honor but Jesus denounced this in the Pharisees because it was what drove them. Jesus used an example to explain this problem:

But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.

                                                                                                                 Matthew 23:8-10 

Jesus identifies God as our heavenly Father and Himself as our Teacher and Leader. The capitalization of the words Teacher, Father, and Leader is important. We use these words in describing people in our lives but what Jesus is denouncing is placing mere men in the positions reserved for God alone. Yes, we have leaders and teachers in the church, but these people should be viewed as what they are, fallen humanity. The Pharisees had elevated themselves to levels far beyond what mankind has been given.

So now we have some Pharisaical characteristics to avoid in our Christian life. Having acknowledged these flaws, we now need to define true discipleship. True discipleship involves leaving a lofty position to become the servant of everyone else. It’s no wonder that the Christian life doesn’t look attractive to the world. Believers are always looking for ways to diminish themselves in order to elevate others. This is exactly what Christ did. He left heaven and took on the flesh of man. He came to offer up Himself as the atoning sacrifice for our sin, once for all. He traded His rightful place as God for that of servant. I believe this is what He meant when He said:

It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

                                                                                                         Matthew 20:26-28

The principle for this reality can be summed up in the statement, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” True discipleship requires that we become less in order for Christ and others to become more. The Pharisees missed the point and made their spiritual service about themselves. True discipleship may go without human accolades, but God is watching and for anyone willing to take this selfless road less traveled, the rewards are eternal!