Title: Leadership attitude/Matthew 23:5-12
Teachers who like to be treated
(Matthew 23:5) They do all their deeds so that people can see them: the gates of their cars are wide, the fringes of their garments are large (Matthew 23:6), and the chiefs of banquets, the thrones of the synagogues, and (Matthew 23:7) greetings in the market place. I love to receive and to be called Rabbi by others.
conspicuous religious act
The Pharisees and the scribes were distinct from the common people. They were the ones who devoted their entire lives to the ceremonial and legal practice of Judaism. It was the greatest joy for them to obey the numerous subdivided rules and keep them no matter how difficult it was. Their separate lives were enough to make them feel proud.
This self-esteem began to change and developed into arrogance towards ordinary people, and observing the rules developed into a habitual and ostentatious thing to be seen by humans.
One of the representative features of this pretentious act was to widen the scriptures. The scriptures begin by showing obedience to God's commands and living godly. It is made by writing the 4 verses of the Law on a small scroll of paper or parchment, putting it in a leather box and sewing it. During prayer, one is placed on the forehead and the other is placed near the left arm, symbolizing keeping God's commandments deep in the heart. It was one of the elders' traditions.
However, by widening the scriptures, they wanted to show off their zeal and piety.
glorious title
Their lust for display liked to be praised and respected, and they wanted to be seen as the first or superior figure in the public eye. Therefore, they liked to be at the top at feasts and synagogues, and they enjoyed being greeted in markets and on the streets.
In this way, they extorted the glory that God deserved and used the title of rabbi to recognize them as noble beings.
Its meaning was 'great' or 'my master teacher', and anyone who did not greet with this title was regarded as an abomination and a person who drove away the divine dignity from Israel. But the Lord told his disciples not to seek the titles of glory and dominion.
Because trying to win a glorious title is an evil thing and a cursed act that extorts the glory of God.
To us today, the Lord warns us against being seduced by these titles.
True Teacher and True Father
(Matthew 23:8) But do not be called rabbis, for you have one teacher and you are all brothers.
Jesus Christ, our true teacher
To say that our true Teacher is Jesus Christ is to say that only Jesus Christ is our Teacher and the only supreme Teacher. To those arrogant people who want to assert their superiority and want to be first, the Lord is emphasizing that the title of rabbi is a challenge to the honor of Christ and cannot be applied to anyone.
That is, only Jesus Christ is the true Teacher and the true Leader, and everyone must follow His teachings.
If anyone wishes to become a teacher, he is depriving us of the glory of Christ. No one can be a teacher except Jesus Christ. However, as brothers of Jesus Christ, we are nothing but disciples of Jesus Christ as our teacher. His followers should not cling to human titles, honor, honor, or glory, but give glory only to Christ.
[355:3] Honor and glory, all authority, receive the Lord alone, I will take up the cross of despised lords. I will serve you with thanksgiving without name and without light.
It is our honor to return to Christ.
true father
This verse tells us that only God in heaven is our Father. Here we see the contrast between the heavenly father and the earthly father, because legalists, religious founders, headmasters, and earthly authorities cannot be our fathers, only God is recognized as the father of our souls must be, and glory and honor should be given only to him.
The Jews had been taught to give obedience and honor to the teachers of the law and to the great rabbis, and at the time when these were common, Jesus Christ knew that no man could be praised before God, and that no stature could be placed upon God's authority. You are teaching.
Since we were not born only by the will of the flesh or by the will of men, but only by the incorruptible Word of God, the foundation of our faith should be based on acknowledging God as the Father of our souls, not on religious regulations or teachings do.
He alone is our Father, the Father of all things, the source of Christianity, the Life and the Ruler. All those on earth are criminals and sinners.
the secret of humility
(Matthew 23:11) The greatest among you shall be your servant. (Matthew 23:12) Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
realizing one's own place
Having God as Father is the central root of Christianity. There is no one who is good before God, and there cannot be a single righteous person. When Jesus Christ said to his followers, 'Do not be teachers, consider each other brothers, and be servants,' he emphasized the Christian virtues of humility as creatures, human nature as sinners, and mutual submission as brothers.
If the scribes and Pharisees, who decided to devote themselves to the law, lead a life separate from ordinary people, and preach the will of God, truly loved God and knew where they were, they would have been able to be humble.
He would have been able to fulfill his duty as a volunteer to love, serve, and support. However, that was not the case, so they made their clothes larger and widened their gates, and they liked to be greeted at the market and in the streets.
reserved prize
God breaks the proud and gives grace to the humble. So, according to the Bible, God humbles the priests who have forgotten his duty ((Mal 2:9), and because you did not keep my ways but were partial to men when you kept the law, so I will also cause you to be despised and despised before all the people. ) He punished Nebuchadnezzar and Herod for ignoring God's justice as well as the extremely arrogant aggression.
These scribes and Pharisees will also be punished for their sins against God in the last days. They will be eternally shamed and despised before God who breaks the proud.
But to the humble, God will be with them and reward them for their hard work of service with a humble heart and give them salvation and glory. I will humbly lead them to glory and honor. God has promised to give grace to the humble and to resist the proud.
We will all be judged by God according to this principle. The humble will be rewarded with salvation and glory. God has already set the standard for judgment. What remains is our decision and our actions. Depending on our decision, we will either face eternal life or eternal death.
Saints must make wise choices.