"For you have one Teacher, and you are all
brothers." These are the words of Jesus to the crowds and his disciples.
He criticized the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, calling them
hypocrites. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat. Moses
was a leader of the people who mediated between God and them. "For the law
was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." - John
1:17 (NIV). Moses denotes the law of God. But the teachers of the law and the
Pharisees do not practice what they preach. So Jesus said "You must be
careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do." (v.3).
Then what were the teachers of the law and the Pharisees
doing? "Everything they do is done for the people to see."(v.5).
Jesus is warning us not to be called "teacher", "father" or
"instructor". Because we have one Teacher, Father, and Instructor,
and we are all brothers. "The greatest among you will be your
servant." (v.11).
How about our democratic society? What do we see? The words
of Jesus continued. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's
faces."(v.13) How harsh his words are! But it is the flip side of his deep
compassion. He "wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of
the truth." (1Timothy 2:4 - NIV). It was out of love shown on the cross.
The love of Jesus is upon them even though they were to crucify him.
We must not think of ourselves as different from the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. We must learn humbleness following the example of Jesus.
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