1 Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples,
Jesus addresses the crowds and his disciples. Moments like this indicate universal teaching and not a secretive or hierarchal principle that only applies to the disciples. Depending on the subject matter, for example does it hinge on the Old or New Covenant? Indicates whether or not it applies now or just in the Old. Some Old Covenant points will address prefigurments of New Testament concepts or frameworks that co-exist between the covenants, they just change in some capacity with the advent of the New.
2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat;
Jesus tells his audience that the “scribes”, mosaic lawyers that sold their interpretive services to groups and individuals and “Pharisees”, the name of the most populous group/sect of Second Temple Jews in the New Testament period, “sit on Moses’ seat;”. This isn’t quite as it neglects context. I am sat on a seat right now, as are you probably. It doesn’t mean much. The word used is kathedra which is where we get “cathedral” from. It is where a throne of a Bishop resides. Although kathedra could be used in a casual context it is typically used as meaning an exalted seat occupied by men of eminent rank or influence. In this case, Moses’ is mentioned, the pre-eminent authority and giver of the Law in the Old Covenant.
Moses is the highest judge of the people in the wilderness, a judge has a seat. For both judgement and teaching. In the Old Testament, Moses sits as a judge.
“On the next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. […] When they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” Exodus 18:13, 16
Moses then appoints others to share this responsibility. This authority was passed down through the generations all the way to the time of Jesus, have various reformations and evolutions along the way. Although the Old Testament doesn’t refer to a particular throne or judgement seat, it just implies it, we have to turn to tradition as a source for what Jesus is talking about.
Jesus himself spoke Aramaic, an ancient Semitic language and was the common tongue of the world before Greek took over. This was the language of the Targums, Aramaic paraphrases of the Pentateuch. This was how Jesus, his disciples and many others in their part of the world learned their Hebrew Bible, ironically not in Hebrew. In Targum Psudeo-Jonathan we read:
“And it happened on the next day that Moses sat on the seat of judgment to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening.”
(Tg. Ps.-J. on Exodus 18:13)
There we have our explicit seat that Jesus is referencing. For the sake of brevity, I’ll briefly explain some other things related to this. There were essentially two main offices of the Old Covenant, spreading out but coming from two specific people. Moses and Aaron. Moses the Judge and teacher, Aaron the High Priest. These offices come with a seat of authority in their respective fields. In the time of Moses, his seat was obviously higher than Aarons but over time things start to shift. By the time of Davidic Dynasty we have a full on physical Temple and Kingship that occupied a priest and judge position, it is at this point that the Priesthood takes over predominant authority. When Jerusalem is sacked, temple destroyed and the people exiled, neither kingship or priesthood offers anything, the temple and kingdom are gone. Those of the teaching authority then rise to prominence again as reading, studying and praying become the only aspects of religious life they are able to do. When the people come back to the Holy City after the exile, a new Temple is built, this teaching authority office still reigns supreme with the common Jew but all liturgical aspects of Jewish life which is a lot of it actually is determined by the Sanhedrin, a hybrid of teaching and priestly council operating directly under the High Priest of the Temple. It’s kind of messy and I am condensing what could be explained in several books so forgive me. Jesus however, clears all the mess of whatever human inclinations and politics aside and says outright that the teaching authority of Moses is still with the Pharisees.
3 so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice.
Because this authority is rooted in God, even if it is temporary as it only applies to the Old Covenant, they must actually practice what they are told to practice by these teachers. It is not rooted in themselves, this was conferred by God on to Moses and his successors. This rooted in God and not themselves business will apply to the rest of the reading as well so keep that in mind. They are to observe, that is listen to everything these teachers say but they should not imitate their lives however. Despite this divinely conferred office, they do not practice what they preach so abide by the authority placed by God but do not abide by their deviations.
4 They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.
The authority of teaching gives them the power to “bind and loose”. This meant the binding of obligations or loosing of them. When is absolute adherence necessary and when can exceptions be made for the Law. The Pharisees had gotten into the practice, likely through a true zealous love of God, to bind the strict observances of the levitical priesthood, onto normal people. The whole multiple washings of the arms to the elbow, ritual cleaning of pots and items that are physically already clean for example. This is hard to bear for normal people and the Pharisees were laying it on men’s shoulders. Whilst they, in their typically well-to-do lives didn’t mind this. Imagine a modern scenario of a wealthy person berating a homeless person for not being environmentally minded, that is sort of what is going on. The Pharisees have the power to loose they bonds on poorer people who struggle but refuse.
5 They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues,
7 and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men.
Jesus tells his audience that these men, who occupy a divinely appointed seat of authority, are in fact not perfect people. This does not invalidate their authority however, interesting. They do all their acts piety, the praying, the fasting, the almsgiving all to be seen by others and be considered holy. They wear broad phylacteries. These are leather bindings around the arms or head holding a box with scripture inside it, you’ve probably seen some modern Jew’s wear them. The bigger the box the more holy, or so these Pharisees thought. The box itself is actually the phylactery, not the bindings. The fringes of their garments, again a similar action. The idea being the tassles represented the Law, well the longer the fringes or tassles, the holier you are. It’s all a physical charade of false piety. They dressed like this so in public they would be greeted with reverence. People would presume holiness just by looking at them. By this action they are assuming the root of their holiness is their own actions, their own garments and so on instead of true holiness which is conforming yourself to God.
8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren.
9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
10 Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ.
These passages if interpreted literally, would contradict other parts of scripture and we know scripture can’t contradict itself. So how does it fit? It fits with the point we made earlier. Where is your teaching authority rooted? Where is your fatherhood rooted? It must be rooted in the true authority and true master namely Christ. We are called to be co-rulers with him because we are in him. We are not masters or teachers in and of ourselves. That would be empty and foolish like considering yourself holier than others because you taped scripture to your forehead.
11 He who is greatest among you shall be your servant;
12 whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Now Jesus teaches of the great reversal. The greatest of those in the New Covenant will be servants. The Pope himself is considered the Servant of Servants. The high authority God gives you, the more you are expected to serve others, not yourself. Those that exult themselves, puff themselves up will be humbled by God’s justice but those who assume the lowest place and humbles themselves will be exalted when Christ raises them up to judge angels.
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