The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 23 Part 4 Pride Hinders Spiritual Progress

Thank you so much for your prayers.

In my left shoulder, I had a tendon tear, a couple of bone spurs, a badly inflamed bursa sac and a rotator cuff tear that my surgeon repaired.

I'm still wearing a sling, but the incessant pain I have endured for many months is gone and I am sleeping better.

Thank you to each of you who are praying for my recovery from surgery. 

My sweet wife and I greatly appreciate your prayers.

In Christ's love,

Bob

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Matthew 23:8  But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 

Jesus turned to show His disciples the true character of one who knows and loves and desires to serve Christ.

Jews had four main schools of rabbis in those times and the word "Rabbi" means a teacher.

It seems that those who delighted in being called "Rabbi" came from the schools that promoted the traditions of men as higher than inspired scripture from God.

Thus, many Pharisees and scribes were not in alignment with the will of God as revealed in His Word.

Jesus spoke to us through His apostles and Paul was used to show us true Christian character, and it is the opposite of how scribes and Pharisees conducted themselves.

Romans 12:10  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 

Romans 12:16  Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. 

A Christian's character should be the opposite of the Pharisees and scribes haughty attitudes, for they were arrogant and filled with pride.

Pharisees and scribes did not look on the poor, widows, orphans and strangers with with brotherly love. 

Instead they sought to use the system for their advantage to take away what little the poor had, or to make orphans into their bond slaves.

A believer in Christ should spend his or her life seeking to sit at the feet of Jesus, in order to learn from Him.

A true follower of the Lord thinks of others first instead of being self serving like our culture is.

We are to have the mind of Christ such that we love God and serve Him as we learn to love and serve others.

Pharisees and scribes ignored the Word of Truth in order to promote man centered traditions that cannot help anyone draw close to God.

Thus, we are not to pursue polluted or corrupt things promoted by people who think they know what is best for everyone.

Only our God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ knows what is best for every single person and we must train ourselves to hear Him.

Instead of looking on others with compassion and a desire to help them, scribes and Pharisees wanted to make sure the people followed their foolish rules.

They were governed and blinded by self conceit, thinking too highly of themselves and their false religion.

Matthew 23:8  But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 

A "Master" is a master of the Word of God, one who guides people onto the path of righteousness and one who shows them the holy ways of God.

"Master" is the word Jesus applied to Himself and He led His disciples by His own holy example.

Jesus always did good to others, and always demonstrated compassion for those who were poor or afflicted

The Pharisees and scribes said "Do as we say, not as we do" which is why Christ condemned them as hypocrites.

Jesus showed all of us the way to live and He lived it by giving a perfect model for us to follow. 

Jesus could truly say "Do as I say because what I teach you is exactly how I live. Follow me because I  am Leading you to my Father and an eternal home in heaven." 

Jesus is our Master because He shed His blood and died in our place in order to redeem us from our sins and transgressions.

1 Corinthians 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 

Paul put it this way, that we are bought with the price of Christ's blood and life. 

Therefore, our relationship with Jesus is similar to that of a Master who purchased slaves at a market, who would work for their new master.

Each Christian belongs to Jesus and He is our Master. 

Jesus emphasized that His disciples are all united together like brethren. 

Jesus' words foreshadow His church where we are joined together with Christ by the indwelling Spirit of God (See Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-28).

Matthew 23:8-10  But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9  And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10  Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 

Our Lord added to His teaching to help us understand new relationships that accompany the new birth.

Those who know God are blessed to call Him their Father. 

Since loving God with all our heart, mind, soul and being is meant to be our highest priority, then God alone must be our Father.

Our Father in heaven receives the highest honor and allegiance that we can give.

One final truth is that since each Christian serves our Master, Jesus Christ, we are not to harbor any ambition to be a master.

Living for Christ our Lord and Master is a life of submitting to the will of God.

It is a joy filled life marked by loving and serving God with all of our heart as our Father seeks to transform us into the likeness of His Son.

Matthew 23:11-12  But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. 

This is the third time in Matthew's gospel that Jesus spoke to His disciples about ambition, pride and trying to be first among them.

Those who will be counted as great in Christ's kingdom are those who serve God and others with humility, seeking only to hear Jesus say "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

God opposes the proud, the arrogant and the self conceited.

God responds to those whose hearts are contrite and whose spirits are humble before Him.

I pray that each of us will seek to love and serve God with all of our best effort, energy and being.

I pray that we wake up each day, seeking to bring honor and glory to our Father, who saved us at the enormous cost of sacrificing His own Son, Jesus Christ. 

Bob