Blind Ambition
January 15, 2006, Matthew 23.1-12
Open It
What topic(s) or situations really get you upset?
What is the worst name or label that someone could pin on you?
Why do some people object to "organized religion"?
Explore It
To whom was Jesus speaking? (23.1)
About whom was Jesus speaking? (23.2)
Of what did Jesus accuse the religious leaders? (23.3)
What motivation did Jesus say governed the behavior of the Pharisees? (23.5-7)
Why is it that Jesus said the you are not to be called "rabbi"? (28.8)
Why is it that Jesus said that you are to call no one "father" on earth? (23.9)
Why is it that Jesus said that you are not to be called "instructors"? (23.10)
What application, if any, does the above instruction apply to the honorary titles that we apply to clergy? (23.8-10)
Who is to be a servant? (23.11)
What is the meaning and purpose of the statement in 23.12? (23.12)
Get It
How can a spiritual leader affect his or her followers?
What kinds of nitpicky rules and regulations tend to blind us to more serious sins?
In what ways do people sometimes fake the Christian life?
What are some of the dangers of having a "checklist" of dos and don'ts that go beyond God's written Word?
What temptations are faced by those in positions of spiritual authority?
Which feeling best describes how you view non-Christians: sadness or anger?
Are there area(s) of your life where you have failed to practice what you preach?
Apply It
What attitudes or "matters of the heart" do you need to confess to God today so that your inside looks as good as your outside?
What could you do to help a young Christian grow stronger this week?
What older, more mature Christian can you spend time with this week to seek advice and wisdom?
Notes
Matthew 23.2-3: The Pharisees' traditions and their interpretations and applications of the laws had become as important to them as God's law itself. Their laws were not all bad-some were beneficial. The problem arose when the religious leaders (1) took man-made rules as seriously as God's laws, (2) told the people to obey these rules but did not do so themselves, or (3) obeyed the rules not to honor God but to make themselves look good. Usually Jesus did not condemn what the Pharisees taught, but what they were-casuists.
Matthew 23.5-7: Phylacteries were little leather boxes containing Scripture verses. Very religious people wore these boxes on their forehead and arms in order to obey Deuteronomy 6.8 and Exodus 13.9, 16. But the phylacteries had become more important for the status they gave than for the truth they contained.
Matthew 23.5-7: Jesus again exposed the sanctimonious attitudes of the religious leaders. They knew the Scriptures but did not live by them. They didn't care about being holy-just looking holy in order to receive the people's admiration and praise. Today, like the Pharisees, many people who know the Bible do not let it change their lives. They say they follow Jesus, but they don't live by his standards of love. People who live this way are insincere. We must make sure that our actions match our beliefs.
Matthew 23.5-7: People desire positions of leadership not only in business but also in the church. It is dangerous when desire for the position grows stronger than love for God, and one another. This is what happened to the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Jesus is not against all leadership-we need Christian leaders-but against leadership that serves itself rather than others.