Matthew 23:1-12 - Servant Leadership

Jesus calls us to an attitude of servant leadership.

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Gospels: Week 9 — Christ’s authority and coming judgment

The Bible App

CONTEXT: The religious establishment - the Pharisees & Sadducees - have been tightening the screws on Jesus, trying to trap Him in His words. By the end of the week, they'll have convicted Him in their sham trials and talked the Roman authorities into crucifying Him.

Matthew 23:1–12 (NASB95)

¹ Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, ² saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; ³ therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. ⁴ They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.

⁵ “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. ⁶ They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, ⁷ and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.

⁸ “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹ Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. ¹⁰ Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. ¹¹ But the greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹² Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

Belgic Confession

Article 31: The Officers of the Church

We believe that

ministers of the Word of God, elders, and deacons

ought to be chosen to their offices

by a legitimate election of the church,

with prayer in the name of the Lord,

and in good order,

as the Word of God teaches.

So everyone must be careful

not to push one’s self forward improperly,

but all must wait until called by God,

so that they may be assured of their calling

and be certain and sure that it is

from the Lord.

As for the ministers of the Word,

they all have the same power and authority,

no matter where they may be,

since they are all servants of Jesus Christ,

the only universal bishop,

and the only head of the church.

Summary

'Do what they say, not what they do.' That's what Jesus commands the crowds and His disciples to do in regards to the religious establishment of His day - to do and observe all that they tell you. The problem wasn't their source material - they were teaching God's Law, after all - the problem was they were saying good things but not doing them.

This sort of hypocrisy, as Jesus explains, lays heavy burdens on men's shoulders. Perhaps you've heard this phrase before in our own day and age, even though it's often leveled unfairly: some people 'weaponize' God's Law. Just as any good thing - like a hammer - can be used to inflict serious injury, so too can God's Law be used to manipulate, crush and hurt people.

The problem, of course, wasn't God's Law. It was the insecurity of those who had been entrusted to teach it. Rather than selflessly pointing people to truth and the beautiful ways that God has designed people to live, these false teachers only promoted themselves.

Jesus pointed out that they do their deeds to be noticed by men and that they loved the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues. Their goal wasn't to build up God's covenant people, it was to inflate their own image and prestige. Not only were they hurting people as they did so, but they stole the honor and glory of God for themselves that they should have been sharing with their students.

  Dig Deeper  

The lesson here certainly isn't that teaching and instruction must be avoided, for such activities form the very basis for the entire concept of discipleship. Jesus lays down a guiding principal that must govern the attitudes of all who seek to follow Him - especially those who've been called and gifted to guide others into the knowledge of both God's Law, and His Gospel (both of which are mutually dependent upon and inseparable from the other).

What Jesus explains is the concept that's come to be known as servant leadership. A servant leader has no desire for fancy titles, such as Rabbi or its more modern equivalents. Nor does such a teacher seek to establish a hierarchy in which some lord it over others.

Reformed churches seek to hold the Bible's tension on this topic. On one hand, we honor and respect those ordained to ministry (1 Thess. 5:12-13, 1 Tim. 5:17, Heb. 13:17), but at the same time, as our Confession summarizes what Jesus teaches here in Matthew 23, we understand that ministers all have the same power and authority, no matter where they may be, since they are all servants of Jesus Christ.

Of course Jesus' teaching here best explains the attitude that we must all have, whether or not you've been called to teach and lead: the greatest among you must be your servant. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, Jesus explains, but whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

AAA Prayer (About)

• ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, He who is in heaven;

• ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the Holy Spirit will instill an attitude of servant leadership in you;

• ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

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