Matthew 23:8-12
Chapter 23
8
But you, do not let yourselves be called Master, because you have only one Master, and all of you are brothers and sisters.
9
Neither should you call anyone on earth Father, because you have only one Father—he who is in heaven.
10
You should not be called Master, because you have but one master, the Messiah.
11
Let the greatest among you be the servant of all.
12
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Commentaries
Invective Against the Scribes and Pharisees.
Here, the conflict between the Christian community and the Jewish religious authorities reaches its peak. Conditions and genre influence the text: the language likely reflects a time when Christians had already separated from the Jewish community. In contrast, the literary style of “polemic” accounts for obvious exaggerations or oversimplifications when describing the enemy. Religion involves the heart, both vertically in relation to God and horizontally in relation to neighbors. When this does not happen, it can become overwhelming, suffocating, and enslaving.