Matthew 23:9b, 10b
Chapter 23
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.
You should not be called Master, because you have but one master, the Messiah.
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.