The Teachers of the Law and the Proud Religious Law-Keepers ^(A)

23 Then Jesus talked to the many people and to His followers. ² He said, “The teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers have put themselves in Moses’ place as teachers. ³ Do what they tell you to do and keep on doing it. But do not follow what they do. They preach but do not obey their own preaching. ⁴ They make heavy loads and put them on the shoulders of men. But they will not help lift them with a finger. ⁵ Everything they do, they do to be seen of men. They have words from the Holy Writings written in large letters on their left arm and forehead and they make wide trimming for their clothes. ⁶ They like to have the important places at big suppers and the best seats in the Jewish places of worship. ⁷ They like to have people show respect to them as they stand in the center of town where people gather. They like to be called teacher.

⁸ “But you are not to be called teacher. There is only one Teacher, and all of you are brothers. ⁹ Do not call any man here on earth your father. There is only one Father and He is in heaven. ¹⁰ You are not to be called leader. There is only one Leader and He is Christ.

¹¹ “He who is greatest among you will be the one to care for you. ¹² The person who thinks he is important will find out how little he is worth. The person who is not trying to honor himself will be made important.

Jesus Speaks Sharp Words to the Proud Religious Law-Keepers

¹³ “It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You keep men from going into the holy nation of heaven. You are not going in yourselves, and you do not allow those to go in who are about to go in. ¹⁴ It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! (*You take houses from poor women whose husbands have died. Then you try to cover it up by making long prayers. You will be punished all the more because of this.) ¹⁵ It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You go over land and sea to win one follower. When you have him, you make him twice as much a child of hell as you are.

¹⁶ “It is bad for you, blind leaders! You say, ‘Whoever makes a promise by the house of God, his promise is worth nothing. But whoever makes a promise by the gold of the house of God, then his promise has to be kept.’ ¹⁷ You fools and blind men! Which is greater, the gold or the house of God that makes the gold holy? ¹⁸ You say, ‘Whoever will promise by the altar, his promise does not have to be kept. But whoever makes a promise by the gift on the altar, then his promise has to be kept.’ ¹⁹ You fools and blind men! Which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift holy? ²⁰ Whoever makes a promise by the altar, promises by it and by everything on it. ²¹ Whoever makes a promise by the house of God, promises by it and by Him Who is in it. ²² Whoever makes a promise by heaven, promises by the throne of God and by Him Who sits there.