Matthew 23:1-12

With the responsibility of significant decisions and so much attention as a consequence, a challenge for a leader is to stay grounded, whether that leader is political or religious. ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ is not inspiring advice. If what I tell you is so great, so meaningful, what aren’t I following my own advice? That’s why another saying is ‘actions speak louder than words’. This mindset is all the more true when it comes to an individual expressing their faith. For my faith to be meaningful, my expressions of faith should match what I believe my faith to be. My faith in God should lead to worshipping God – not me. 

Is my faith about what others see me do? Is it about being showy? Faith should be lived (and thus the name of this blog) and an essential part of that faith is humility. The humble person is confident in their God-given gifts, they do not need to draw attention to themselves. Ideally, I should use my God-given gifts to build community.

An interesting point to note in this passage is that Jesus does not criticise the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees – but that they do not live their teaching. It is easy to judge and criticise but Jesus is asking us to be discerning. When I hear good teaching, it is my job to live it out; not ignore good teaching because it is poorly lived. Another facet of this passage is that I shouldn’t judge – I should be aware of the plank in my own eye, acknowledging the challenge of living my faith every day.