Thomas Aquinas Commentary Matthew 23:1-12

"Then spake Jesus to the multitudes and to his disciples, saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses seat: all things therefore whatsoever they bid you, [these] do and observe: but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not. Yea, they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men`s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. But all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders [of their garments], and love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called of men, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father on the earth: for one is your Father, [even] he who is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, [even] the Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted." — Matthew 23:1-12 (ASV)

Here, it was shown how the Pharisees and the Scribes were provoked by Christ’s glory, and also by His wisdom, by which He had crushed them; now, however, He shows how they were provoked by His justice, by which He rebuked them: and He does two things. Firstly, He instructs some men; and secondly, He condemns them.

The second part is where it is said, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. About the first thing, to begin with, He shows their dignity; and secondly, He exposes their intention in the use of their authority, where it is said, All their works they do for to be seen of men. About the first point, He does three things:

1. He commends their authority;
2. He teaches that one ought to render obedience with caution; and
3. He gives the reason.

The second part is where it is said, All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do; and the third part is where it is said, They say, and do not.

He says, therefore, Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes, etc. So it is continued. The Lord confounded them to such an extent that they dared not to question Him, nor did they know how to respond.

But, according to what Chrysostom says, words are useless that do not also instruct. Now it ought to be known that some men listen to Him as the disciples did, while others listen as the multitudes did. Those who listen as disciples perceive the truth with their minds: If you continue in my word, you shall be my disciples indeed (John 8:31). Others listen as the multitudes do, who are unable to grasp the truth with their minds.

For that reason, sometimes He directs His words to the multitudes, sometimes to the disciples, and other times to them both. And He does so in different ways: for He speaks to the disciples about high things, as it is stated, Whatsoever I have heard of my Father, I have made known to you (John 15:15); but at other times, He speaks to the multitudes in parables, as it is stated above. He speaks to both, however, about the necessity of salvation, and these words are of this sort: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses.

A chair properly belongs to a teacher, and so they are said to sit upon his chair, who are the successors of Moses. As it is written, Moses commanded a law in the precepts of justices . Hence, they who were teaching the Law of Moses were sitting upon the chair of Moses.

And in this Law are contained certain things pertaining to the end, and certain things pertaining to good morals. Those things which pertained to the end are those in which Christ was prefigured; hence, He Himself says, If you did believe Moses, you would perhaps believe me also (John 5:46). Likewise, the moral precepts were contained in the Law, as it is written: Moses commanded a law in the precepts of justices .

Then He admonishes them to obey with caution. He does two things:

1. He exhorts to obedience.
2. He exhorts them to be on guard: Whatsoever they shall say to you, observe, namely, in your heart, and do, in deed. Thou shalt come to the priests of the Levitical race, and to the judge (Deuteronomy 17:9); and afterwards, it is written, and thou shalt do whatsoever they shall say; and it continues, and thou shalt follow their sentence. And the Apostle says, Obey your prelates (Hebrews 13:17).

And this is opposed to the Manicheans, who said that the Old Law was not good. And it is evident that it is good, because the Lord commanded it to be observed.

But someone could object: ‘Therefore, we ought to observe the prescriptions of the Law,’ which is contrary to the teaching of the Apostles (Acts 15). It should be known that a decree of a legislator is always to be kept according to his intention. A legislator decrees some things to be always observed, and such things ought to be always observed; he decrees other things, however, that are like a shadow, as it is stated: Which are a shadow of things to come (Colossians 2:17).

Therefore, moral prescriptions are commandments according to the mind of the legislator, and they should always be kept. But the legal prescriptions are to be kept only for a time, namely, for the time before Christ. Hence, before that time they were to be kept, but not afterwards, because whoever would keep them does an injury to Christ.

And Augustine gives an example: If someone were to say, ‘I will eat tomorrow,’ this statement is a prediction of the act. If, after he had eaten, he were to say the same thing again, he would not speak correctly. And so, since these legal prescriptions prefigured Christ’s coming, therefore, after Christ came, whoever would then observe them does not observe them well.

Hence, All things they shall say to you, according to the intention of the legislator, do.

But according to their works do ye not. Here, He teaches caution. You should know that a prelate is given a position of authority so that he may teach not only by his doctrine, but also by his life.

And we ourselves ought to be in agreement with him as to the things that he teaches, because, according to what is said, If any one preach to you a gospel, besides that which you have received, let him be anathema (Galatians 1:9). Likewise, we also ought to conform our lives to his, for his life ought to be our model, just as the life of Christ is our model. Hence: Be ye followers of me as I also am of Christ (1 Corinthians 4:16).

These men, in fact, do not deviate from Christ’s doctrine, but from His life. For that reason, we ought to pay heed to their teaching, but beware of their life.

For they say, and do not. Here, He assigns the reason. He does two things:

1. He gives the reason.
2. He explains it, where it is said, For they bind heavy burdens, etc.

You say, ‘Do what they tell you to do,’ because they say, ‘You ought to do good actions,’ but they do not. Therefore, you should not do according to their works, Because thou, that teachest that men should not steal, stealest (Romans 2:21). But to the sinner God hath said: Why dost thou declare my justices, and take my covenant in thy mouth? (Psalms 49:16).

For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens, etc. The Lord wants to show their added malice, because they say, and do not. If they would simply say, and not do, this would still be tolerable. But this does not suffice for them, because they add very heavy burdens to God’s precepts. Hence, their presumption is noted, because they bind other burdens in addition to the burdens imposed by God, for they make new observances, as it is stated in Mark 7, namely, that they forbade men to eat bread, unless they frequently washed their hands. This is contrary to Isaiah 58:6: Loose the bands of wickedness, undo the bundles that oppress.

Similarly, their cruelty is noted, as they impose such burdens contrary to what is written: Because his commandments are light (1 John 5:3), and For my yoke is sweet and my burden light (Matthew 11:30). Again, their indiscretion is noted, because if they imposed something heavy upon a strong man, it would not be a great matter; but they impose insupportable burdens upon the weak, for a thing cannot be carried which is beyond the strength of the one carrying it. As it is said in the Acts: This is a burden which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear (Acts 15:10).

Moreover, their excessive severity is noted, because if they would impose a burden and show kindness, it would still suffice; but they command somewhat violently: Lay them on men’s shoulders. Hence, they are excessive in telling others what to do. Likewise, they are excessive in not doing what they tell others to do. For there are some men who, though unwilling to accomplish all, are nevertheless willing to accomplish something. Similarly, there are some men who, even if they do not want to do what is difficult, are nevertheless willing to do what is easy.

Again, there are those who, even if they do nothing, nevertheless have the desire to do something. But he who is unwilling to do any of these things overabounds in malice. Hence, He says, but with a finger of their own they will not move them. This means not only were they not doing them, but they do not even wish to move them with their finger, meaning they do not wish even to begin doing them. Likewise, they do not do the easy things, which are signified by a finger. Hence, you should do what they teach, but they are not to be followed in respect to their works because they do not do the least thing.

Chrysostom says: “Such are the men who say great things, but do little. Such men are similar to tax collectors, who make others pay excessively large amounts; they themselves, however, pay nothing. I should not see you teaching great things, but doing little. Hence, the Lord will spare you more if you incline to mercy, rather than to severity.”

And all their works they do for to be seen of men. Here, He points out their intention. He does two things:

1. He exposes their intention.
2. He advises His disciples to avoid them.

And firstly, He points out their intention; and secondly, He explains His words where it is said, For they make their phylacteries broad, etc. What is the reason why they say and do not do? It is because they are incorrigible. The reason why a man is difficult to correct, or incorrigible, is the seeking of one’s own glory. Hence, Chrysostom says: “Take away vainglory from the clergy, and you will curtail all the other vices without labor.”

Hence, He begins from this vice, saying, And all their works they do for to be seen of men; They loved the glory of men more than the glory of God (John 12:43). Hence, He says, All their works they do, because they do not just one, but all their works, for to be seen of men, contrary to what is said above, Be not as the hypocrites (Matthew 6:16), and Be not you therefore like to them (Matthew 6:8).

The explanation follows: For they make their phylacteries broad, etc. In this, He does two things:

1. He says what they do.
2. He says what they seek, where it is said, And they love the first places at feasts, etc.

What do they do? They do not do the things that are burdensome, but certain things that appear outwardly, they do well. Hence, Bernard says: “They wear the garments of holiness, and this is not burdensome because they were showing off their phylacteries and fringes.”

For it is said: Thou shalt bind them on thy hand and before thy eyes (Deuteronomy 6:8). On your hand, that is, in the fulfillment of your works, and before your eyes, that is, in your considerations. Hence, these glory seekers, in order to seem to be zealous advocates for God’s Commandments, wrote the Commandments on sheets of paper and put them before their eyes. They called them phylacteries, and they broadened them so that they could be better seen by men; hence, it is said, They make their phylacteries broad.

Likewise, concerning the fringes, it is read (Numbers 15) that the Lord commanded that they make fringes, because He wanted the Jewish people to be distinguished from other peoples. And these men, so that they might appear to be more religious, were enlarging the fringes and attaching pins so that they might be seen to prick themselves, so that they might be reminded that they are Jews. Therefore, they were not showing zeal but only some outward appearances: They come to you in the clothing of sheep (Matthew 7:15).

And what do they seek? For to be seen of men. This glory is shown in three things: in one’s primacy, in the reverence shown to oneself, and in the praise of one’s name; for he who seeks glory seeks one of these things or all of them. These men, however, were seeking primacy in the holy places and in the common places. Hence, He says in regard to the common places, And they love the first places at feasts. For they wanted to sit at the head of the tables, contrary to the passage: When thou art invited to a wedding, sit not down in the first place (Luke 14:8). And He says, they love, because dignities are not reprehended, but the inordinate desire for them.

For certain men are bodily in the first place, who, nevertheless, in their hearts sit in the last place. On the contrary, some sit in the last places, so that it may be said, ‘See, he is humble and so, etc.’; but some men sit in the first place in their hearts, because from there they seek glory. Likewise, some men seek glory in the holy places, because they seek it in the Church. Hence, He says, and the first chairs in the synagogues, contrary to the passage, Seek not of man a preeminence, nor of the king the seat of honor .

Similarly, some men seek reverence. Hence, He says, And salutations in the market place, meaning that they be saluted and honored by men, in that they remove their hoods in their presence, and genuflect before them. They desire to be called by men, Rabbi, meaning that they be praised as masters. Origen applies this passage to those who seek dignities in the Churches: for there is a certain dignity of archdeacons, deacons, priests, and of bishops. It belongs to deacons to preside at tables (Acts 6). Hence, those who desire the first places at table desire the place of the deacons. Likewise, the chief seat in the church properly belongs to the priests; for that reason, they love the chief seats of the church who love the place of the priests. Those who ought to be teachers are properly the bishops; hence, they wish to be called Rabbi, who love to be bishops.

But be not you called Rabbi. In this part, He restrains them from imitating the pursuers of glory; secondly, He invites them to humility, where it is said, He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant. It should be noted that those who hold the primacy have to instruct and to govern; the first of these properly belongs to teachers, and the second to fathers.

And, for that reason, He firstly forbids vainglory in regard to both these roles (teacher and father). The prohibition concerning being called 'father' is where it is said, And call none your father upon earth. About the first role (teacher/Rabbi), He firstly sets forth His teaching; and secondly, He gives the reason for the teaching.

He says, therefore, But be not you called Rabbi. This prohibition seems to be opposed to what is written: Let those that rule well be esteemed worthy of double honor: especially they who labour in the word and doctrine (1 Timothy 5:17). It can be said in reply, Be not, meaning you should not seek after honors. And He gives the reason, For one is your master, etc., namely, God: I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me (Psalms 84:9).

But what does He wish to say? It should be said that a man is properly called a teacher who has doctrine from himself, and not he who spreads what has been passed down from another to others. In this way, only one person is a teacher, namely, God, who strictly possesses His own doctrine; but many men are teachers by ministering His doctrine.

But if you seek to have authority, you seek what is God’s; but if you seek to be His servant, you seek what is humble. Hence, He adds, He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant, meaning let him consider himself to be but a servant.

Chrysostom says that just as God is one by nature, and many men are one by participation, so also one is a teacher by nature, and many are teachers ministerially.

But how can a man know that he does not possess doctrine from himself? It is obvious, because if it were so, he would be free to give his teaching to whomever he wished, but he cannot. In fact, this belongs to God alone, who inwardly enlightens the heart.

There is a clear example in regard to health: a doctor heals because he administers some things outwardly, but nature principally heals, while a doctor administers certain things externally. A doctor, like nature, heals by restoring a balance. So it is with knowledge: the source is given to us by nature, namely, the intellect. One who teaches applies certain helps to the teaching, as a doctor does in regard to health, but only God operates in the intellect.

Hence, one is your master; therefore, you should not be called Rabbi.

Likewise, He shows that they should not love the authority of a father, saying, And all you are brethren, and He demonstrates this from their equal condition. In teaching, He does not differentiate in the quality of condition, but in paternity He brings up one’s condition. Hence, He says, All you are brethren, that is, you are all from Me, your Father. As it is written, Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, and afterwards it is said, and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers (Malachi 4:5–6).

Likewise, you are My sons through regeneration: Who hath regenerated us unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3). Hence, one man does not have authority over another.⁴ And He continues: And call none your father upon earth. For since you are sons of a heavenly Father, for that reason, you should not have a father on earth.

A man is properly said to have a father on earth who seeks his inheritance on earth; and he has a Father in heaven who seeks his inheritance in heaven: Who according to his great mercy hath regenerated us unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead: unto an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled and that cannot fade, reserved in heaven (1 Peter 1:4).

Why then are the superiors in monasteries called “Father”? It should be answered that they are fathers in respect to their authority; as it is written, That you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, etc. (Ephesians 3:4).

For one is your father. Our Father who art in heaven (Matthew 6:9). Likewise, Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, Christ. Hence, Christ attributes His teaching to Himself, because Christ is the Word; and, for that reason, it belongs to Him to teach, for no one teaches except through words.

Again, He is a teacher in respect to His human nature, because He was sent to teach: No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son who is in the Bosom of the Father, he hath declared him (John 1:18). Likewise: You call me Master and Lord (John 13:13).

He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant. After withdrawing them from pride, He exhorts them to humility. In this, the Evangelist does two things:

1. He relates the exhortation.
2. He gives the reason.

And this can be continued as follows. Chrysostom says: “You should neither be called fathers nor masters; hence, you should not desire these titles, but rather humility.” Hence: Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ (1 Corinthians 4:1).

Or, He had spoken otherwise as follows, Be not you called Rabbi, therefore, they might have said to Him: ‘Do you wish there to be no authority on earth?’ The Lord says: ‘I do not want this, but I want that he who is greater among you be as your minister, meaning that he not esteem himself to be superior, but a servant.’ As it is written, We ourselves your servants through Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:5).

And this is what is said in Luke 22:27: Which is greater, he that sitteth at table or he that serveth? etc. Then he gives the reason, And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Hence, in the Virgin’s canticle it is said: He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble (Luke 1:52).