During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of politicians in the UK were forced to apologise – even resign – when it emerged that they had breached the restrictions they had imposed to limit the spread of the virus. The charge levelled at them by the media was that of hypocrisy – national leaders demonstrating by their behaviour that they were unwilling to live by the rules they had enforced on the general public.       

That’s precisely how Jesus describes the conduct of the Pharisees here, as he warns his hearers against following their example (v 3). Their hypocrisy is rooted in a desire for prestige and status that governs their appearance, social life, and preferred salutations (vs 5–7). It is love for self, rather than whole-life love for God and neighbour, that serves as their primary motivation.

In stark contrast, Jesus requires that humility be the defining characteristic of the Christian community. Recognising God as Father, Jesus as Messiah, and fellow believers as sisters and brothers, the church must resist self-promoting status structures from wider society (vs 8–10). The kingdom of heaven ushers in a whole new world order, not merely a spiritual rebranding of the status quo. We must demonstrate to our celebrity-obsessed world that we take Christ at his word – that service is the way of greatness (v 11). 

Praise the one ‘who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing’.¹  

This passage addresses the perennial problems of hypocrisy and seeking honour. Jesus tears apart any notion that Christians should fall prey to either problem. Their first issue is that the Jewish leaders do not practise what they preach: they are hypocrites. This is a terrible problem for the clergy and all Christians (so we must listen closely!). Jesus does not criticise the content of the leaders’ teaching. Their problem is that they fail to distinguish what really matters in the Law; instead, they burden people with its minutiae. 

Their second problem is their love of honour. Ancient cultures were honour-shame cultures. What mattered was status, rank and reputation. These leaders are not working to please God, but to gain honour. Hence, they do their good deeds publicly, rather than on the quiet. They wear large prayer boxes on their foreheads (phylacteries, tefillin) and have long flowing tassels (tsitzit) to demonstrate their piety. At banquets and in synagogues, they sit in the seats of prominence. They delight in being honoured in public and called ‘Rabbi’ or ‘teacher’ (Reverend? Doctor? Professor?). 

It should not be so for us. We recognise human instructors and parental figures, but we know that Jesus is our ultimate teacher and that God is our Father, so we are wary of self-importance. Our posture is that of a servant. We dwell deeply in the story of Jesus. He is God. He came as the Servant, washed feet and died a criminal’s death. He shows us how we are to live in every situation, no matter how lofty our position. The greatest leaders are humble servants. 

Dig deep into your heart. What motivates you? Renounce all claims to earthly honour. Resolve to honour God. Let us wash the feet of others – and do so joyfully. 

¹ Phil 2:6,7