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Matthew 23:6. “they also love to sit at banquets and preside over the synagogues” Matthew 23:7. “and greetings in public assemblies, and for people to call them: teacher! teacher!" “Being teachers of faith to the Jewish people, the Pharisees boasted of their knowledge of the law and, meanwhile, dishonored God more than anyone else by breaking the law and by their extreme hypocrisy. The Savior rated them well, saying that they love presiding over congregations and kissing in marketplaces (cf. Matt. 23:6, 7)” [9, 35]. Matthew 23:8. “And you do not call yourself teachers, for you have only one Teacher – Christ, yet you are brothers;” “Our Savior told us this. (Isaac the Syrian. About silence and silence and about a solitary life.) Have brotherly, sincere love for all authors when reading their writings and do not be proud, do not rise above them with your heart, do not say internally: “This has long been known” - or: “I write them better.” The great-gifted God gave you a mind and a heart meaningfully, and to them too; and to many – in the most excellent measure. Remember that it is dangerous to be smarter than others: much has been given to him, it is said, much will be required of him (Luke 12:48). It is better, safer to learn humbly from others. Do not be too many teachers, my brethren, knowing that we will receive greater condemnation (James 3:1). Don't scold the teacher; for there is only one Teacher, Christ (cf. Matthew 23:8). “And to be puffed up in heart before the holy mentors while reading their writings is scary, since they wrote their writings by illumination and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit who dwelt in them: he who is puffed up in heart while reading them is proud before the Holy Spirit, resists the Comforter, the Spirit of wisdom and reason” [2, 117–118]. "You are all brethren by nature [Matthew 23:8]. Love one another [John 15:17]. The Church is God's great, holy family, in which God is the Father, the Most Holy Theotokos, the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ is our Mother. Angels and holy men are elder brothers, and we are all half-brothers, begotten by the Church in the same font of baptism in the Holy Spirit. The younger ones naturally owe respect to their elders, are naturally subordinate to them, as imperfect ones, they ask elders for prayers for themselves from God, since they are friends of God, whose intercession the Lord accepts with favor from the children of the Heavenly Father, the prayer initiated by His Son: Our Father” [5, vol. 1, 282]. “I am an imperfect mentor, and it would be funny if I began to seek the opinion of myself as a perfect mentor. For there is no perfection on earth. And you, children, should not look for complete perfection in any of us. Our Teacher alone is perfect, Christ (cf. Matt. 23:8). We teach lessons as best we can. “Don’t judge us harshly” [11, 401]. Matthew 23:9. “And call no one on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.” "Chapter 23, 9 v. Do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. The Father of every creature, and therefore ours, is One in heaven. Earthly parents are the mediators of our birth. The Lord brought us into this world through them, like through what channel: from them we received a bodily shell with all the wonderful mechanism of the body, arranged from the beginning by the wise Artist of the world and then continue to form according to the pattern and law given once and forever” [1, 131]. Matthew 23:10. “And do not be called instructors, for you have only one instructor—Christ.” “The passions take on the guise of truth, and the tares want to become like wheat; but by internal confusion, some kind of painful fire and crampedness, it is easy to distinguish them from truth and virtue. It so happens that a priest envies his brother who preaches well and successfully, but not his own, but someone else’s. Look: he is clearly indignant at him and sometimes viciously mocks him, saying about him: he compiled this sermon, or: this sermon of so-and-so. So what? Does the work of others, which my brother used to preach the Word of God, give me the right to laugh at him and be angry with him? - Not at all, but do we really say our own thing? Isn’t it God’s word in our mouths, for example, when reading the Gospel, during Divine services and the Sacraments and various prayers? – Doesn’t God enlighten our hearts when we compose our teachings and offer them to the people? What do we have in them? We, according to the Apostle, are not content to think that from ourselves, as from ourselves, but our contentment (our ability) is from God: Who also pleased us (He alone made us capable) servants of the New Testament (2 Cor. 3: 5-6). So, in mockery of a brother and in anger at a brother who preaches someone else’s and not his own, the action of the envious serpent is hidden, and woe to the one who joins with the enemy to mock his brother and the truth of the Gospel: for he who laughs at the preacher laughs at Christ Himself: there is only one your Teacher, it is said, Christ (Matthew 23:10); Yes, He Himself teaches through all the priests, and they are only instruments” [8, 390]. Matthew 23:13. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you close the Kingdom of Heaven to men, for you yourself do not enter and you do not allow those who want to enter.” Matthew 23:14. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses and hypocritically pray for a long time: for this you will receive all the more condemnation.” “When you want to put something on your own and do not respect any ideas of another, you even get excited that they object to you, although justly: then you are an insanely proud person who does not respect your brother’s equal moral dignity as a person and equal rights with you, for he too is the image of God, also having reason, also having the gift of speech and also - freedom - to speak for and against something when he recognizes the justice or injustice of something. Do not be arrogant with anyone and do not put yourself above anyone, so as not to be subjected to greater condemnation from God (cf. Matthew 23:14; Luke 20:47; James 3:1), the greater humiliation and shame, the more you exalted yourself, persisted and stood your ground” [8, 413]. “Some people, as pious, often put candles in front of images or make silver vestments on icons, pray fervently, and it cannot be said that it is always hypocritical, but often from the true heart, sometimes with ardor. But what do we see in this man at home among his family: My God! What contradictions a person can fall into! - So a relative or acquaintance comes to this man, who often visits him and seeks his meals, or the beggars, who often stretch out their hands to him, - and our pious man, putting candles in front of the icons, allows the unclean hellish fire of stinginess, ill-will and indignation towards his brother to kindle in his heart; he who dresses icons in silver robes regrets giving the poor rags he doesn’t need or giving him decent alms, or indignantly sends him away from himself. – What does this pious man do in this case? – I am a Pharisee and a hypocrite (Matthew 23:13–15), having only the image of piety, and rejecting its power (2 Tim. 3:5). – He makes rich sacrifices to hand-made images, but to unmade, living, priceless images of God he spares an insignificant sacrifice, he spares food, drink and clothing and money; he himself seeks spiritual, priceless pleasure with Divine love, but he would not want to please his brother with material, low-value food; He himself wants God to be generous to him with gifts of grace - in the forgiveness of sins, in peace and joy and material things - while he himself is unusually stingy towards his neighbor. O Christ God! You Yourself come to us in the person of your brother, honoring us, unworthy, with Your favor, You Yourself partake of our table - don’t you know that Christ is in you (Compare: 2 Cor. 13:5) - and we, due to the blindness of mind and heart, do not see You through faith in our brother and offend You with stinginess and hatred! What kind of piety is this? – Doesn’t it cast a shadow of suspicion over all our other good deeds? Are not all our other actions hypocritical and selfish? Is it not because of our spiritual or material, temporary or eternal benefits that we do them, and not out of respect for You, our Creator and Lawgiver? – Tempt yourselves, if you are in faith (2 Cor. 13:5). – We must firmly remember the words of Christ’s Apostle Paul about love: if I give away all my possessions, love is not an imam, it will not profit me at all... (1 Cor. 13:3). And one more thing: I have imputed all things (rubbish) to be, and that I may gain Christ (cf. Phil. 3:8)” [10, 474]. Matthew 23:24. “The leaders are blind, straining out a mosquito and devouring a camel!” “Verse 24. Blind leaders, straining out a mosquito and devouring a camel! There are many such leaders today. They pay attention to little things and stand for them, but objects worth attention are passed over by their eyes and ears” [1, 131]. Matthew 23:25. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you purify the outside of the cup and the platter, while inside they are full of robbery and unrighteousness.” Matthew 23:26. “Blind Pharisee! Cleanse first the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside of them may also be clean.” “If you become irritated when you encounter an obstacle, intentionally or unintentionally put in front of you by others, or accidentally by some material thing, then you are very proud, proud and alien to the spirit of the meekness of Christ. Therefore, for example, if you gave your book to someone to read and they dirty or wrinkle it, do not be irritated by this and do not say: I will not give you any more, otherwise you will show in this, firstly, your sinful attachment to materiality, and secondly, you will expose your addiction to a brilliant appearance, in general - to appearance and show yourself to be a Pharisee, cleansing the outside of a glass and dish, but inside is full of theft and untruth. (Wed: Matthew 23:25). Let everyone read your spiritually beneficial books and don’t be upset when they are worn out or soiled: isn’t the spiritual benefit of a brother greater than your book – its clean and beautiful appearance? If only they read and benefit from the soul; If the benefit is received, the book has already achieved its purpose. If it lies in your bookcase, it will condemn you, like the silver and gold of the money-loving rich man lying in his chests” [8, 124]. “Some people become irritated because something is not kept clean, or because something is broken, or because something is spilled, or because something is not sewn together. But what is more expensive? Isn’t it more valuable to maintain the purity of your soul, to preserve the integrity of your soul and spiritual peace? Now you, Pharisees, are cleansing the outer glassware and dishes, but your inner one is full of hypocrisy and all kinds of untruth. Blind Pharisee! Cleanse the inside of the glass first, so that the outside will also be clean (cf. Matthew 23:25–26)” [10, 486]. Matthew 23:27. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside appear beautiful, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and all uncleanness;” Matthew 23:28. “So you too, on the outside, seem righteous to people, but on the inside you are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.” “Do not rejoice when your face blooms from pleasant foods and drinks, because then the inner face of your soul is ugly and dead, and this time the words of the Savior Christ come to you: as if you were like a heaped tomb, those who appear outside are red, but inside are filled with the bones of the dead [Matt. 23:27, 28], that is, hypocrisy and lawlessness” [5, vol. 1, 222]. Matthew 23:37. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to you! how often have I wanted to gather your children together, as a bird gathers its chicks under its wings, and you did not want to!” “The Lord, who created all things with wisdom (cf. Ps. 103:24), and to this day does or strives for creativity through all His creatures - rational, unreasonable, both living and inanimate. In a pious person He constantly lives and acts through him, creating in his insides a pure heart and renewing a right spirit (Wed: Ps. 50:12); resting in it as the living and life-giving water of holy contemplations and pouring out as an abundant river, either through the lips to the people or on paper; through him doing deeds of virtue and various feats of Christian life: producing in him unspeakable sighs (Rom. 8:26) and tears for God; further - in relation to the creation and preservation of living beings - he creates the male seed and from the male seed in the womb he creates human bodies and souls; creates juices and blood, transforming food and drink into the corresponding principles. He also creates everything in animals: they are His unconscious instruments; His wisdom is in the bee that builds the honeycomb, in the spider that weaves fabric, in the silkworm that prepares luxurious threads for clothing; in the kokosh, which lays eggs and hatches chicks and gathers them under its wings (Cf.: Matt. 23:37); His wisdom is in inanimate plants, which, being inanimate and insensitive, naturally cannot do anything on their own and are only mechanical tools of the Creator of creatures” [8, 231]. Matthew 23:38. “Behold, your house is left to you empty.” Matthew 23:39. “For I say to you, you will not see Me from now on until you cry, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “When a person, while standing in prayer, thinks about bread with some passion, then the Lord leaves him and says: may your bread, which you are ready to eat and in prayer, or which you feel sorry for others, give life to your heart and soul, I leave you - and then the house of the soul becomes empty (cf. Matthew 23:38), there is confusion in the heart and obvious abandonment by the Lord - the Source of life and peace of ours" [10, 381]. You might be interested in: