The Pharisees and teachers of the law had made a human hierarchy out of their little society. They were a group of people that studied the Law diligently to be able to enter the group that would become the teachers of Israel. They would make their name based on their position within this group. They would derive their place in society based on what they had done in their career as a teacher of the law.
And this would cause them, ironically, to do things that would even go against God’s heart and desires. They would even go against God’s commands.
They would not extend justice nor mercy to the people, despite the fact that they would diligently, even religiously, measure out a tenth of their spices as an offering to the Lord.
They would not help other people to come to the Lord, come to know him, but instead would give the people heavy burdens, setting up hurdle after hurdle before they could possibly know God.
Those that they taught, they taught to do as they did, which caused the people that they “saved” to go even further away from the Lord and his heart, not to mention the essentials of his commands, than they were.
The Pharisees did this, and much more, while walking around with an air of importance about them. They considered themselves to be very important, and they liked it that other people considered them to be important as well:
Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
Matthew 23:5-7
But Jesus points out that this is clearly not the attitude that they should have. They shouldn’t be taking the position or place within the society. The place of honor should never have been their desire. Instead they should prefer and want the place of the servant:
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Matthew 23:8-12
If they were to be the servant, they would be humbled before the Lord.
If they were to be the servant, they would not be seeking honor from people, but they would only be seeking honor from the Lord.
If they were all brothers, they would consider themselves equal, the same amongst themselves and amongst all of those that they are serving.
So Jesus turns to his disciples, as well as the people who were in the crowd and explains that they should not be like the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. They are to lead the people in a new way. They are to lead them in a way that will humbly serve others. They are to humbly teach the people. They are to be the lowest and desire that position, because the Lord will, at some point, lift them up. They will, one day in the future, be exalted.
This should be a constant reminder for any person who is leading others in the faith. We are to be servants who lead as a servant. We are to be servants who teach as a servant. We have one to whom we should look to receive approval: The Lord, and him only. We should not seek honor from those around us. That honor is temporary. But we should seek honor from the Lord, which is eternal.