What is your interpretation of these words of Christ's?

The answer to that would be a book. Can you be more specific as to what you are seeking?

Taken from Matthew 23, right? It helps to take it in context, but there's not much "interpretation" to it, the way I see it. It reads exactly as Christ meant it. However, He had been talking about the scribes and Pharisees and how they loved to be seen as important men because they read and interpreted the law. Christ was not happy with the Pharisees at all and in this context, He begins to tell His disciples to not be like them. That is, not be looked upon as Teacher (rabbi) and not to be called special names that set them apart from the people, but to be humble and to serve the people instead of lording it over them. The last verse is spoken directly against the scribes and Pharisees and it helps to explain the last verses, that they were doing these things that He had just told His disciples not to do. At the time of Christ, many people could neither read nor write and they depended on the scribes to both read and write for them. The scriptures were thus "shut up" for the common person, since they couldn't read them for themselves. Since the Pharisees were the religious ruling class, they were over the scribes and so they directed and maintained the religious thought and doctrine of the time.

Hi urban, While I don't take the Bible literally and acknowledge the fact that changes have been made, I'll try to explain how I understand this passage. Verses 9 to 12 seem to be saying much the same thing and that is, we are all one, no one is greater than another and we should all be willing to serve whenever we can. Verse 12 warns that putting ourselves and our needs before others, thinking that we're more important, will have it's consequences and eventually we will have to acknowledge that. Walking into a crowded room and taking a seat of importance is not a good idea as we might be asked to give up our place to another. In Verse 13, Jesus is using the scribes and pharisees as an example of those who consider themselves better than others, and warning that they will eventually have to learn that they are no better than those they are pretending to teach. They are making the rules so strict that no one has any hope of being able to enter heaven. Blessings.

My Goodness! I was right there not fourty minutes ago! This is yet another great, ripping attack by Jesus against the established religion of the day. To take it to the absolute extreme in today's world, the Pope should be kissing my smelly feet (if I were Catholic)! I calls for a flatter management of the churches today & a mighty humbling of the office bearers who serve us! Okay, now with that out of the way... nope! Not finished yet! Jesus fully had it in for these "heavy dudes" & spent the greater part of his ministry ripping the living bJesus out of them! They were the worst hypocrites - rituals, ceremonies & festivals on the outside with all their billion & one extra rules, yet on the inside, they were rotten to the core & took great profit from misleading the people in God's high name. If we must take a personal message from this, it might be to humble oneself, but not for the purpose of being great & to rule over others, though we know this already & this was not the target. The Gospel of the Holy Twelve goes much, much further. The attack is ten-fold of what you have read. From it you can see possible motivators when he mentions how they slaughtered John the Baptist's own father between the Temple & the Alter as well as James the Just. Oh God!!!

Matthew 23:8-14 Addressing someone Rabbi and Master is prohibited by Christ in this passage as these addresses should only be referred to Him our Lord; in the same token the address Father should only be confined to God our Father. While the Bible acknowledges that we have a father in the flesh, I believe addressing our father in the flesh is also included in the prohibition. Anyway, society has other addresses like "papa". In the succeeding verse (12), Christ is teaching us humility. This is much pronounced and applied in the Church He created where the leader should be the servant of his flock(11). The Scribes and Pharisees are being castigated by Christ in the latter verse because they are giving laws and loads to the Jews that they themselves do not observe or practice. (See Matthew 23:4) Due to their hypocrisy, Christ is telling them that they are not worthy of heaven. Unfortunately, because of their teachings they are also shutting up heaven to those who hear them.

Here are my interpretations: God is the Master and THE Father, there is only God. This doesn't mean that you can't call your dad father, it just means there's no other divine father. Also, as Christ is the Holy son, he's not the Father or Master, but OF the Father. He's be closer to a great brother than such. It also seems to me that the humble are greater than the prideful. Those that make themselves as more important, more deserving, and boastful are looked down upon and those who are humble and kindly are looked upon more favorably. And for the final, it seems to me to point at those religious leaders who shut their doors to everyone except the select few important or acceptable people. They who do not go out and preach to people, perhaps not wanting to work for it or just don't like them. Seems like a jab at the selective preachers and teachers. This was a problem and still is a bit of a problem. They are "shutting the Gates of Heaven" in their faces seems to indicate they are keeping out commoners only accepting a select few.

Seems strange, that there has never been any physical proof that Jesus even lived- to say nothing of being Christ. How is it possible that God would did not make this physically, as well as spiritually obvious? These words (of Christ) may be just an idea in a deranged mind! Faith is indeed a perplexity, in that it allows for so many wonderful presumptions! (God is Great!)

As the High Priest, I am compelled to enter this discussion eventhough late. Jesus used earthly scenarios to explain the heavenly system so that we can understand. The first thing to do to any scripture is to understand the literal and then allow the Holy Spirit to give the spiritual meaning and fully merge the two together so that we can get nourishment from it. Since the scriptures came by Holy inspiration, then only the Holy Spirit can give the right intepretation despite our Bible schooling and degrees in theology. Let me reinvite all discussants to the topic and please do not abuse anyone. Let us start with the question... who is a father? what are the responsibilities of a father? How does a father behave and act? what type/kinds of father do we see and have around us? what were the Jewish fathers doing? After analysing fatherhood, we can then progress to what JESUS said and meant in that statement. welcome back.

i would interpret it as meaning that we are all equal in the eyes of god, even jesus. so no one should exalt themselves above another, and, as it says, that any one who becomes very powerful should be the servant of others, not the master. i would say that he is applying this across society, so the rich man or the politican should not raise himself above others, but serve them, and the same goes for those who have positions of power in the church. it would make the world a far more pleasant place to live in, if people started taking notice of this.

Hello, urban. He was talking about the Jewish leadership. They like to flaunt themselves and make a show when YAHVAH only wants us as believers, to be humble, and serve him with meekness. Yashua (Jesus) was telling his disciples that it is all about where your heart is, not your mouth. He condemned the jewish leadership on many occasions and only to show them their faults, but they took it as he was trying to take over. In the law of the Hebrew, one was allowed to point out to the leader when he was doing wrong. But not to ridicule them. Yashua was doing his job in pointing out flaws, but they did not take it as criticism, only as rivalry. Have a great day. May YAHVAH bless you.