Humbly Grateful
Matthew 23:5-6 Everything
they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the
tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and
the most important seats in the synagogues
ONE repeated truth of Jesus’ teachings is this: live with a
real heart of faith. Jesus emphasized this here when He pointed to the
Pharisees’ tassels and phylacteries. What are those?
Here is God’s
instruction to Moses about tassels in Numbers
15:38-39 Speak to the Israelites and say to them: “Throughout the generations
to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue
cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will
remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not
prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes.” The tassels were to be an obvious and open
reminder of God’s laws to help God’s people to be ever mindful to avoid sin and
live in God’s righteousness.
Likewise, phylacteries
were pouches or boxes in which the Jews stored scrolls of parchment on which
they had written portions of the law. Later, they would bind these to their
foreheads and wrists as a display of their righteousness. This, too, was in
obedience to God’s law from Deuteronomy
6:8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Why, then, did Jesus condemn the
Pharisees? In truth they disobeyed the purpose of the tassels and phylacteries.
They were to point to God as the source of right living. Instead, the Pharisees
arrogantly wore them for “men to see”,
pointing to themselves as the source of right living. Jesus hated their
self-righteous displays.
LIFE Link: Gratefully wear God’s words on your heart.
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