Preaching versus practicing: For Matthew, “scribes and Pharisees” is a code phrase for Judaism, which Matthew’s community is at once facing, in dialogue with, and slowly breaking away from. Since the scribes and Pharisees sit on the chair of Moses, they are to be listened to, but their example is not to be followed.
The scribes and Pharisees observe the law but for the wrong reasons. They do not practice what they preach. In fact, they make it more difficult. Matthew exhorts his readers to be authentic and not to imitate the scribes and Pharisees.
Furthermore, those who are leaders in Matthew’s church are to avoid anything which separates them or sets them apart from the rest of the community, especially titles. No one is to be called “rabbi,” which means “my great one.” Likewise, no one is to be called “father” or “master.”
Authentic discipleship involves service—service of equals by equals. Among the followers of Jesus, anything that hints of the superiority of one person over another is to be avoided. In this way, the members of Matthew’s church will avoid the problems which possessed Pharisaic Judaism.