Matthew 23:4

Context

Chapter 23 of the Gospel of Matthew records words Jesus spoke in Jerusalem to the crowds and to his disciples (Matthew 23:1). Jesus says that the scribes (scholars who taught and interpreted the Law) and the Pharisees "sit in Moses' seat" (23:2). He then tells his hearers to observe what they teach but not to imitate their works, "for they say, and do not" (23:3). Verse 4 spells out this charge in concrete terms. There follows a critique of religious practices performed to be seen by others (23:5-12), and then a series of seven rebukes beginning with "Woe unto you" (23:13-36). A similar saying appears in Luke 11:46, where it is presented as a rebuke addressed to the lawyers (experts in the Law).

Interpretation

Many interpreters hold that the "heavy burdens" refer not so much to the Law itself as to the rules and interpretations added in order to apply the Law in minute detail. The expression "they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers" is read in two ways.

• As a critique of hypocrisy: This reading connects the verse with "they say, and do not" in verse 3. It understands the point to be that the leaders do not themselves keep what they require of others.
• As a critique of a lack of compassion: This reading notes that the Pharisees generally kept the rules strictly. It places the focus of the verse on an unwillingness to do anything at all to lighten others' burdens or help them bear them. It is often read in contrast with the "easy yoke" and "light burden" of Matthew 11:28-30.
• Application in the Reformation tradition: The Reformers are known to have appealed to passages such as this one when they criticized the binding of believers' consciences with human regulations not grounded in Scripture.

Debates and Issues

This is not a verse on which interpretations differ sharply among denominations. Two matters, however, are discussed.

• Manuscript differences: Some manuscripts add, after "heavy burdens," words corresponding to "grievous to be borne." The King James Version reflects this reading. Opinions differ as to whether the phrase was carried over from the parallel verse in Luke.
• The problem of generalizing about the Pharisees: Modern scholarship and many church traditions caution against extending the rebukes of this chapter into an assessment of the Judaism of that period as a whole. In this view, the passage's warning lies in the fact that the same danger confronts the leaders of any community.

Perspective: Korean Protestant practiceHow this idea is used in Korean churches, kept from the original Korean article.

In Korean churches, the verse is frequently used in preaching as a text warning against inconsistency between the words and deeds of pastors and church officers. It is also cited in criticisms of legalism that turns the life of faith into a burden.

Related Passages

• Matthew 11:29-30
• Matthew 23:23
• Luke 11:46
• Acts 15:10
• Galatians 5:1