Matthew 23:2-7,27-28,33 - “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3 so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. 27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness! 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?
Phylacteries, seen in this photograph, were a physical invention of the early Jews, to seek something that God designed to be a function of the heart. Instead, it wound up being a source of pride, "Look at me, see how holy I am, I wear phylacteries".
We must remember that Jesus Christ is God incarnate. Here, in the seven woes described in the 23rd chapter of Matthew, we must all feel the sting, and profoundly sharp words of our Christ.
He has no place, and is not interested in our outward religious appearances. He sees our heart. We may appear outwardly to be of a "religious" persuasion, but clearly these traditions, these outward signs mean nothing to God. It is the attitude of our heart that interests Him.
We all fall prey to these entrapments, in one way or another. Better to go to a secluded mountain, or in the quietness of our closets, then to think God is in anyway impressed with our trappings.
Ah pride, the great bane of our natures.
