Matthew 23:5-7 5But they do all their works in order to be seen by people. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6and they love the place of honor at the feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by people.
The Pharisees must have been quite a sight with the flattery way they dressed and acted. Jesus points out their wrong and selfish motive. They made themselves stand out so others can see them and supposedly be impressed. People who dress nicely and act a certain way often do attract attention, but not always the best attention. Some people may have thought to themselves, “Oh no, here comes another one of those self-centered Pharisees.” In their effort to look pious, they fell into the temptation of outward appearance.
Jesus lists many of the ways the Pharisees may themselves look holy and devout. A phylactery was a small box fastened to the forehead with Bible verses in it. The Jews took Deuteronomy 6:4-9 quite literally by tying these boxes onto their foreheads. Apparently, the Pharisees had extra large ones, which must have been a bit uncomfortable but quite obvious to others. They also had long tassels on their clothes as a reminder of God’s laws, as described in Numbers 15:37-38. Long tassels would indicate to others how serious the Pharisees were about keeping God’s laws.
They also like to get people’s attention by sitting in prominent places, like in the honor seat at special dinners or feasts and up front in synagogues. They liked to be first in line and receive greetings at the neighborhood grocery store where people gathered. In modern terms, they would make good politicians always out for a vote. They also like the title rabbi, which means “teacher,” a title of great honor and status. They wanted to be in the public eye. Their haughty attitude begins to shine brightly through Jesus’ rhetoric. From the outside, they looked like they had it all together, but inside, there was great emptiness.
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