Mt 23:1-12
1Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, 2saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. 3Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. 4They tie up heavy burdens [hard to carry] and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. 5All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, 7greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ 8As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. 10Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Messiah. 11The greatest among you must be your servant. 12Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Chair of Moses To sit on royal or official seat is a symbol of exercising authority and power. A king reigns and renders judgment while seated on his throne. The Pope teaches solemnly ex cathedra, “from the chair.” In the Jewish synagogues, seats were reserved for the elders while the rest sat on the floor. A special chair might have been allotted for one of the elders who was a scholar of distinction. This is probably referred to as “Moses’ seat.”
In saying that the scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses, Jesus alludes to the tradition that recognizes the scribes as the exegetes of the Law of Moses. Jesus points to the metaphorical cathedra of the teacher and recognizes the scribes and the Pharisees as teachers of the Law. But he warns his listeners against the examples of these teachers, laying bare the gap between their doctrine and their conduct. They burden men and women with minute prescriptions without giving them an example of how to live up to these demands. Moreover, their works are done not to please God but to dazzle men and women by the spectacle of deep piety.