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Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
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“The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses.
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So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.
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They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.
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“Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.
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And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues.
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They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’
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“Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.
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And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father.