What Jesus is attacking today is not so much particular people as certain attitudes of mind. And these attitudes can be found just as easily within our Christian community and in each one of us. We should listen to Jesus' words, then, directed not so much to abstract "Pharisees and Scribes" but to ourselves. Jesus first of all emphasises that as people in authority and experts on the subject, the scribes and Pharisees should be listened to with respect and their teaching followed. But Jesus says that in their behaviour their example should not be followed. "Their words are bold but their deeds are few". This is the double standard, where people set rules which they themselves do not keep: "Do as I say, not as I do". A fault parents can easily fall into.

Secondly, Pharisees are attacked because everything they do is to attract attention to themselves. But it is all on the outside. What we call today 'image'. So they expect special attention to be given to them. Sad to say, we see this every day among politicians, business leaders, media personalities - and even church people. They soon expect such privileges as a right. Even ordinary people become slaves of 'image'. 'Look at me - how important, how fashionable, how famous . . .' None of these things, says Jesus, makes a person great. It is what I do for others that really counts.