During Jesus' time, the scribes were seen as religious intellectuals skilled in interpreting the Scriptures and applying it to everyday life. The Pharisees, meanwhile, were mostly pious laymen belonging to a religious fraternity which lived out a strict observance of the Law. Together, they were looked upon by the people as "occupying the chair of Moses", which is a way of describing the seat of honour in the synagogue from which the teacher delivered his teaching.

Jesus' contention against the scribes and Pharisees was not that they were highly regarded as experts or authorities of the Law, or the manner in which they taught it. What he was unhappy with was their hypocrisy. To Jesus, the hypocritical nature of the scribes and Pharisees could be seen in two main ways.

Firstly, because they were so self-absorbed in their own piety, the scribes and Pharisees did not show any sense of genuine concern for those struggling under the burden of living up to the Law as it was interpreted by them. Secondly, they did what they did because they wanted to 'show-off' their religiosity or because they desired prestigious titles and places of honour at public gatherings.

In complete contrast to the hypocritical leadership style of the scribes and Pharisees is the leadership style of Christ. Christ shows us that true Christian leadership is one which calls for humble service to humanity. It is the type of leadership that rejects all forms of religious showiness and the search for titles and positions.