Matthew 23:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

NIV: For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

NASB: Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

CSB: Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

NLT: But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

KJV: And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

NKJV: And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Jesus has just repeated to His disciples that the greatest among them would be servant to the others (Matthew 20:26). This is the way of His kingdom. They will not find greatness in titles or seats of honor or the respect of other men. Greatness in His kingdom is only to be found in service (Matthew 23:11).

The phrase given here could be read as a proverb: Those who seek prestige will find shame, and those who seek humility will find honor. This is more than a simple command from the Lord to be humble. It is a reminder that God works to humble—to lower, to shame—those who try to exalt themselves. At the same time, God works to lift up—to honor—those who intentionally serve others with a humble spirit.

Peter heard this from Jesus with his own ears. Later, he will write something similar in 1 Peter 5:6: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you."

As Paul will write to the Philippians, this is exactly what happened to Jesus:

"And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:8–11).

Matthew 23:1–12 begins Jesus' condemnation of Israel's religious leaders, summarized with the phrase "the scribes and the Pharisees." He warns those listening not to follow their example, since they don't practice what they preach. Their words imply heavy burdens, but their actions don't reflect the same. They make no effort to help others fulfill those requirements. In fact, everything they do is for show: only to be seen and approved of by others. They make a great show of religious clothes and symbols, jockey for the seats of honor everywhere they go, and take enormous pride in their prestigious spiritual titles.

After thoroughly dismantling scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees in debate, Jesus even more thoroughly condemns these religious leaders for their religious hypocrisy. They do all their religious acts and works to be seen and approved of by other people. Jesus pronounces God's judgment on the scribes and Pharisees in a series of seven "woe to you" statements. He repeatedly calls them "blind" and "hypocrites." He concludes with a lament for Jerusalem and her children who rejected His protection. God's judgment is coming.

Matthew 23 concludes Matthew's multi-chapter account of all of Jesus' interactions in the temple during the last week before His arrest and crucifixion. After silencing the religious leaders with parables and brilliant responses (Matthew 21—22), He pronounces God's judgment on the scribes and Pharisees in a series of seven "woe to you" statements. Jesus mourns for the judgment that will come on Jerusalem for her rejection of God. This leads Jesus to leave the temple, sadly remarking on its impending destruction (Matthew 24:1–2). As the disciples ask about this, Jesus begins an extended teaching on the end times in chapter 24.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.