Call No Man Your Father upon the Earth - Matthew 23:8

Matthew the apostle wrote, “Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not you after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries,and enlarge the borders of their garments. And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all you are brethren”, and in chapter twenty-three and verse nine of his book Matthew shared how Jesus said, “call no man your father upon the earth” where we read:

And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

The verse reads, “And call no man your father upon the earth:”. Matthew began with the words, “and call no man” which means “and salute, greet and name no person whether male or female” “your father” which means “the multitude and disciples' ancestor, progenitor, originator and transmitter of life” “upon the earth” or “on the arable land, country, territory and region”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the multitude and His disciples were not to call any “male human being” their “father upon the earth”.

The verse continues, “for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” Matthew added the word, “for one” which means “because, since and on account that only One particular person” “is your Father” or “is the multitude and the disciples' ancestor, progenitor, originator and transmitter of life”, “which is in heaven” which means “who is in the region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect where God dwells and other heavenly beings”. Matthew shared how Jesus declared only One to be worthy of being called “Father” and that was God Himself who lives and reigns in “heaven”.

When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus told the people not to acknowledge anyone as their “father” upon the earth because God alone is worthy of that title. Though men and women have “fathers” upon the earth, they are granted that ability through God the “Father” in “heaven” who gives children unto men. God desires to have a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and only when they submit their lives by “faith and trust” in Him do they become the “children of God”. It is written in the gospel of John chapter one and verse twelve and thirteen, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (See John 1:12) May all who read these words clearly understand them and receive Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord” to become the “children” of God the “Father in heaven” today.

Next time we see Matthew write how Jesus says, “neither be called masters”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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