Therefore, everything they tell you to keep, keep and do, but do not act like their deeds, because they say, but do not do.
With these words Jesus affirms an important principle: even if the teachers of the Law are hypocrites, the Law itself by its nature remains holy. Jesus warns the people not to confuse God’s Law with the behavior of those who distort it. He does not reject the scribes’ teaching, because in their words the truth of Moses’ Law still sounds, but he warns them not to act like them, because they do deeds that contradict what they have learned and teach. This saying reveals a central contrast in the life of faith: words without deeds. Jesus shows that true faith is not measured by words, but by action. When a person knows the truth but does not live according to it, he becomes condemned by his own words. This verse also emphasizes the responsibility of every teacher: to speak in God’s name requires a holy life and practical consistency.