Weighty Matters of the Law

Anselm of Laon (d. 1117), one of the great Scripture scholars of the Middle Ages, comments on Matthew 23, 4, in which The Lord Jesus upbraids the scribes and Pharisees for burdening the people of God:

" 'For they bind heavy and unsupportable burdens', when they gather their traditions together, which do not lighten the conscience, but weigh it down: for, no one is able to fulfill them by their own strength.  He calls the commandments of the law, which God gave most particularly because of sin, 'unsupportable burdens'.  The scribes and Pharisees taught this law mixed with their traditions, teaching the people to live according to these and not to strive for the easy and delectable grace of Christ.  As The Lord said earlier: 'Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest' (Matthew 11, 28).  And Peter, later: 'Why do you wish to impose a yoke upon the necks of disciples, which neither you nor your fathers were able to carry, but we believe that we are saved through the grace of Christ' (Acts of the Apostles 15, 10-11).  Indeed, they set such burdens on the shoulders of men as though they should be made strong for this purpose.  Those, then, who are not just in their actions wish at least to appear just in their words.  

"Next, The Lord says: 'They do not wish to move them with their finger.'  They do not wish in the least to help them carry out these things which they teach.  Such are the indiscreet priests who command the people to all justice -- and they themselves do not serve justice even a little -- and impose a grave weight on those who come to penance: that which they command them, they themselves do not.  Then when they sin, they impose a slight penance.  Is it not better, for the sake of mercy, to impute this to their reason rather than to their faith?

" 'All the works whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do, but do not according to their acts.'  The Lord says that such teachers are to be heard, but not imitated.  Now he shows the reason why those who 'performed their works so as to be seen by men', were not able to believe in him: a person is not able to believe in Christ's preaching of heaven if he longs for earthly glory."