Pentecost Season · Year A
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 1, 2026
Overview & Insights
“The greatest among you will be your servant.” (Matthew 23:11)
Matthew concludes his narration of confrontation between Jesus and the Jerusalem leaders with a series of judgment warnings upon the Pharisees and teachers of the law (23:1–36). The chapter begins with a call to Jesus’ followers to avoid the motivation and example of these teaching leaders, while acknowledging the importance of Torah instruction (23:1–12). Jesus speaks of the heavy loads that these leaders put upon those whom they teach (through their ways of interpreting the Torah [23:4]), directly contrasting his earlier words about his own Torah instruction: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (11:30). Jesus’ followers are to avoid the hypocrisy of seeking to gain prestige and positions of honor through religious adherence (23:5–12), a refrain already resounding in earlier parts of Matthew (6:1–18; 20:1–16, 20–28).
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Commentary
Matthew 23:1-12 (Gospel) Working Preacher
Weekly exegesis of the Gospel by a named seminary scholar.
Matthew 23 verse by verse Enduring Word · David Guzik
David Guzik's evangelical, verse-by-verse commentary on the whole chapter.
Matthew 23:1 commentaries BibleHub
A stack of classic commentaries gathered at the start of the passage.
Matthew 23 commentaries StudyLight
A second aggregator carrying a different set of classic commentators.
Matthew 23 commentary Precept Austin
A deep well of cross-linked commentary quotations and study notes.
Thirty-first Sunday readings (Cycle A) Agape Bible Study
A Catholic verse-by-verse study of all four of this Sunday's readings.
Sunday Connection: 31st Sunday (A) Loyola Press · Sunday Connection
A Catholic walk through the Sunday readings with reflection prompts.
Background & Word Study
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
What is Jesus criticizing here?
Jesus warns the crowds and disciples against leaders who “do not practice what they preach,” who love titles, honor, and the best seats (Matthew 23:1–12). Over against that, greatness in the kingdom is servanthood: “the greatest among you will be your servant” (23:11).
Where does this fall in the Catholic lectionary?
This is the Gospel for the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A (October 30 to November 5).
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