Call No Man On Earth Your Father Or Your Rabbi?

What did Jesus mean when he said to call no man on earth your father or rabbi?

Matthew 23:8-12
But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

In this time, the Scribes and the Pharisees loved to be called by, and known through their titles. They would love when hats were raised to them. They would give to themselves titles, and made to be known by them. This is what Jesus is prohibiting here in these texts. Paul himself called himself a Father over the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 4:15. But he was a father over them in a loving way, not in an exulting way demanding that the Corinthians call him "Father Paul."

It is the same with calling people on earth "rabbi, or teacher." Paul himself says that he is a teacher in 1 Timothy 2:7.

Jesus is dealing with the Scribes and Pharisees pride over their titles. This is what Jesus is prohibiting in regards to these titles. We are not to demand of others that they call us by certain titles that would exult ourselves over others.

I was doing some work in a Catholic Church a couple of years ago. It was a new account for me. The Priest came downstairs where I was working and wanted to introduce himself to me. He introduced himself as "Father ________." I shook his hand and said that my name was Scott. I then told him that if I was going to be spending time there doing various jobs in his Church, that he and I would need to get something figured out. I told him that I would not call him "Father," and asked him for another way that I could address him. He stared at me blankly. I said, "can I call you Mr. _______?" He said "no!"

After some awkward moments he told me that if it were necessary that I address him in the future, he would answer to Reverend _________. This to me was a bit better, since I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie and remember the humility of the dear Reverend Alden.