A text – Matthew 23:1-12
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’s seat; 3 therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it, but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others, but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others, for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 6 They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them rabbi. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. 9 And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father, the one in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
A reflection:
Jesus, as always, is a big fan of God’s word and God’s law. He commends the Pharisees for teaching it faithfully. But he points out that they fall short of half of God’s law, humble service to the neighbor and the stranger. Instead of spending time doing that, they stroll about in clothing that indicates both their piety and their status. They seem to be doing their work as teachers in order to get the benefit of being seen and respected by humans. They believed in the holiness of the Law, and that was a good thing. But their striving after purity at the expense of actually touching people who needed aid, their insistence on even the poorest of the poor following every rule before they could worship, even if it cost the poor a fortune, made them miss the point of God’s love for each person.
Go to them as teachers, Jesus is saying. But don’t imitate them in their status-seeking and their desire to be elevated in human eyes. This is the Christ Hymn all over again, isn’t it? Jesus, who was equal with God, did not seek to exploit that high status, but instead emptied himself, becoming human, and even lower than human, a slave. He served all of humanity by emptying out his very life, in a very public, very humiliating way, just so he could destroy the power of death, so that we might walk through that dark passageway unscathed and then live forever with the Holy Trinity.
See how Jesus ends this passage? Something pretty simple to measure. Are we exalting ourselves? We will be humbled. Are we setting ourselves up for preferential treatment at the expense of someone else? That’s a mistake. Are we acting as servant rather than master? Are we serving someone so that s/he might flourish, giving our time and energy to life someone who needs it? Then we will be exalted, not by our own planning and plotting, but by the will of God. Jesus says this is what God has in mind. This is what makes God smile. May each of us make God smile this week, reaching out even just to listen to someone who needs a tender ear. Peace to your house.
A prayer:
Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for Jesus’s clear teaching on what is important to you. Help us to be ever watchful for chances to serve others and help them to flourish. Amen.
