Commentary on Matthew 23:1-12 from “Living Space”

Commentary on Matthew 23:1-12 from “Living Space”, a service of the Irish Jesuits:

It looks like an attack on the Pharisees but we should really see it directed towards members of the Christian community, especially its leaders. Jesus levels two criticisms against the Pharisees: they don’t practice what they preach, and they do what they do to attract the admiration of others.

In fact, the words of Jesus are warning to all people in authority. Jesus was attacking the Pharisees, but his words can be applied to many positions in our own society. Executives, managers, doctors, lawyers, bishops, priests, civil servants, parents can all be included here. In so far as they have genuine authority, they should be listened to – the doctor about things medical, the lawyer about things legal, the priest about things spiritual, the parent about family matters…

The Pharisees tried to impress by wearing wider phylacteries and longer tassels. The phylacteries were small boxes containing verses of scripture which were worn on the left forearm and the forehead. The tassels, worn on the corners of one’s garment, were prescribed by Mosaic law as a reminder to keep the commandments. By making each of these items larger one drew attention to one’s superior piety and observance. It is not difficult to see parallels in our time.

Unfortunately, it would be wrong to follow the behavior of such people especially when they become arrogant and domineering, when they use their authority to draw attention to themselves, to assert their supposedly superior status. When they impose burdens on those ‘below’ them, which they themselves do nothing to alleviate.

Authority is not for power, but for empowering and enabling. Real authority is a form of service, not a way of control or domination or a claim to special privileges. So Jesus has no time for people who insist on being addressed by their formal titles. Matthew’s attack on the Pharisees again points to similar weaknesses on the part of church leaders in his time. It is something that again we are all too familiar with in our own time.

“Hi, Jack!”…”Mr Smith to you, if you don’t mind.”

“Hi, Father Jack!”…”Monsignor Jones to you.”

As Jesus says, ultimately we are all brothers and sisters. And elsewhere, he tells us that the greatest among us is the one who best serves the needs of those around him, rather than the one who has the most impressive titles, or the biggest desk, or eats in the executive dining room, or has his/her picture on the cover of a magazine. Unfortunately, we contribute a lot to this nonsense because some of us dream of being there ourselves someday.

Anyone who lifts himself up will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be lifted up.

The perfect model is Jesus himself, who: “though in the form of God emptied himself… walked the path of obedience all the way to death… For this reason God raised him to the highest place.” (Phil 2:7-9)

Reflection
Jesus’ disciples are not to make a big display of religion nor are they to seek honorable titles like ‘father’ and ‘teacher’ and ‘rabbi’. Our teacher is God, and the true disciples learns only from God. We find very often in Jesus a dismissal of ostentatious religion. He calls on his followers to be humble. Our church is to be a humble church, as we are to be in our dealings with each other. For this we need prayer which inserts us daily into the mystery of being loved and called by God in Jesus Christ.

Reflection
An adult is often told to ‘chill out’ by a younger person. We can easily think of people who are puffed up with their own praise and a sort of pomposity about themselves. We don’t like that in others; it may be a bit in each of us. To realize that we are totally dependent on God for life and love is a humbling realization. Prayer at its best keeps us humble, chilled out with the warmth of God's love!

Reflection
Jesus cautions the disciples against an easy rejection of the Pharisees; you are not to reject them outright but are to be discerning and wise. I ask God to help me to resist any fundamentalist rejection of others and to help me to appreciate good wherever I find it.