Parables in the Gospels

Parables

* The meaning of most parables is not so obvious, or at least it shouldn't be. If we assume we know what Jesus is talking about, we are probably missing the main point; if we are too familiar with the story (having heard it so often before), we might not think carefully enough about its real meaning.

* Most parables contain some element that is strange or unusual. They should cause you to say, "Wait a minute! That's not how farmers do their work! Wealthy landowners would not give such astronomical sums of money to underlings with so few instructions!! That's not what normally happens in nature!" And this strange element should cause you to think.

* Parables do not define things precisely, but rather use comparisons to describe some aspect of how God acts or interacts with human beings. Yet to say "A is like B" does not mean that "A is identical to B in all respects"; so one should be careful not to misinterpret or misapply the parables. Some would say that parables should be treated as allegory, not metaphor or simile.

*We might think that Jesus spoke in parables to make it easier for people to understand his message. According to the Gospels, however, he surprisingly does NOT expect everyone to understand them!

In Matthew, at least the disciples of Jesus understand the parables; but in Mark, even they have a hard time understanding, despite receiving extra instructions in private!

(Adapted from a short analysis by James C. Christensen)

Parables were meant to catch Jesus' listeners off guard, to make them re-evaluate their normal ways of behaving, and to align their hearts with God's heart. Many parables, like the one about the Pharisee and the Publican, or the one about the Good Samaritan, employed elements which were very countercultural, and shocking to the people of Jesus' time. In the story of the talents, the master reprimands the last servant for not investing money and charging interest on it. However, every one of Jesus’ listeners would have known that this practice is forbidden in scripture (Exodus 22:25’ Leviticus 25:35-28). This would be a huge red flag to the listener that something is going on here.

In our own case, because we have grown up with them, the details of the parables seem familiar or even ordinary to us, and we don’t experience the shock value of the stories. Often, we need to translate those stories using examples from our own social and cultural situations in order to see how truly counter-cultural they are.

These parables, which appear to be simple and straightforward stories, are actually multi-dimensional and complex. Frequently, we are left with things unresolved and have to make some conclusions of our own. Does the elder brother ever go in to join the party welcoming the prodigal son home? How do those in the vineyard who worked much longer hours respond to the words of the vineyard owner? Does the Good Samaritan return, and what happens to the victim? Does the Pharisee ever understand his spiritual arrogance? Once they get inside, do the five "wise" virgins enjoy the banquet, knowing that their sisters are still outside? Why DID a guest at the wedding feast show up poorly attire and refuse to explain why? Why was a servant actually punished when he did not waste or lose any of the landowner’s money? How we resolve those issues in our own minds tells us a lot about our own attitudes. Are they in line with God's or not?

If there is some overall wisdom to be gleaned from parables, it is this: God's ways are not our ways. Parables tell us that the fight for the kingdom is not played out in palaces and war rooms, but in the everyday events of our everyday lives. The struggle for the kingdom is carried out in our divided hearts, where we sometimes mutter "Thy kingdom come" without fully realizing that we might have to pray "My kingdom go". (Alan Redpath, British Baptist Preacher). The parable demands that each of us answer the question "What do YOU say? How we answer defines our moral landscape.

Commentary on Matthew 25:14–30

The parable of the talents is among the most abused texts in the New Testament.

Contrary to what might be modeled by some best-selling televangelists, the parable does not justify a gospel of economic prosperity. Instead, it challenges believers to emulate their Master by using all that God has given them for the sake of the kingdom.

The parable is located in Jesus’ eschatological discourse (24:1-25:46) where he instructs his disciples to endure through difficult times and to live in anticipation of the Lord’s return. Like all the parables in this section, it exemplifies the certainty of the Lord’s coming and how the disciples are to live in the meantime.

The teaching of the talents recalls the parable of the faithful and wise slave who continues to do the work of the master until the master comes (24:45-51). Although the master is delayed, he arrives to find the wise slave doing the tasks that have been appointed to him in the master’s absence.

The foolish slave, however, has neglected his work and abused his power. He receives severe punishment. Likewise, in the parable of the talents, the master entrusts his servants with his property, and punishment awaits those who have failed to carry on the master’s work (24:49-51).

Like the parable of the ten maidens before it, the parable of the talents portrays the kingdom of God (25:14). The kingdom is not simply likened to a man on a journey, but to the story that follows – a story that illustrates how the disciples are to wait until the Lord comes.

In this story a wealthy man prepares for a journey by entrusting his estate to his servants. In the Lukan version of this parable (Luke 19:12-27), ten slaves receive one pound a piece to do the master’s business. In the Matthean version, however, there are only three servants, and they receive shares according to their ability (25:15).

Although the first receives five times as much as the last, each receives a significant sum of money. A talent is equal to about 6,000 denarii. Since one denarius is a common laborer’s daily wage, a talent would be roughly equivalent to 20 years wages for the average worker. Five talents, the largest amount entrusted to any of the servants, is comparable to one hundred years worth of labor, an astronomical amount of money.

Like the preceding two parables (24:45-51; 25:1-13), the return of the master is certain, but the timing is unknown. After a long absence, he discovers what each servant has done with his property. The first two slaves do business with the master’s talents and double his money. Although the first slave earned more than the second, each has done remarkably well with what he has been given. They have performed according to their potential, and they have been faithful to do what the master has required of them. The master’s response to each is the same. He commends the slaves for being good and faithful, entrusts them with more authority, and invites them to enter his “joy.”

The third servant is not so fortunate. In the response of this slave, however, the audience learns even more about the master. He is a man who reaps where he does not sow and gathers where he has not scattered seed. He aggressively seeks to expand his estate and takes whatever he can wherever he can to make a profit. He even reprimands the servant for failing to invest the money with the bankers so that he might have gained interest – a practice forbidden in scripture (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:35-38).

The master’s willingness to earn money at the expense of others challenges any allegorical interpretation of the parable that would directly correlate him with Jesus, who never acts in a manner to seek personal gain. That a wealthy landowner would behave in this manner, however, makes the story all the more compelling.

The third slave admits that he was afraid to lose the master’s money. To protect himself, he buried the talent in the ground. Although this may seem odd to audiences today, burying treasure was quite common at this time (13:44).

The master is furious. He had entrusted this servant with a portion of his property in order that the slave would use his abilities – abilities that had helped the master in the past – in order to turn a profit for his lord. This slave, however, was too afraid to take a risk – even though risky behavior was part of the master’s business. Instead, he attempted to secure his own well-being. In the end his unfaithfulness to carry on the master’s work cost him severely (25:30).

The master expected the servants to continue his business, to take risks to make a profit, and to emulate his behavior. Two servants were found faithful, and they are rewarded. Their faithfulness had increased the master’s wealth and expanded his estate.

In its literary setting, Jesus tells this story to his disciples (24:3) to prepare them for the days ahead when their faith will be tested. This parable depicts how the disciples are to demonstrate their faithfulness as they anticipate the return of the Lord.

What does faithfulness look like in a time of waiting? In Matthew’s Gospel faithfulness is emulating the ministry of Jesus. Jesus has announced the arrival of God’s kingdom by feeding the hungry, curing the sick, blessing the meek, and serving the least.

All who would follow Jesus are to preach the good news of the kingdom to the whole world (24:14) by going about the work that the master has called them to do (24:24-51). This work includes visiting the sick and imprisoned, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, and feeding the hungry (25:31-46). Those who are found faithful may hear their Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

—Carla Works
Associate Professor New Testament
Wesley Theological Seminary

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 12, 2023

Be prepared; live now as if the kingdom were already here

Matthew 25:1–13

Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked.

Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Music Meditations

• “In Every Age” (by Janèt Sullivan Whitaker) [YouTube]
• “Christ Be Our Light” (sung by Spiritual Singing Band) [YouTube]
• “Table of Plenty” (by Dan Schutte; sung by John Michael Talbot) [YouTube]

Opening Prayer

Teach me to go to this country beyond words and beyond names.
Teach me to pray on this side of the frontier, here where these woods are.
I need to be led by you.
I need my heart to be moved by you.
I need my soul to be made clean by your prayer. I need my will to be made strong by you.
I need the world to be saved and changed by you.
I need you for all those who suffer, who are in prison, in danger, in sorrow.
I need you for all the crazy people.
I need your healing hand to work always in my life.
I need you to make me, as you made your Son, a healer, a comforter, a savior.
I need you to name the dead.
I need you to help the dying cross their particular rivers.
I need you for myself whether I live or die.
It is necessary.
Amen.

Companions for the Journey

From “First Impressions” 2011, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

We shouldn’t be distracted by the “unreal” details of the parable in today’s gospel. Why didn’t the maidens, who had oil, share with those who didn’t? Where could those in need ever find a market to buy oil at midnight? Why did they cry out with the special title “Lord, Lord” to the bridegroom? Why didn’t he recognize them, after all, they were in the wedding party? We have to allow Jesus, the storyteller, the creative license to include details that will help him paint a picture to give us insight into, what he describes as, “the kingdom of heaven.”

We know that in Jesus’ time marriages were arranged by the families of the couple. Fathers arranged the marriage, while mothers set the terms. First, there was the betrothal period of a year or so after the terms of the marriage were set. Then the bride was transferred to the husband’s home. These marriage practices may help explain the delay in the groom’s coming.

Today’s parable is the second in the sequence of three that emphasize preparedness while we await the Lord’s Second Coming. Like the others, the parable of the ten maidens, emphasizes the need to be vigilant and ready NOW for the Lord’s return.

There are choices we must make NOW in the light of our hope and as we wait. We do what we can to nourish our spirits, form our minds and fortify our wills—NOW. We can’t put off for tomorrow decisions that show our fidelity to God and commitment to Jesus and his ways. If we delay doing that, isn’t that a sign of our lack: of faith in Christ’s presence NOW, as well as our hope in his final coming?

We can’t prepare for the in-breaking of Christ into our lives at the moment he comes. The parable urges a more constant vigilance and state of preparation. Nor can we rely on the vigilance and preparedness of others. No one can take responsibility for us, we must do that for ourselves—ready to greet Jesus each day of our lives and then when he comes at the end.

What is clear in this parable is that when the critical moment of Jesus’s entry into our lives arrives, it will be decisive. Preparation time is over. If we have lived vigilant lives we will enter the wedding feast with Christ our bridegroom. The foolish maidens arrived after the door was locked and when they knocked the door was not opened. It was too late. Poor choices were made, the time for preparation was over. The parable has allegorical features. For example, the wise maidens trimmed their lamps when the bridegroom’s arrival was announced. Psalm 119 refers to God’s Word as “a lamp unto my feet.” Hearing the Word of God will illumine us and help us recognize the Lord when he arrives. The light of the Word will also sustain us until he does.

For some this is a welcome parable; for others it is an ominous one. For those whose lives have been lived actively seeking and doing God’s will, their light will shine bright and the door will be opened for them. Those who have lived by false lights and indifference to their future fate will find the door barred.

”What’s taking so long?” We live in an impatient world. Someone got angry the other day at the supermarket. We were on the “Express lane—10 items or less,” the sign said. But the man in front of me had 12 purchases. The woman behind me challenged his “lack of consideration.” “Can’t you read the sign,” she told him sternly, “10 items not 12!” In light of today’s parable we too might express some impatience and ask, “What’s taking the Lord so long?” But we know we don’t have to wait till our deaths or the Second Coming for the Lord’s arrival. The kingdom Jesus brought about in word and deed comes into our lives every day in a variety of ways. The parable reminds us to be alert and prepared for it. Meanwhile, during our waiting time, the Lord has taught us that we can welcome the kingdom’s arrival by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless and setting free the oppressed. So, while we wait for the final arrival of Christ we have plenty to do, because he comes daily in disguised and surprising ways. Wisdom is a key virtue for our gospel today. It helps us stay vigilant and guides us in the practical choices of daily life. And so we pray, “Come Spirit of Wisdom.” “Come Spirit of Vigilance.” “Come Spirit of Preparedness.”

Further reflection:

• Commentary on Matthew 25:1-13 from “First Impressions” >>

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

Therefore, stay awake

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• What does it mean to live in the moment?
  What does it mean to live now as if Jesus was already here?
• Are there times in my life when I have been wise?
  Are there times in my life when I have been foolish?
  Which times define me?
• Are there people that we know of, say someone diagnosed with a terminal illness, who might make different choices about what they do and how they live based on this diagnosis?
  Why do we not do so as well?
• Why does every age seem to have people who predict the end of the world as we know it?
• Until the second coming arrives, what are we to do meanwhile?
• Did you know that there are still people who profess that if you are not Catholic you cannot get into heaven?
  Is being in the right religious group important for our salvation?
• Why do we keep referring to the kingdom of heaven as if it were heaven itself?
• “He will come again to judge the living and the dead”. What does this mean for you?
• Matthew uses the phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth” six times, Luke once, and Mark not at all… How do you react to Matthew’s emphasis on the final judgment?
• How does our emphasis on reward and punishment (Heaven or Hell) as motivators for good behavior fly in the face of real love for God?
  Can you love what you fear?
• How does focus on the “selfish” maidens miss the point of the story?
  How or why do we lose focus on what is really important in our lives?
• Do I believe that Jesus is present in our world right now, or only at end times?
• One commentary suggested that the response of the wise virgins to the foolish virgins was to illustrate that you have to have your own faith, that someone else cannot believe for you. How do you react to that?
  Is our putting off until tomorrow decisions that show our commitment to Christ laziness, denial, or lack of faith?
  Can others actually help us with this task?
• Henri Nouwen had a completely different viewpoint: “…worrying about the next life seems a false preoccupation. When my clear goal is the eternal life, that life must be reachable right now, where I am, because eternal life is life in and with God, and God is where I am here and now.” Does that liberate us or scare us?
• Father Jude Siciliano said in a commentary on this gospel: “People will desire it; many will believe God’s promise; many will commit themselves to wait for its realization. But only a few will find their desire, their belief, and their commitment in ample supply. Time and the flame of the weary, mundane ordinariness of life will try to lick dry our desire for the Kingdom and our belief in God’s promise.”
  Do you agree or disagree?
• If this parable is read as a Wisdom teaching, then what is the wise thing for me to be doing today?
  Am I doing it, or do I live in denial?
• Why is it that we tend to think we need more “stuff” (as in more oil) in order to be prepared for the worst in our lives?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican style/Asking Questions:

This parable, at first glance, would seem to suggest that the virgins were foolish because they did not come prepared with enough oil. Another possibility is that their mistake was assuming that having oil was preferable to staying around to greet the bridegroom. So what if they did not have enough oil? It would not have been great, but at least they would have been there to welcome the bridegroom and to join in the festivities. They took the focus off the bridegroom and put it on lighted lamps and the oil for those lamps, assuming that having perfectly lit lamps was absolutely necessary to be part of the celebration. This parable really speaks to the worriers and the perfectionists among us, those who think we need to be sinless to be loved by God and to be welcomed into God’s kingdom. The kingdom of God is not about our imperfections, our mistakes and our sins, but about our right relationship with Jesus the bridegroom. I take some time to reflect on my relationship with Jesus, looking especially on what habits of the heart I can cultivate to make that relationship stronger—mercy, forgiveness, generosity, concern for the poor that results in actually trying to do something to mitigate their pain. For example… I pray for the wisdom to discern what is important in my life and what needs to change for me to participate joyfully in the wedding feast that is God’s presence in my life.

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

Let us imagine the scenes of this parable, then translate it to our own times. In the wedding ceremonies of Jesus’ time, the actual wedding began with a formal betrothal, under the special bridal tent (Huppah). Here, the groom would give the bride money or a valuable object such as a ring, and a cup of wine was customarily shared to seal their covenant vows. In this public ceremony under the huppah, the couple entered into the betrothal period, which typically lasted for about a year. Although they were considered married, they did not live together or engage in sexual relations. This was as binding as a marriage itself. On the wedding day, the groom would take the bride from her father’s house to her own, but only after all of the negotiations (What dowry the bride’s father pays, what property the groom’s family bestows on the bride, etc.) were completed. It is surprising that this was not all done before the actually wedding day, but it seem that this was not always the case. So depending on how the negotiations went, the arrival of the bridegroom and his bride was an ever-moving target. Therefore, the guests and the lamp bearers (the 10 young women) went to the groom’s house and waited for the party to start. Someone in the groom’s entourage might go ahead and alert the guests that the bridal couple was coming, but only after they had actually set out from the ride’s house. As we look at this parable of the poor young women who ran out of oil, and the five wise ones who brought enough, we try to find who we might be in this story. Translating it to real times, what am I waiting for? Is it Happiness? Family? Financial security? God? Death? The Second Coming? Am I willing to wait even though what I am waiting for seems to take a very long time? Can I trust myself to the unknown and develop the patience needed? Do I focus too much on the future, with its fears and rewards, instead of living fully in the present? If someone were to ask me for spiritual or material help on their particular journey, how would I respond? Where does generosity and love come in? I talk to Jesus about entrusting myself to the unknown, asking for his wisdom and his help in the waiting room we call life.

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:

JUSTICE BULLETIN BOARD

“Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.” (Matthew 25:12)

It would be pretty scary that when we meet our God, who has counted every hair on our head, that we might be unknown. Since today’s Gospel is about a wedding, I thought about how our lives could be fashioned as a memorable cake in God’s eyes. Feel free to add your own special ingredients.

The Compassionate Life Cake

Ingredients:
4 lb. of compassionate love
1 lb. of mercy
1 lb of tenderness
1 lb. of humbleness
½ lb. of justice
½ lb. of grace
¼ lb. of forgiveness
¼ lb. of good humor
1 pint of laughter
1 cup of common sense
2 tsp. of adversity
1 oz. of spirit
… and a sprinkle of beauty

Put your compassionate love, mercy and tenderness into action together. Combine humbleness, justice and grace and mix well with forgiveness and good humor. Don’t forget the laughter! Be sure to include common sense and season with a touch of adversity and a dose of spirit. Combine all the ingredients and sprinkle with the beauty of wisdom. Take a lifetime to perfect your creation. May you live your life compassionately and with passion.

—Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS
Coordinator of Social Justice Ministries
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Raleigh, NC

Poetic Reflection:

Read the following poem by Mary Oliver… How does it capture the sense of what we should be focusing on as we prepare to meet Jesus?

“Making the House Ready for the Lord”

Dear Lord, I have swept and I have washed but
still nothing is as shining as it should be
for you. Under the sink, for example, is an
uproar of mice—it is the season of their
many children. What shall I do? And under the eaves
and through the walls the squirrels
have gnawed their ragged entrances—but it is the season
when they need shelter, so what shall I do? And
the raccoon limps into the kitchen and opens the cupboard
while the dog snores, the cat hugs the pillow;
what shall I do? Beautiful is the new snow falling
in the yard and the fox who is staring boldly
up the path, to the door. And still I believe you will
come, Lord: you will, when I speak to the fox,
the sparrow, the lost dog, the shivering sea-goose, know
that really I am speaking to you whenever I say,
as I do all morning and afternoon: Come in, Come in.

Closing Prayer

From this week’s letter from Paul to the Thessalonians:

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be unaware about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For the Lord himself, with a word of command, and with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

[Take a moment to name anyone who has died for whom you wish to pray.]

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…

[Take a moment to name and pray for anyone in your life who might need lifting up.]

Thus we shall always be with the Lord… therefore, console one another with these words.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Commentary on Matthew 25:1-13 from “First Impressions”

From First Impressions 2023:

Every culture and religion has its own way of celebrating weddings. Each also has its risks getting things wrong. Weddings were a very big deal in Jesus’ day. Even more than now. Then weddings could last the whole week! They might start late, well into the night, because the families had to negotiate the dowry before the wedding could begin. A long negotiating was a compliment to the bride; she was a treasure. Finally, when the dowry was settled, the groom would come and all would go out to meet him. They would need oil. Lots of oil. The feast would begin and, remember, it could last a week!

Christians hearing the parable would liken the bridegroom to Christ. He was expected to return and begin the messianic banquet. They would also liken the foolish girls to less fervent Christians. Christians suffered for their faith and they were tempted to disappointment. Why doesn’t Jesus come and set things right? What’s taking him so long? We are attempted to ask the same questions these days. There’s a lot wrong with the world—so much suffering! Ukrainians, Jews and Palestinians, and let’s not forget young Russian soldiers too. What to do? The parable speaks of vigilance, preparedness and watchfulness; especially in the face of such tragedies.

We must not limit the idea of being ready to welcome the Lord to only the moment of death. That is not what the parable is saying. The kingdom of heaven begins here and now. Christ comes into our life every day, in many ways. But are our eyes and ears open to perceive his presence? Are we alert to welcome him and to respond to his invitation, “Follow me”?

How might we be prepared when he does come? The kingdom of heaven is present when “kingdom activity” is taking place: the hungry are fed, the thirsty given water; the sick and imprisoned visited; homeless given shelter; refugees protected and the oppressed set free. We do not have to wait for death to experience the kingdom of heaven. The bridegroom Jesus comes to us to form us and lead us to the full life which has been made possible by his death and resurrection.

This parable is the second of four stories Jesus tells about how we are to live until he comes. We might conclude from it that the virtuous are those who stay constantly alert. But note that all the virgins “became drowsy and fell asleep,” because the bridegroom was delayed. The difference between the wise and foolish virgins is that the wise ones are prepared and have brought extra oil to see them through their waiting for the bridegroom. He is delayed, but that does not mean that he will not come. It’s only when he comes that the celebrating begins. So, we are being asked to live in hope that what Jesus has promised will come to be, but for now we wait and hope.

The parable contrasts wisdom and folly; being sensible and being silly. It’s an invitation to us. Which would we rather be? Ready, or distracted? The oil is a symbol for readiness, not just at the end of our lives, but now. Ready for any surprise, good or bad, which we must face in our lives. “Stay awake”—Jesus’ advice to us today, especially at the key moments, the turning points, in our lives. Be prepared, be wise, then go ahead. What can help us stay awake, keep us alert to what’s happening in our lives now?

The parable suggests what we already know: we need to learn patience. This is particularly true with God. God keeps us waiting. The bridegroom, Jesus Christ, arrives late and because he does, we might not be prepared. The wise ones in the parable are prepared for the delay. We could enter into the parable and say something like: “I thought I brought enough oil to get me through the wedding. But the bridegroom is in charge, not me. My task is to be ready and prepared, even for the delay.”

We are a fast-moving society. We don’t like delays. They are working on the highway near us and people, myself included, complain about the delay the work causes. I was at a retreat center a while back and the internet was slow. I didn’t like waiting for the information I was looking for on my browser.

So we ask ourselves: what is the oil I have in my lamp as I wait for the Lord to come? What do I need that will sustain me during the delay? As I look around at those who are “awake” in my faith community they seem to sustain themselves by a regular habit of prayer; worship with others; works of mercy; acts of justice and forgiveness. Is it any wonder that the wise virgins cannot share their oil. We cannot share the spiritual reserves that keep us prepared to meet the Lord when he comes.

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 5, 2023

The dangers of spiritual arrogance and moral superiority

Matthew 23:1–12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Music Meditations

• In Christ Alone—Celtic Worship Featuring Steph MacLeod
• Create in me a Clean Heart Oh, God—Maranatha Singers or Keith Greene
• Here I am Lord—John Michael Talbot

Opening Prayer

Sometimes it is hard, Lord, to avoid the tendency to seek the approval and admiration of others. It is also hard to avoid the tendency to demand of others a level of commitment that is unrealistic at best and impossible at worst. Help me to cultivate humility, and a deep understanding of the burdens others are facing. Keep me from the terrible sin of judging others, and keep me from listening to those voices that make me feel guilty when there is no need to do so. Keep me honest.

Companions for the Journey

From “First Impressions” 2023, A service of the Dominicans:

Religious leaders do not come off too well in today’s first and Gospel readings. These past three weeks Jesus had been in contention with the “chief priests and elders of the people,” now he takes on the Pharisees and scribes.

Jesus is not accusing them of not knowing their religion. They knew it very well. They were even good at teaching it to others; it is just that they didn’t practice what they taught and preached. “For they preach but they do not practice.” In Jesus’ time, the teachers of Torah fell into two broad categories: those who took a very strict interpretation of the religious law and those who were broad interpreters. The strict teachers made religious observance very difficult for the ordinary person who lacked both the education and time to learn and practice all the minutiae these teachers emphasized. Thus, the strict interpreters could easily point an accusing finger at those around them, the common folk, who in their ignorance were constantly breaking the rules. These strict interpreters did little to lighten the religious burdens they taught. Thus, they provided still more loads for an already oppressed people to carry. As a result of their burdensome teachings, they made it sound as if God were exacting and demanding. While those who gave a broad interpretation had a more pastoral approach. In today’s passage. Jesus addresses the scribes and Pharisees. He accuses them of taking a position they themselves do not follow. Nor, he says, do they do anything to relieve the heavy burdens they have imposed on others.

Then, there is the matter of titles given to people of distinction. My father’s first name was Joseph. When I was a boy, if I had called him Joe, I would not have survived to adulthood. Yet Jesus says, “Call no one on earth your father....” What about those priests I served at the altar in our local parish when I was a boy? Should I have called Father Kelly, Pat? And, to allude to another strange passage, should I have cut off my right hand when it offended me, or plucked out my eye, in the third grade, when it roamed to my desk mate’s test? I sense that Jesus is using exaggeration to make a point – and he makes some good ones in today’s Gospel.

In Jesus’ day “father” was not only used to address a male parent, but also as an honorary title for distinguished elders living or dead. However, Jesus is saying, that a disciple is not to be distracted by a search for honor and titles. We are to go about our “business,” the work of preaching and fulfilling our vocation. If our lives conform to what we teach, that will be enough. Let God take care of any subsequent honors for us. To be esteemed in God’s sight is what counts. And only God may know who these “honorees” are.

The Malachi reading is an indictment against religious leaders who have been guilty of another violation of the teacher’s responsibility – they have not observed God’s ways and have taught falsely. “You have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instruction....” These priests failed in their roles as leaders and teachers. As I fly out of Kennedy airport today, I note the front page story in the paper I am reading. The headline reports that another diocese is being sued for millions of dollars by dozens of people who allege clergy abuse over past decades. I am sure those in the pews cannot hear this Malachi passage without applying it to all the recent clergy scandals. And well they should. All religious teachers, and anyone holding positions of authority, have to take this reading to heart.

But the scriptures speak not only to certain religious leaders, but to all believers. We must search our consciences, not because we have committed similar crimes, but because we all fall short of the ideals we profess and teach. In some ways, we do not “lay to heart” the commandments of God; nor, says Malachi, do our lives give sufficient example of “the glory of God’s name.” We are all expected to give witness by word and deed to our God. “You have turned aside from the way,” Malachi complains. The prophet, formerly speaking for God, now speaks in his own voice, “Why then do we break faith with one another violating the covenant of our ancestors?” Sounds like Paul in Romans when he laments, “I cannot understand my own behavior. I fail to carry out the things I want to do and I find myself doing the very things I hate.” (Romans 7: 15-16) Our human nature needs help; Paul, Malachi, all of us – our condition cries out to God for redemption.

Those of us who hold the position of teacher, in any way (parent, religious sister, priest, uncle, grandmother, etc.) listen to today’s readings with humble hearts. We certainly are aware of our responsibilities to teach by word and example. Yet, as we reflect at the end of a day on how well we lived up to what we profess and teach, we know we fall short. Maybe our consolation and encouragement can be found in Paul’s closing words today:

“...we too give thanks to God unceasingly that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us, you received not a human word but, as it truly is, the word of God, which is now at work in you who believe.”

Paul was certainly aware of his shortcomings. But what he passed on came from God – who planted the Word in him. The gospel message is not a dead letter; but a living growing word. Our teachers in faith have passed that Word on to us. We have heard that Word today at this liturgy and will be fed that Word made flesh in our Eucharist. We are not discouraged by how we fall short, how we fail to fully live the teachings we profess and pass on to others. Instead, with faith in that Word “at work in you who believe,” we are assured God is not finished with us yet. So, we ask the Holy Spirit here today to help us cooperate and live up to the living Word in us.

Further reflection:

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

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• Caveat: We must be careful in criticizing the Pharisees that we do not engage in any kind of anti-Semitism—all religious and organizations can harbor hypocrites…
• Have there been instances in my life where those in authority do not seem to understand the difficulties involved in what they were asking me to do?
• In religious matters, have there been individuals or public statements that seem to ask more of us than Jesus did?
• Do people sometime quote Jesus in making rules or regulations and determining punishments for infraction of those rules?
• From Living Space:
  What is my religion to me?
  Wings to lift me or a weight to drag me down?
  A matter of love or of law?
  Jesus offers rest and relief to those who labor and are burdened. Can I recognize myself in the Pharisee—the Pharisee in me?
• Are there societal rules or religious rules, or even workplace rules that I find annoying? Impossible to follow?
  Am I always right in being irritated by these rules?
• How do I think Jesus would react to some religious, societal or workplace rules my culture imposes on me?
• How tempting is it to behave in a way that elicits admiration from others?
• Have I ever been in a position where I demanded a level of commitment or compliance that was truly burdensome?
• If one of the issues in this gospel is the absence of humility in those who pretend to be moral leaders (either religious or secular), where do you see this in your own life?
• Where is the consonance between what I “preach” to others and my life as I live it?
• Do I include myself in the opening penitential rite at Mass, or am I praying for others who have failed: “Lord Have Mercy”?
• Are there instances where I do not always practice what I preach? (honesty, humility, not judging others, generosity, selflessness, etc., etc.)
• Am I tempted to revel in being honored or in being given a place of honor?
• What can I do to lighten the loads that people are struggling with—loads imposed by themselves or others in their life?
• As a baptized member of the Church, whom am I called to serve? Have I accepted that vocation?
• Can you think of anyone who serves in teaching and nurturing capacities in our Church, but are often not recognized for the services they render—not treated with the same respect that others in the Church are?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Thomistic Style:

Read Mark 10:34-45. Notice that Jesus in no way condemns ambition but simply teaches the disciples that their desire to be first should be in the area of humble service to others: “Whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all”. Do I have this kind of ambition? What do I need to change in my present way of life in order to do a better job of serving others? How might I, like Jesus, give my life in ransom for others? Speak to Jesus about your need for his help in being a better leader, mentor, director, boss, parent, of others.

(Adapted from Prayer and Temperament by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey, 1991.)

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style:

In New Seeds of Contemplation Thomas Merton said:

And now I am thinking of the disease which is spiritual pride. I am thinking of the particular unreality that gets into the hearts of saints and eats their sanctity away before it is mature. There is something of this worm in the hearts of all religious [people]. As soon as they have done something which they know to be good in the eyes of God, they tend to take its reality unto themselves and make it their own. They tend to destroy their virtues by claiming them for themselves and clothing their own private illusion of themselves with values that belong to God. Who can escape the desire to breathe a different atmosphere from the rest of [humanity]? (p. 49) The saints are what they are not because their sanctity makes them admirable to others, but because the gift of sainthood makes it possible for them to admire everybody else (p.57).

I write my own psalm, in the first verse thanking God for my own spiritual gifts, but being very careful to not be smug about them. In the second verse I write about the spiritual gifts I admire in others, in and out of ministry, in and out of my Church, being careful not to compare myself to them or others. I sit silently in hope and peace.

Poetic Reflection:

Mary Oliver’s poem: “More Beautiful Than the Honey Locust Tree Are the Words of The Lord” may help capture for you a vision of spiritual humility:

1.
In the household of God I have stumbled in recitation,
And in my mind I have wandered.
I have interrupted worship with discussion.
Once I extinguished the Gospel candle after all the others.
But I never held the cup to my mouth lagging in gratitude.

2.
The Lord forgives many things,
so I have heard.

3.
The deer came into the field.
I saw her peaceful face and heard the shuffle of here breath.
She was sweetened by merriment, and not afraid,
but bold to say
whose field she was crossing: spoke the tap of her foot:
“It is God’s, and not mine.”

But only that she was born in to the poem that God made, and
called the world.

4.
And the goldfinch too
And the black pond I named my little sister, since
otherwise I had none.
And the muskrat, with his shy hands,
And the tiny life of the single pine needle,
which nonetheless shines.

And the priest in her beautiful vestments,
her hand over the chalice.

And the clouds moving, over the valleys of Truro.

5.
All day I watch the sky changing from blue to blue
For you are forever
And I am like a single day that passes.
All day I think thanks for this world,
for the rocks and the tips of the waves,
for the tupelos and the fading roses.
For the wind.
For you are forever
While I am like a single day that passes.
You are the heart of the cedars of Lebanon
and the fir called the Douglas,
the bristlecone and the willow.

6.
It’s close to hopeless,
For what I want to say the red-bird
has said already, and better, in a thousand voices.

The white bear, lifting one enormous paw, has said it better.

You cannot cross one hummock or furrow but it is
His holy ground.

7.
I had such longing, for virtue, for company,
I wanted Christ to be a close as the cross I wear.
I wanted to read and serve, to touch the altar linen.
Instead I went back to the woods where not a single tree
turns its face away.

Instead I prayed, oh Lord, let me be something
Useful and unpretentious.
Even the chimney swift sings.
Even the cobblestones have a task to do, and do it well.

Lord, let me be a flower, even a tare; or a sparrow.
Or the smallest bright stone in a ring worn by someone
Brave and kind, whose name I will never know.
Lord when I sleep I feel you near.

When I wake, and you are already wiping the stars away,
I rose quickly, hoping to be like your wild child
The rose, the honey-maker the honey-vine;
a bird shouting its joy as it floats
Through the gift you have given us: another day.

—From Thirst

Closing Prayer

Sometimes, Lord, when I or others are disappointed in me, I forget your loving and understanding presence. Help me to remember that you are always there, ready to help me help myself. Your love is constant, Lord, and even if I sometimes doubt that anyone cares, especially those in authority over me in any way, you are there for me holding me close to your heart.