And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted

 

 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying:  "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.  Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.  For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.  But all their works they do to be seen by men.  They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.  They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.'  But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.  Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.  And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.  But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.  And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

- Matthew 23:1–12 

 

In our current readings, it is Holy Week in Jerusalem.  Jesus has made His Triumphal Entry into the holy city.  He has cleansed the temple.  He has been quizzed by the religious leaders as to His authority to do so.  He has verbally sparred with the religious leaders, teaching parables against them.  The Pharisees have sought to entrap Him in a question regarding paying taxes to Caesar, which He has skillfully answered in a way to teach.  On Saturday, we read that on that same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses said to that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were with us seven brothers.  The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother.  Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be?  For they all had her."  Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.  For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.  But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."  And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.  But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.  Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"  Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

 

  Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying:  "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.  Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do."  Here Jesus begins His final public sermon, which is a grand critique of the ways of the scribes and Pharisees.  There are various themes to this sermon, which comprises the whole of chapter 23 of St. Matthew's Gospel, and constitutes an eight-fold indictment of their works.  We begin here, where Jesus notes that they have God-given authority and teach God's law, but personally they are ungodly and cold-hearted.  To sit in Moses' seat means to hold the succession of office down from Moses himself.  In the synagogue, my study Bible explains, the teacher spoke while seated as a sign of such authority.  According to St. John Chrysostom, my study Bible says, the scribes were depraved in thought and in heart, but Jesus still upholds the dignity of their office -- for they speak God's word and not their own.  Like wise in the Church, my study Bible notes, the clergy are to be shown respect because they hold the apostolic office, although they also are sinners.  Moreover, the sins of the clergy do not relieve the people from their responsibilities before God.  

"For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.  But all their works they do to be seen by men.  They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.  They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.' "  My study Bible explains that phylacteries are small leather pouches which contain passages of Scripture, and are worn on the arm of the forehead.  The purpose is to keep God's Law always in mind (see Exodus 13:9).  But here Jesus expresses the idea that they have been instead used as a show of false piety, as the Pharisees made them increasingly larger and more noticeable.  In the ways described here, Jesus elaborates on the theme that while their teaching and authority comes from God, these are to be honored -- but their own behavior is not to be imitated.  

"But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.  Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.  And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.  But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.  And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  My study Bible notes that Christ's warnings against calling hypocrites father and teacher is not an absolute prohibition against using these terms (some teach this is so).  These terms are applied many times in the New Testament, all of which usages are inspired by God.  "Teacher" is used in John 3:10; Acts 13:1; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11; and 2 Timothy 1:11.  "Father" is used in Luke 16:24; 1 Corinthians 4:15; and Colossians 3:21.  Since the earliest days of the Church, it notes, bishops and presbyters have been called "father" not because they take the place of God, but because in their fatherly care for their flocks, they lead people to God, and they exercise fatherly authority within the community.  Additionally, my study Bible comments on this passage that God is our true Father and Teacher.  On earth, therefore, a "teacher" or "father" is one who leads people to God.  The scribes and Pharisees do the contrary. Through their self-righteousness and hypocrisy, they put themselves in God's position. 

It is worth taking a closer look at Christ's final words in today's reading,  These teachings have a heightened importance to us because they reflect something that Jesus has repeatedly sought to teach the disciples throughout His ministry.  He has tried to emphasize to them that their leadership in His Church must be suffused with the notion of service and humility.  They are chosen not to be self-righteous, and not to be hypocrites like the Pharisees and scribes of Christ's time.  The emphasis here is on humility first of all, recognizing who they are and how they must all relate to one another in the Church (echoing the teaching on the first and second great commandments in Saturday's reading, above).  First is the One:  the Teacher, the Christ; and second, they are all brethren.  One is our Father, and this Father is in heaven.  "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.  And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."   Each time the disciples began to question Christ about what their own positions of "greatness" would be in His kingdom, He corrected them with teachings about how they are to care for the "little ones" of the Church.  See the whole of Matthew 18, and also Matthew 20:20-28.   He has repeatedly warned all His disciples against self-righteousness, noting the importance of personal change, casting aside the habits and patterns of behavior to which we cling that are in fact harmful to others, especially the "little ones," those of lesser stature, the humble in the Church.  See Matthew 5:20-42; 18:8-9.  These issues arise once again here, as Jesus seeks to contrast the behavior He teaches to them with the hypocritical behavior of the scribes and Pharisees.  Like those who sit in Moses' seat, the disciples will also be given a mantle of authority which will be extended to their successors, and they will teach what Christ has given them, building and extending, transfiguring the teachings in the Torah as revealed through Him.  In this sense, Jesus' teachings regarding the scribes and Pharisees here in chapter 23 will all apply within the Church.  Those who are to be His followers, even those who will be called teacher or father (or mother), must also be held to a higher standard.  In fact, we all need to be on guard about self-righteousness; we all need to understand the powerful remedy that humility is for all things.  For it is there that we remember our true Teacher and Father, and our need to follow in faith and adhere to Christ's word.  For we are all brethren, as He teaches.  Jesus says, "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant," echoing earlier teachings.  Then He adds, "And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  This is the sin of making oneself a "god," to take the place of God.  It is what the kings and rulers of the ancient world would do; it is the ways in which pagan worship would often work.  In this vein, let us not neglect Jesus' key statement regarding a necessary element for hypocrisy:  "But all their works they do to be seen by men."  However, we must always be mindful that it is God who sees us.  In a time when so many seem to think we can structure reality through media of all kinds, through a screen that reflects the image we project and demands we think only of what others see about us, let us not forget this.  Jesus brings us a reality, a picture of the true structure of Creation, and the love that constitutes and makes it all.  This is a true picture of who we are, how we are called, and how indeed we find ourselves.