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.

 

 

 

 

Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven

 

 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, the final week of Christ's earthly life.  Jesus has been in the temple in Jerusalem, teaching and disputing with the religious leaders.  Yesterday we read that when the Pharisees heard that Jesus 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."  While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, "What do you think about the Christ?  Whose Son is He?"  They said to Him, "The Son of David."  He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool"'?  If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?"  And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore. 

 

  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."   Matthew's chapter 23 is a great indictment of the scribes and Pharisees, and their ways of practicing the faith.   My study Bible describes the themes included in today's section of this chapter in the following way:  1) The religious leaders have God-given authority to teach God's Law, but they are personally ungodly and cold-hearted.  Their teaching may be honored, but they cannot be imitated.  2)  God is the true Father and Teacher of all.  A teacher or father on earth is one who leads people to God, but the scribes and Pharisees do the opposite -- even as they place themselves in God's position.  To sit in Moses' seat means to hold the succession of office down from Moses himself, similarly to the way in the Church we have the succession from the apostles.  To be seated in the synagogue was the position of a teacher, and a sign of this authority.  My study Bible says that St. John Chrysostom noted that the scribes were depraved in thought and heart, but Jesus is still upholding the dignity of their office.  This is because the scribes speak not their own words, but God's, from Scripture.  So also within the Church, my study Bible says, the clergy are shown respect as they hold the apostolic office, even though they also are sinners.  Moreover, whatever sins of the clergy may exist, it does not relieve the people from their own responsibilities before God.  

"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.'"  Phylacteries are small leather pouches which contain passages of Scripture, and are worn on the arm or forehead.  My study Bible says that the purpose was to keep God's Law always in mind (see Exodus 13:9).  But the Pharisees, in Christ's description, use them as a show of false piety -- making them ever larger and more noticeable for this purpose.

 

 "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 comments that Christ's warnings against calling hypocrites father and teacher is not an absolute prohibition from using such terms.  "Father" and "teacher" are applied many times to people in the New Testament, and each of these usages are inspired by God.  Teacher is used in John 3:10; Acts 13:1; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11; and 2 Titus 1:11.  We find father used in Luke 16:24; 1 Corinthians 4:15; and Colossians 3:21.  From the earliest days of the Church, my study Bible comments, bishops and presbyters were called "father" not because they take the place of God, but because they act with fatherly care for their flocks, they lead people to God, and they also exercise fatherly authority within the community.  

My study Bible's commentary on the use of the title "Father" is quite useful for thinking about themes in today's passage of Christ's critique of the scribes and Pharisees.  For let us consider the ways in which we expect a good father to behave, the roles in which we expect a good father to act and to fulfill, and the responsibilities that go with such a position.  Of course, our own notions of what is truly the fulfillment of fatherhood come from God, and the ways in which Scripture has expressed to us the character of God the Father.  Please note that this ultimate role model of fatherhood also applies to women who are single parents, or who must take on the role of father for children and extended family for all kinds of reasons, and so the model still applies.  But when we think of the type of historical leadership a father of a family or tribe or extended clan was expected to embody, we have to consider Christ's words taken in their fullness of what He expected from His disciples, who would become the Fathers of the Church, and all those who would follow in their footsteps, even both as Fathers and Mothers of the Church.  What Jesus condemns is the hypocrisy of those who use their positions of authority for show, for clout, and to fulfill their own inflated or arrogant sense of their place in the community.  A good father of a family (or mother in the role of leadership) does not do this to care for family or others either.  Moreover, Christ's repeated emphasis for leadership is on humility.  This comes front and center.  When He emphasizes not to call one another "father" or "teacher," He does this by emphasizing that we all have one Father and one Teacher -- we have God the Father, and we have Christ the Son our Teacher.  Keeping such a thought in mind -- for all of us without exception -- is the real key to humility.  It's also the key to the kind of service that Christ expects from us, when He says, "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."  We remember Whom it is we seek to serve ultimately, and before Whom we need to humble ourselves.   This, again, is the model for a good father or head of a family.  For the flaws of the religious leaders are the flaws of a failed parent; the humility and service Christ teaches His disciples are the hallmarks of devoted and loving parents, especially in a leadership role.  So these teachings form a model for each of us, in the Church, in our communities, among our brothers and sisters, in our families.  Let us be humble in order to be exalted.

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

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

 On Saturday, we read that on the same day that the disciples of the Pharisees and the Herodians questioned Jesus about paying taxes to Caesar, the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses said 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.'  One 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.  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."  This begins Jesus' final public sermon.  It is a grand critique of the ways of the scribes and Pharisees.  There will be varied themes in the Sermon, which we'll read over the next few days.  In today's reading,  Jesus begins by teaching that the Jewish leaders have God-given authority and that they teach God's Law, but they are personally ungodly and cold-hearted.  Their teaching is to be honored, but they are not to be imitated.  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 this authority.  St. John Chrysostom comments that the scribes were depraved in thought and in heart, but Jesus still upholds the dignity of their office, as they speak not their own words but God's.  So also within the Church, the clergy are shown respect because they hold the apostolic office, although they too are sinners.  Moreover, the sins of the clergy do not relieve the people from their responsibilities before God.

"But all their works they do to be seen by men.  They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments."  Phylacteries are small leather pouches which contain passages of Scripture.  They are worn on the arm or forehead.  The concept is to keep God's Law always in mind (see Exodus 13:9), but here Jesus says the Pharisees used them as a show of false piety, making them increasingly larger and more noticeable. 

"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."   Our true Father and Teacher is God, Jesus teaches.  A teacher or father on earth is one who leads people to God.  The scribes and Pharisees do the opposite, putting themselves in God's position.  Here Jesus warns against calling hypocrites father and teacher; but my study bible points out that it is not an absolute prohibition against using such terms.  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.  My study bible explains that since the very early days of the Church, 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.

It's important to understand that the things for which Jesus criticizes the leadership are still with us.  The changes and structures in the Church, the principles upon which its practices are founded, take into consideration all of Christ's teachings.  But what Jesus principally warns against here -- and which we will reach in subsequent readings -- is the detrimental practices of hypocrisy.  In Saturday's reading Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments in the Law are "'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.'"  He adds, "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."  Let us note that the driving force in the beginning of this sermon is the same teaching of putting God first.  What He's saying is that the leadership here puts themselves first, putting themselves in the place of God, as my study bible puts it.   Earlier in Matthew's Gospel, He criticized the Pharisees for their own traditions, which subvert the intent of the Law (see this reading), while they nitpick and criticize and burden others with their way of practicing.  With all of these teachings in mind, the Church established its own practices.  But hypocrisy does not solely belong to the Jewish leaders.  Jesus' warnings apply to all of us.  The beauty of our Church and our worship services, my study bible notes elsewhere, may snare us into a sense in which these elements assure us of our own sanctity.  But Christ's commandments still apply to each of us, and hypocrisy remains a temptation and a warning, a true scandal.  Let us note what my study bible teaches in its notes for today's reading:  a true father (or mother, for that matter) or teacher in the Church is one who leads others to God.  It is God who comes first, not the glory of the nominal teacher or father or mother.  For this reason, humility remains after 2,000 years the key and crowning virtue upon which everything else rests.  Without it, the care of the littlest ones is endangered by all kinds of potential behavior, including the hypocrisy against which Christ preaches in this final sermon.  Each one of us who claims to be a follower of Christ is in some way both a teacher and a spiritual mother or father.  There are many who don't follow the idea that being a Christian means making a particular commitment to our own awareness of ourselves, our own humility quotient and practice, our own growth in spiritual virtue.  But this is a kind of blindness such as that which Christ speaks about when He talks about the hypocrisy of the religious leadership.  We'll find all kinds of moral codes we externally may need to comply with or to criticize others about.  But Jesus' message is internal, it is about who we are being in the world and how we are treating others.  To love one's neighbor as oneself, my study bible says, does not mean to love one's neighbor in the same way or amount we love ourselves.  No, it means to love one's neighbor as being of the same nature as we ourselves are, as being created in God’s image and likeness just as we are.  As the Fathers teach, we find our true self in loving our neighbor.  Jesus' criticism of the religious leaders really applies to the ways in which they treat the flock under their care, and it applies to us today as well.  Do we judge with good judgment?  Do we love others as if they are created in the same image and likeness as ourselves?  Do we humiliate and ridicule others with whom we disagree and denigrate their very humanity, or do we enter into dialogue?  We must keep perspective in proper order, in right relationship with God and with neighbor and not confuse the roles.  To do that requires proper humility, the crowning virtue.  Let us keep His commands.

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

 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, Jesus is in Jerusalem.  It is what we know as Holy Week, the week of the last Passover of Jesus' life.  Yesterday we read that when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees as they disputed in the temple, 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."  While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, "What do you think about the Christ?  Whose Son is He?"  They said to Him, "The Son of David."  He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool"'?  If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?"  And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.
  

 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."  The whole of chapter 23 gives us Jesus' final public sermon, which is in essence a grand critique of the ways of the scribes and Pharisees.  My study bible elaborates on the themes included as:  (1)  The Jewish leaders have God-given authority and teach God's Law, but they are personally ungodly and cold-hearted.  As such, their teaching itself is to be honored, but they are not to be imitated.  (2)  God is our true Father and Teacher.  A teacher or father on earth is one who will lead people to God.  The scribes and Pharisees do the opposite, placing themselves in God's position.  (3)  Finally, in Jesus' eight-fold indictment of the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus charges them with inverting God's values, and with being mean-spirited, judgmental, greedy, ambitious, absorbed in externals, and blindly self-righteous.  While these charges were directed against the Jewish leaders of the day, every single word applies equally today to those in the Church who behave in this way.    In the verses noted here, Jesus begins with the understanding that to sit in Moses' seat means to hold the succession of office down from Moses himself. In the synagogue, the teacher spoke while seated as a sign of this authority.  St. John Chrysostom notes on this passage that the scribes were depraved in thought and heart, but Jesus still upholds the dignity of their office, because they speak not their own words but God's.  And, once again, we can reflect on the Church here.  The clergy are to be shown respect as they hold the apostolic office, but they too are sinners.  Moreover, the sins of the clergy do not relieve the people from their own 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."  Phylacteries are small leather pouches which contain passages of Scripture.  They are worn on the arm or the forehead.  The idea is to always keep God's Law in mind (see Exodus 13:9).  However, as is potential with all expressions of devotion, they could be used for outward expression alone, "to be seen by men."  Jesus here condemns the Pharisees use of them as a show of false piety, making them increasingly larger and more noticeable.

"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."  My study bible says that Christ's warning against calling hypocrites father and teacher is not an absolute prohibition against using these terms, as some teach.  These terms are applied to men many times in the New Testament, all of which usages are inspired by God.  Teacher is used in John 3:10, Ats 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.  From the very early days of the Church, my study bible 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.  But Jesus' emphasis here is clear; we are all under one authority, and that authority is God's.

"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."  One more time, Jesus gives us the highest standard of leadership and authority, and that standard is service.  It is apparently not enough to merely mention this once, but His repeated expression of the same teaching tells us that it cannot be emphasized enough.

Jesus emphasizes service in His Church and among His flock as the real key to "Godlike" authority.  No one could put it more clearly nor strongly than He does in the words that we know:  "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."  There is no greater power, perhaps, than that of service.  In Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross, His service is to an entire universe.  His saving service renders Him risen Lord, defeating the power of death and evil for all of us.  This is a great and powerful mystery, but what we can understand of it is right here in this teaching.  Service is God-like.  Humility is God-like.  He humbles Himself to save all of creation and everything in it.  So we are to do likewise.  It is my opinion that our worldly perspective on service is skewed.  We cannot easily grasp the greatness in service and in humility, but it is there where we defeat evil.  It is there where the greatest battles are fought, in this almost poetic place of service and help.  In this notion is grace and mercy.  Do we do good to others, even those who have hurt us?  Are we capable of letting grace work through us?  What can we help to heal in a world that is so broken and so often needs healing?  It is the perspective of the purely worldly that cannot see grace, nor the tremendous exaltation it can bring to those who practice such service.  When we think of sacrifice, we can't necessarily see the implications within sacrifice of transcendence, of elation through the experience of a God-like joy and love that is the character of grace at work through us.  We always seem to leave out the picture of the tremendous freedom that grace brings in action through our own capacity for service, and the message that is there for us of just how capable we are of rendering something to someone else, of resolving old hurts and conflicts, and most of all, of being God-like in our practice of our faith, and in the grace of the Spirit's always surprising work present in us and to us.  To be joyful truly is to understand the great grace in service. It is something we all must experience to know the true height and depth of the faith and grace we've been taught by our true Teacher.

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

 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 to 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 yesterday's reading, Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees in the temple.  We are in Jerusalem:  He has made His Triumphal Entry, cleansed the temple, and been questioned by various groups of the leadership:  chief priests and elders, disciples of the Pharisees and Herodians, and the Sadducees.  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, "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."  While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, "What do you think about the Christ?  Whose Son is He?"  They said to Him, "The Son of David."  He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool"'?  If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?"  And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.

 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying:  "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat."  My study bible introduces us to what is Jesus' grand critique of the Pharisees that begins here.  To outline what Jesus has to say, this is how my study bible puts it for the verses in today's reading:  "(1)  They have God-given authority and many God-given commandments, but they are personally ungodly, coldhearted and vainglorious.  Their teaching is to be honored, but they are not to be imitated (vv. 2-7).  (2)  God is our true Father.  A true teacher leads his people to God.  The Pharisees do the opposite, placing themselves in God's stead (vv. 8-12)."  Moses' seat was a special chair in the synagogue; the most famous rabbi in the town would be assigned this 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."  My study bible teaches us:  "The rabbinic teachers assumed an intrinsic value for their own office as the seat of authority.  According to the prevailing system of the Pharisees, the student in rabbinic tradition submitted himself to his master's authority in a total and servile manner.  The call of Jesus to His disciples differed radically from the rabbinic system in that (1) the disciples were not merely servants but beloved friends; (2) their calling did not imply they would themselves become independent masters; (3) the brotherhood of disciples would remain unified and loyal to Jesus."

"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."  My study bible tells us that phylacteries and borders of their garments refer to articles worn by pious Jews to remind them of God's law. 

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 to 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 tells us here:  "Jesus warns against calling hypocrites father and teacher.  Far from being a prohibition against using these terms under any circumstances, it is a warning not to use them undeservedly.  Both terms are applied to men in the New Testament.  'Father' is used in Luke 16:24; 1 Cor. 4:15; and Col. 3:21.  In the earliest Christian communities, this term was applied to bishops and presbyters, because they represent the Father in the Church.  'Teacher' is used in John 3:10; Acts 13:1; 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11; and 2 Tim. 1:11."

I think one thing that we can see clearly in this reading is Jesus' placement of God the Father first before all things, as indicated by yesterday's reading and His naming of the first great commandment as "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind."  Jesus is perfectly consistent in His teaching in this respect.  His criticism of the Pharisees comes repeatedly with the message that they have forgotten the priorities of God in their applications of the Law, and the customs they have developed around around the Law.  His focus in today's reading on One Father and One Teacher reflects the importance of these priorities -- and it naturally follows that to teach that "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."  The greatness of God and our love and devotion to God leads us to a sense of necessary humility about ourselves; this is a humility that accompanies the second great commandment from yesterday's reading:  "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  When Jesus calls the Pharisees to task for using their religious authority to "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," He is criticizing a kind of self-aggrandizement that has forgotten both humility before God and love of neighbor.  And the rest of the criticisms follow this.  Therefore, what we conclude from Jesus' teaching is not merely criticism of a system that was in place at the time He cleansed the temple, but they are also commands of His that we, too, are called on to practice here and now.  He doesn't criticize the Law itself, and the Prophets, nor the teaching that takes place on the basis of these things.  But His teaching of the greatest commandments, with the love of God coming first, put us in a place where we see a necessary humility before God, without which we can't truly practice love for one another -- and through which we are expected to grow in understanding and wisdom in practicing that love.  To place heavy burdens on others, without the slightest willingness to practice or exercise mercy (to use even a finger to help carry), is to fail on both counts!  It is time, always, to understand this message, to listen both to our One Teacher and One Father, and be guided in our humility before them.