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

 

 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 of 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 teacher; 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 

 

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 any more.  

 

 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying . . .  Here begins Jesus' final public sermon (which makes up nearly the whole of chapter 23).  It is a grand critique of the ways of the scribes and Pharisees.  There are several themes He involves.  My study Bible sums them up as follows:  First, the Jewish leaders have God-given authority and teach God's Law, but they are personally ungodly and cold-hearted.  So their teaching is to be honored, but they are not to be imitated.  Second, God is our true Father and Teacher.  A teacher or father on earth is one who leads people to God.  The scribes and Pharisees do the opposite, placing themselves in God's position.  These themes are covered in today's reading.  The rest of the chapter will cover an eightfold indictment of the scribes and Pharisees, in which Jesus charges that they invert God's values, they are mean-spirited, judgmental, greedy, ambitious, absorbed in externals, and they are blindly self-righteous.  My study Bible adds that while these charges were directed against the Jewish leaders of Christ's day, every word applies to those in the Church who behave in the same ways.

 

 "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."  To sit in Moses' seat, my study Bible explains, 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 . My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom's commentary, in which he said that the scribes were depraved in thought and in heart, yet Jesus still upholds the dignity of their office, as they don't speak their own words, but God's.  So also within the Church, clergy are to be shown respect for they hold the apostolic office, although they are also sinners.  Moreover, the sins of the clergy do not relieve the people from their resonsibilities before God.  Let us note here the cold-heartedness Jesus describes of those who bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders -- and yet will do nothing to help in the slightest.   This is in distinct contradiction to Christ's teaching in yesterday's reading (above), in which He cited the second greatest commandment as that in which we're told to "love your neighbor as yourself."

 

"But all of 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.  The concept is to keep God's Law always in mind (see Exodus 13:9).  But instead the Pharisees used them for a false show of piety, making them increasingly larger and more noticeable.  

 

 "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 teacher; 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 says that Christ's warning against calling hypocrites father and teacher is not meant as an absolute prohibition against using these terms (as some teach).  These terms are applied to people many times in the New Testament, and all 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 Timothy 1:11.  "Father" is used in Luke 16:24; 1 Corinthians 4:15; and Colossians 3:21.  From the earliest days of the Church, bishops and presbyters have been called "father" not in order to take the place of God, but rather for their fatherly care of their flocks:  they lead people to God, and exercise fatherly authority within the community. 

 

Jesus teaches in today's reading, "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."  This is one of several occasions in which we read similar statements or teachings in the Bible.  See also, for example, Luke 14:11, 18:14; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 18:4, 23:11. There are many other occasions of such sentiment found in the Bible but using different language.  But in this context, this statement is given regarding use of the terms "father" and "teacher."  Jesus' statement is telling the disciples (and their spiritual descendants), who would come to be both "teachers" and "fathers" in the Church that they are not to be like the hypocrites.  This statement by Jesus suggests to us that if any of us, or if anyone in the Church, wishes to be thought of as teacher or father (or perhaps mother as well), then the only way to do this is to be a servant to others and to humble oneself.  It is in this way that teachers and fathers come to be exalted in the Church.  Oftentimes, we call such people saints, both literally and figuratively.  To be both humble and to serve is a way to curb the tendency to hypocrisy, as such discipline is counter to the goal of doing good works for the express purpose of simply being seen by others.  Human nature such as it is makes it difficult to both be concerned with serving others and also to tamper our desire to be seen as doing good.  The real emphasis here is on one's chosen aim or profession.  Do we really desire to teach?  Do we truly deeply desire to care for others with a "fatherly" (or motherly) care?  Or is our highest priority to be praised by others and to judge ourselves only through their eyes, rather than the eyes of God?  Every parent likely knows the dilemma of being a good parent -- and so sometimes having to say "No," imposing rules, and delineating boundaries, and wanting a child's love without their disappointment or disapproval.  Ultimately -- again, as in the teaching of the two greatest commandments in yesterday's reading (above) -- our highest priority needs to be loving and pleasing God, for in this way we do seek to be true teachers and fathers (and good parents, for that matter).  For this is where we go to be dedicated to truly learning love and goodness, what really serves, and what truly teaches.  There our desire can be met with God's care for our goals, and for the disposition of our souls.  Hypocrisy, living as an actor behind a mask (a literal understanding of the word's Greek roots) prevents us from assuming the humility necessary for sincerity, for the pure heart Jesus desires for us (Matthew 5:8).  A good teacher, just like a good father or mother, has for their primary concern the welfare of those under their care, and their first priority is not their own gain, well-being, or capacity to impress and lord it over others.  We are blessed in the Church to have a long history of many teachers, and many fathers, notably among those whom we call saints, but a myriad more whom we don't know.  Ultimately, as Jesus indicates, we have one true Teacher (the Christ) and one true Father (He who is in heaven).  We might call Christ the Teacher of all teachers, and God the  Father is the Father of all fathers.  But through humility and love we can learn to grow in likeness to them.  Let us start with Christ's first and greatest commandment, the love of God, and how love of neighbor (the second great commandment) can be expressed through all the teachers, fathers, and mothers of the Church.  Let us strive to become like them. 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

God, be merciful to me a sinner!

 

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

- Luke 18:9-14 

 

As we begin to enter into Lent, the lectionary gives us readings to consider and frame our Lenten journey, particularly in the context of the traditions of prayer, almsgiving, and fasting.  For the Oriental Orthodox, Lent began on Monday; today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent for the western churches, Catholic and Protestant; for the Eastern Orthodox Lent will begin this Monday.  Yesterday we were given the story of Jesus on trial before Pilate:   Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning.  But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.  Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"  They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."  Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law."  Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.  Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"  Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew?  Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me.  What have You done?"  Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."  Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king them?"  Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king.  For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."  Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"  And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all."

 

  Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector."  My study Bible explains that the Pharisee is highly respected and a careful observer of the details of the Law, whereas the tax collector is despised as a sinner who collaborates with the occupying Roman forces, and who betrays and cheats his own people.  

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'"  The practices of this Pharisee are worthy examples to follow, my study Bible explains to us.  His good deeds (fasting and giving tithes) are the primary weapons against the passions of lust and greed (adultery and extortion).  But without a humble and repentant heart, these outwardly good practices are worthless and lead only to pride and judgment of others.  We are to note that he prays with himself, for God is absent where there is boasting.  

"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'"  My study Bible asks us to observe the posture of the tax collector:  it shows an awareness of the state of his soul, as he stands far from the altar of sacrifice with eyes cast downward.  His prayer, God, be merciful to me a sinner, is the foundation of the Jesus Prayer, as is the refrain "Lord have mercy" which permeates worship and personal prayer.   

 

"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  To be justified means to be forgiven and set right with God, for inward humility is blessed while pride in outward deeds is condemned.

My study Bible explains that to be justified essentially means to be forgiven and set right with God.  In pursuit of that end, we must know that inward humility is blessed while pride in outward deeds is condemned.  And that is why this particular parable of Jesus is the archetypal parable for Lent, because during Lent our pursuit of the practices of prayer, of almsgiving, and of fasting are particularly directed at "getting right with God," as the expression goes.  And these are the means whereby we pursue that goal, with Lent as the period particularly dedicated to that end.  This period leading up to Easter is the period dedicated to a preparation for the Lord's Resurrection as the One whom we expect to meet at His Second Coming.  It is a time to think about how we are prepared to meet our Lord, what it is that God praises and that God does not.  The emphasis, then, has always been on the cultivation of humility, on the awareness of our own flaws and things we need to restore or repair, the ways in which we need to grow.  But without humility, we can't possibly even know where we need to shape up our thinking and our lives, the errors we fall into, or the ways in which our Lord would not be pleased to meet us.  This parable given by Jesus is the prime example we have of how Jesus teaches us our attitudes should be.  We can all perhaps recognize in modern form what the Pharisee would look like.  Let us note that his whole focus is first of all on his own self-righteousness, leading to a focus on comparison to others.  This is entirely the wrong focus.  Lent is the time when we learn to focus more clearly on God.  We fast from all the things that distract that focus, we just give everything a rest for a while and we think about God, focusing in on prayer and the other practices that help us to remember God and to know what we are to be about.  We attempt to make more space for attention to God.  We don't focus in on our passions and desires and the million and one things the world seems to clamor for us to follow.  The interesting thing about today's parable (or, at any rate, what grabs my attention today) is that God, however, is comparing us!  At least in this case, Jesus (our Lord) is clearly pointing out that one person is praying "with himself" and that the other, however, is quite aware of his own flaws -- and he compares the two for us, and the one aware of his own mistakes comes up justified, and not the nominally "good" Pharisee.  The Jesus Prayer practice mentioned by my study Bible is a simple yet profound practice of short, repeated prayer, developed through the monastic tradition in Orthodoxy.  It is based, for the most part, on the refrain of the penitent tax collector, but also from other passages in the Bible, and particularly from St. Paul's admonition to "pray without ceasing."  In the earliest monastic practices of the desert monks, it was common to repeat a short prayer from the Psalms:  "Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O Lord!" (Psalm 70:1).  In this practice, the monastics were continually reminded of their spiritual struggle.  They would repeat it throughout the day, while doing their work or other activities.  Some used small pebbles to mark each recitation.  These short prayers were called "arrow prayers."  In the Eastern monastic tradition, the Jesus Prayer developed, a way to practice in various times and circumstances, including when alone, a short arrow prayer which is repeated and upon which one focuses.   This practice is also called the Prayer of the Heart, for the idea is that the repetition eventually becomes something which deepens itself within us, penetrating to the heart.  For those interested, I recommend this short, inexpensive book by Met. Kallistos Ware, or for a little more depth, this paperback authored in humility by one calling himself A Monk of the Eastern Church, but known to be Fr. Lev Gillet.   Another book teaching about this prayer tradition by Met. Kallistos is this one.  Please note that there are many Western advocates of this prayer who teach that it is meant to be accompanied by breathing exercises, but traditionally in the East this was never a part of the teaching, especially for lay people.  The true practice is simply to repeat the short prayer to oneself, and when you find your mind wandering (which will happen inevitably), just bring your focus back to the prayer.  In this prayer, even the very Name of Jesus is considered a prayer, and will work as an "arrow prayer."  Note that this is a prayer practice, not a meditation practice.  It is a way of "praying without ceasing," of calling upon Jesus and seeking His presence, both simple and profound, as our prayer deepens within us.

 

 

 

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

 

 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 

 

Yesterday we read that when the Pharisees heard that Christ 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: . . .  This chapter in Matthew's Gospel consists entirely of the words Jesus spoke as His final public sermon (Matthew 23:1-39).  As the text says, it's addressed both to the multitudes and to His disciples.  Its substance includes a grand critique of the ways of the scribes and Pharisees.  My study Bible sums up several themes as follows.  First, the Jewish leaders have God-given authority and 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 (verses 2-7).  Second, God is our true Father and Teacher.  A teacher or father on earth is one who leads people to God.  The scribes and Pharisees do the opposite, placing themselves in God's position (verses 8-12).  Finally, my study Bible notes an eightfold indictment of the scribes and Pharisees (verses 13-36).  It notes that 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 are directed at the leaders of that time, each word applies equally, my study Bible says, to those in the Church who behave this way.  

"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."  To sit in Moses' seat, my study bible explains, means to hold the succession of office down from Moses himself.  In the synagogue, the teacher woulds peak while seated as a sign of authority.  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom, who notes 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.  Likewise within the Church, so the clergy are also to be shown respect as they hold apostolic office, even though they are also 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."  Do not hypocrites everywhere do the same?  Those who fail to have insight into their own failings often express a sense of superiority through such hard-hearted behavior, without empathy.  This is not what a good shepherd does, who cares for the flock.

"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, worn on the arm or forehead.  The idea is to keep God's Law always in mind (see Exodus 13:9), but the Pharisees use them as a show of false piety, making them increasingly larger and more noticeable.  The rest of the behaviors described here clearly indicate to us the outward show.  But in this case, it masks the problems of the heart.

"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.  These terms are in fact applied to people 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, my study Bible explains, 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.  For this reason, women who help to lead others to God, such as those who became early desert monastics known for their wisdom and spiritual leadership, are called Mothers.

"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."  Here is Christ's oft-repeated message, this time in the context of His discourse on hypocrisy -- especially of those in the religious leadership.  But let us note these words are directed to all of us who would call ourselves His disciples.  Humility is the one preventive practice for such hypocrisy and spiritual failing, and its antidote.

We are all very familiar with hypocrisy, but not all of us are always aware of what a danger it is to our spiritual lives, the place God would ask us to be.  Jesus makes this distinction very clearly in today's reading, as He speaks not only of the hypocrisy of the religious leaders.   He speaks of the scribes and Pharisees as people for whom "all their works they do to be seen by men."   In other words, everything is simply for show.  But He takes this message home for all of us, for each one of us, when He adds, "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."  It is not the first context in which He's preached this message to His disciples; He has said the same to them when they wanted to know who would be greatest in His kingdom, and taught the same in the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16).  For Christians, it has been traditionally understood that humility is the key, the gateway to all the other virtues and fruit of the spirit, based upon these teachings by Jesus.  Another facet of insight regarding the kind of hypocrisy that Jesus describes here is an extremely materialistic viewpoint on life.  Not only does He describe in this discourse the greed and selfishness of the religious leaders, but their failure to secure for themselves the "treasures in heaven" He's preached about.  In the Sermon on the Mount, after He's pointed out the benefit of doing good deeds secretly, such as almsgiving, prayer, and fasting (Matthew 6:1-7, 16-18), He then teaches, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).  To the rich young ruler, whom Jesus loved, He taught, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (see Matthew 19:16-30).  There He also winds up counseling His disciples with a lesson on humility:  "But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  If we put all of these things together, we start to understand a pattern of a highly materialist viewpoint on life, where everything becomes currency, and the entire guiding principle of life is to use whatever is available to us -- including other people -- simply to get the currency we want.  This is life absent the understanding of the two great commandments, as taught by Jesus in yesterday's reading, above.  This is a life absent the understanding and love first of God, and then by extension to all those also created by God, and the relationship that dictates to us.  If we understand life only on material terms, we will not be good shepherds to anyone.  Our lives will be all about what we can gain, how we can use people and things, and it will dictate our perspective on our world.  We will no longer cherish life and creation as a gift, but rather as things to be used and exploited, regardless of what we tell ourselves our motives are.  We can see this in one example after another throughout history, in which the most awful outcomes so often are created by those claiming to work for the good of all, but absent the spiritual life and understanding that Jesus teaches.  This intangible reality of the love of God, which teaches proper love of neighbor, is simply absent from a purely material perspective on life, and it can pervade even the deepest family relationships in which love is paid lip service.  But then again, Jesus is calling hypocrites those who are steeped in the Scriptures and religious and spiritual tradition, the ones who are to be guardians of that great gift, and lead the people in the worship of God and the obeying of God's law (see Matthew 15:8, Isaiah 29:13).  So we see that hypocrisy can pervade everywhere, and only the heart really tells the story.    Let us remember His words, for they are for all of us, to keep us in the place where we're rich in our deepest needs.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted

 

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

- Luke 18:9–14 

 

Yesterday we read that, after the discussion about His Second Coming and the end times, Jesus spoke a parable to the disciples, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying:  "There was in a certain city who did not fear God nor regard man.  Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.'  And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'"  Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.  And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?  I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

 

  Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector."  My study bible calls the Pharisee a highly respected and careful observer of the details of the Law.  On the other hand, the tax collector is despised as a sinner, who collaborates with the occupying Roman forces, thus betraying and cheating his own people.  

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' "  The practices of the Pharisee are all nominally good, and worthy examples to follow, as my study bible puts it.  His good deeds named here (fasting and giving tithes) are the primary weapons against the passions of lust and greed (adultery and extortion).  But without a humble and repentant heart, these outward practices are worthless, leading to pride and judgment of others.  My study bible asks us also to note that the Pharisee prays with himself, in the specific language of the text, "for God is absent where there is boasting."

"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' "  What does the posture of the tax collector show to us?  My study bible answers that question by telling us that we can see he has an awareness of the state of his soul.  He stands far from the altar of sacrifice, and his eyes are cast downward.  This prayer that he prays, God, be merciful to me a sinner, is the foundation of the Jesus Prayer, a practice designed to follow St. Paul's admonition (and Jesus' frequent instruction regarding prayer) to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).  So is the refrain, "Lord have mercy," which permeates both corporate worship and personal prayer throughout the centuries.

 

"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  To be justified, my study bible explains, means to be forgiven and set right with God, for inward humility is blessed, while pride in outward deeds is condemned.  

Nowhere else, perhaps, is the illustration more stark than here in Christ's parable, that "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  The Pharisee is in every way perfect and good as described by himself, and in his external appearances to the world.  He follows every rule of the Law and is careful to abide by them.  He does all the good religious practices, which are still considered to be good and virtuous in the Church.  So where does he go wrong?  It is entirely interesting that the text tells us that the words of Jesus say "he prayed thus with himself."  And therein, as wise patristic commenters have said through the centuries, is the key to the entire text.  This man is justified in his own eyes, but what about the sight of God?  It is, in fact, in prayer where we are to meet with God, and not simply to pray with ourselves alone.  The tax collector not only is self-aware, and completely honest with himself and God about his sin, but he also carries within himself the full acknowledgement that he has come before God in prayer, and is not simply praying only "with himself" present to him.  Here is the essence of what it is to be humble, and precisely why there is value in humility -- because humility is first of all before God.  We allow ourselves to be humble before God, to accept God's will before our own, to keep our hearts open to the possibility that there is a better way in which we could be serving God, something outside of whatever it is we already understand.  In recent readings, Jesus has also taught that we are to be good and faithful servants, not only simply doing what we know, but ready for the new commands that may come our way, to truly fulfill the devotion of disciples (see this reading).   So although the tax collector in today's parable is inarguably a sinner, he is -- by contrast to the perfect and good Pharisee -- also praying in God's presence, in acute awareness of his own shortcomings.  What stands out for us is just the presence of God included in the act of prayer, and this makes all the change.  When we think about humility, it is usually a concern about whether or not we are sufficient humble before other human beings.  But the reality, as illustrated in this parable, is actually quite different.  Our humility is first and foremost before God, and it is that kind of humility that enables right-relatedness with other human beings.  The Pharisee has justified himself before human beings, and not before God, therefore he is capable only of comparing himself to the tax collector.  But the tax collector minds his own business, in spiritual terms, something important enough to be included in the Gospels, such as in this reading from the end of John's Gospel (John 21:20-22).   Therefore, in spiritual terms of our relationship to God, he is more wise than the Pharisee, because what he practices in his prayer is putting God first before all else, and not paying attention to what it is that others (like the Pharisee) are doing.  His prayer is between himself and God -- but let us note that this does not fail to take in his sinful actions that affect other people.  Let us remember that it is not so much his confession as it is the humility and total honesty before God that make that confession possible, which lead to his justification by God.  It is there in that communion that we are saved, and all the good works and good appearances and applause of the world cannot change that if it does not already exist within our prayer and our deep desire for God.  How much would the Pharisee be willing to change about his perfect life, do you think?  What about the tax collector?  Which one do you think is truly open to God in his heart?

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

 

 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.  And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.  And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"  But they kept silent.  And He took him and healed him, and let him go.  Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?"  And they could not answer Him regarding these things.  

So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:  "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.  But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.'  Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.  For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 

 

- Luke 14:1-11 

 

 Yesterday we read that some Pharisees came to Jesus, saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You."  And He said to them, "Go, tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.'  Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"

 

 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.  And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.  And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"  But they kept silent.  And He took him and healed him, and let him go.  Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?"  And they could not answer Him regarding these things.  Dropsy is a form of edema, a problem of fluid retention in soft tissues of the body.  Once again, Jesus challenges the rulers regarding healing on the Sabbath (see also Luke 6:6-11, 13:10-17).  Jesus builds upon His illustration from chapter 13, in which He said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?"  

 

 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:  "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.  But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.'  Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.  For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."   Jesus teaches two parables (the first of which is here, the second of which will be in the following reading), regarding gracious, God-like behavior, specifically directed to those with authority who are sitting at this meal in the home of one of the Pharisees, but also meaningful for us today.  This first parable is directed toward guests.  My study bible comments that, in imitation of Christ, perfect humility is expected of guests, and boundless charity is demanded of hosts (see James 4:6).  

Jesus teaches about gracious behavior, and more.  Perhaps if we keep in mind that He is speaking to what is likely to be a group of Pharisees (invited to a meal at the home of a Pharisee), or those in high positions among the religious rulers, we should consider His addressing an attitude among those who would lead others, especially those who seek to serve God in doing so.  It is illustrative, first of all, of the gracious nature of the healing on the Sabbath they've just witnessed.  Moreover, in a sort of hidden or symbolic way, it seems to address their presumed authoritative positions of honor, suggesting they make room for One who does not seem to hold as high a worldly position.  Jesus suggests that it is better to receive honor through humility, rather than to claim honor through arrogance or assumption.  The setting of a wedding feast for the parable is another clue that Jesus is speaking in a veiled or hidden way about God's judgment, the time when the Son of Man returns as Son of God, in a way that is clear to all.  Then will be the time when the positions of honor in the Kingdom of God will be clearly shown and recognized by all.  Jesus suggests that in getting there, we would all be better to embrace humility as a way of life, and as a way of being elevated by God and by God's judgment.  We can read it as  gentle way to teach that although these men think they are in the elevated seats of the kingdom of God, Jesus teaches that they may find themselves not in the positions in which they think they are going to be, and that it is only humility that will save them in preparation for that wedding feast when the Lord returns.  It is a lesson to us all, as well, especially those who hold positions of authority of one sort or another, that we need humility in order to most clearly perceive our places before God.  That is, it is through humility that we understand God's word to us, and where and how we need to more deeply come to terms with that reconciliation, our true places in the Kingdom.  Let us take Jesus' teaching as a model for our behavior, and even more clearly, as a message for the one true way we can find ourselves in the places to which God calls us, and to receive those places which might be prepared for us.  The notion of gracious behavior has been given us by Christ, couched as it is in humility which Christ elevated to a virtue.  This was not the case before Christianity; humility was seen only as property of the weak, an undesirable position.  Today more than ever we need to remember where the goodness of gracious behavior, and all our notions of grace truly come from, and honor that in all our dealings.  Let us remember humility's great value as elevated by Christ, as teaching for us to emulate.  Jesus teaches us that when we are in doubt about where we stand in life, humility is always the best way to start.

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted

 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.  And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.  And Jesus, answering, spoke, to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"  But they kept silent.  And He took him and healed him, and let him go.  Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?"  And they could not answer Him regarding these things.

So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:  "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.  But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.'  Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.  For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 

- Luke 14:1-11

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus journeyed toward Jerusalem, some Pharisees came, saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You."  And He said to them, "Go, tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.'  Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"

 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.  And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.  And Jesus, answering, spoke, to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"  But they kept silent.  And He took him and healed him, and let him go.  Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?"  And they could not answer Him regarding these things.   The issue of healing on the Sabbath keeps returning for Christ.  This is something against the traditions built up around the law by the Pharisees and scribes, and by now He has already faced their readiness to accuse Him on this charge, more than once.  Jesus' answer to them, questioning whether or not they would help an animal on the Sabbath, builds up on His earlier response (13:15).  To save the life of an animal was 'legal' on the Sabbath.  Why not heal a human being?  Dropsy is an old fashioned term for a type of edema (perhaps taken from the word in Greek, hydropikos, rooted in the word for water),  which is a swelling of soft tissues due to water retention associated with disease. 

So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:  "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.  But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.'  Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.  For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."   Jesus speaks here to the guests invited to the home.  He teaches about humility.  (In the following reading, He will teach a parable aimed at hosts.)  My study bible says that in imitation of Christ, perfect humility is expected of guests, and boundless charity is demanded of hosts.  It quotes James 4:6, in which James writes of grace, paraphrasing Proverbs 3:34:  "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  The New King James version of that verse in Proverbs reads, "Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble."  It would seem that Jesus is addressing those who would judge Him.  In this context, we should note that Jesus speaks of a wedding feast, symbolic of the time of judgment and of the union of God with God's people.  This is a very particular perspective He's teaching them.

Jesus' teachings on humility remind us all of its importance.  As noted above, here in today's reading He gives one teaching to guests in a home, but in the next reading He addresses hosts.  In both cases, the teaching involves humility and emphasizes community.  If we look closely at Jesus' healings, they seem to include this component of creating or restoring community -- in particular, restoring the healed person to their place in the community.  Part of the affliction is often exclusion and isolation in one form and another.  Humility is a key component, as Jesus points out here, for an understanding of and a creating or building up of community.  Here, humility assures that a person is in a rightful and accepted place, and it is, in fact, community that elevates the person to a more exalted position.  It may be a subtle way of teaching these "great men" (for they are all in positions of authority in their community as lawyers and Pharisees) that true greatness would be found in humility rather than in their coveted positions.  Perhaps, more to the point, humility would allow them to truly see Him better.  What we must understand now is that these teachings most certainly apply to all of us.  Humility is necessary for a truly healthy and balanced life.  Narcissism is a component in many diseases of the mind.  It takes us away from seeing ourselves as we need to, and in particular from seeing ourselves as a part of community -- something we also need for good health and well-being.  Humility is not about denying God-given skills and talents, nor is it about denying our hard work at whatever it is we have developed in our lives.  It not about groveling before other human beings, nor is it about self-derogation.  On the contrary, humility is first and foremost a conscious understanding of our place before God.  (The wedding feast setting of Jesus' parable underscores this.)  It's an awareness that we're always in a place where our true judgment and assessment of who we are rests in the sight of God.  And that awareness tempers the way that we approach community.  Community does not define absolutely our worth; but it is Jesus who teaches about how we each in turn play a role in community to support it or tear it down.  His teachings and His healings give us a good understanding about how we are to treat "the least of these" and their place in community.  His healings often build an inclusion where there was not, a restoration to community.  It's in those bonds of love as taught by God and given by grace that we really find the key to Jesus' kind of humility.  Righteousness means right-relatedness, and we only find an understanding of that through God's love.  It is grace that illumines how we work in community and help to build and create it.  This is not an abstract theory or set of laws but active mercy and love, given to us as a gift of grace.  It is only through humility that we can truly be illumined in terms of how to live a gracious life; there will always be things we need to learn about love and relatedness.   We cannot assume perfection -- that is a core teaching about the value of humility.  He is here to teach, and our own humility is the first step to learning more.

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, and it is Holy Week.  He has made His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, cleansed the temple, and engaged in confrontation, questioning, and testing by the leadership, with His own challenging responses.  (See the readings from Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.)   On Saturday we read that 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.'  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."   The lectionary skips over the end of chapter 22, in which Jesus confronts the leadership over the divine identity of the Messiah (22:41-46).

 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, which is a grand critique of the ways of the scribes and Pharisees.  There are several themes here, which will continue in the following readings as we read through the sermon.  In these verses above, Jesus teaches that the leaders have God-given authority and that they teach God's law.   But they are personally "ungodly and cold-hearted," as my study bible puts it.  Their teaching, which comes from the word of God through the Scripture, is to be honored, but they should not be personally imitated.  As the sermon continues, we will read an eight-fold indictment -- charging them with inverting the values of God, mean-spiritedness, greed, ambition, caring only for the external appearances, and blindly self-righteous.  My study bible says that while these charges were directed by Jesus against the Jewish leaders of His day, every single word applies equally today to those in Church who behave in this way.  Here, to sit in Moses' seat means to hold the succession of office down from Moses himself.  In the synagogue, the custom was for the teacher to speak while seated as a sign of this authority.  St. Chrysostom is cited by my study bible, who commented that the scribes were depraved in thought and heart, but Jesus still upholds the dignity of their office.  They speak not their own words, but God's.  So it is within the Church.  The clergy are shown respect as they hold apostolic office, even though they are sinners.  Moreover, the sins of the clergy do not relieve the people of their own responsibility before God.  This reflects another important theme of Jesus' sermon:  that there is one Teacher and one Father above all.  Any worldly father or teacher must lead people to God; Jesus' indictment here is of those who fail to do so, and instead place themselves in God's position.

"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 passage of Scripture.  They are worn on the arm or forehead.   The practice emphasizes the understanding that God's Law must always be kept in mind (Exodus 13:9).  What Jesus is criticizing here is a false piety, done for show -- making them entirely conspicuous, with all emphasis entirely for appearance's sake.  The real intention is linked to what John's Gospel calls the praise of men.

"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 says that Christ's warning against calling hypocrites father and teacher is not an absolute prohibition against using these terms.  The terms are used many times in the New Testament.  (For Father, see Luke 16:24; 1 Corinthians 4:15; Colossians 3:21.  For Teacher, see John 3:10; Acts 13:1; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11; 2 Timothy 1:11.)  This is not a literal prohibition.  From the earliest times of the Church, bishops and presbyters were called "father."  This is not because they take the place of God, but rather they lead people to God in fatherly care, which is in itself a fatherly authority within community.  Jesus is rather teaching here about humility, and the essential need for humility among His servants who will be the bishops and founding pillars of His Church.  The lesson is for all of us.  To fail to humble oneself is to fail in the gravest and grandest sense.

Jesus' words teach us a great deal about hypocrisy.  What can it lead to?  What is it about?  Here, in these men, hypocrisy plays the role of facilitating downfall and reckoning.  It enables the practice, in the "name of God," of what is detrimental to those who are to be led to God.  Jesus speaks of the emphasis on appearance, which is crucial to understanding where He is coming from, and is all-important and essential to these men as hypocrites.  The broad phylacteries, and enlarged borders of their garments shout out a testimony to faith and piety, but they also hide what is contradictory to faith in their hearts.  To be a teacher and a father is a great thing, but when the teachers fail to lead their students to God, when fathers fail to do the same, it is the students -- the flock -- and thereby the whole community, which suffers.  In keeping with this understanding and outcome, Jesus first decries their hardheartedness:  "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."  A father and a teacher must have the humility to teach and to lead, because he's not supposed to be working for himself.  In fact, that is one definition of a cult.  A true religious teacher is supposed to be working as a servant -- serving not only God but also the community, and especially the "little ones," the least powerful and most vulnerable.  Hypocrisy, with a focus on living for show, disables true service.  It is a violation of the mission to care for the community, and in particular the littlest ones, the least of these.  It is the way, in fact, that those whose "angels always behold the face of My Father in heaven" (18:10) may be exploited, abused, and led astray.   This is central to the traditional teaching in the Church of modesty and self-control, awareness of one's own desires and habits, with the primary focus on serving God.  It is consistent with the following of the two great commandments, as named by Christ in our previous reading:  loving God and loving neighbor.   These teachings apply to all of us, and particularly to those who would lead.  To exalt oneself, in this understanding, is to be in a position where one is certain to be humbled by judgment and failure; and to humble oneself is an act that will be exalted by God.  It is precisely in the midst of this seeming paradox that we find our faith and direction.  We, that is, who know who is the true Father and the real Teacher of us all.