Sunday Reflections
31 Sunday Year A
Going beyond social cosmetics
1. ✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 23:1-12
Addressing the people and his disciples Jesus said, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they! Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.
‘You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.’
2. Today’s readings put the searchlight on religious leaders who are often more interested in having a good public image than in practising righteousness. The first reading (Malachi 1:14-2:2,8-10) is a direct accusation on priests who focus on their social advantages and sacrifice the preaching of truth on the altar of profit, manipulating the word of God for personal gain. To such priests God promises an open disgrace.
3. Jesus found the equivalent of the unserious Old Testament priests in the Scribes and Pharisees of his time. These have four outstanding defects: a. They do not practice what they preach.
b. They load people’s conscience with burden.
c. They love the places of honour.
d. They liked to be greeted obsequiously in public places as men who are privy to God.
4. Jesus advised his disciples in a very clear terms: practice what they preach because God chose them for that function. Listen to them when they preach the word of God correctly but do not imitate their social cosmetic existence.
5. Today, the Scribes and Pharisees are not gone. They are found in every Church. Their characteristics are still the same. They are wonderful preachers but poor doers. They accuse people of being unfaithful to God, terrorise them with hell based on their versatile knowledge of the scripture coated with interested interpretations. They pretend to receive messages from God and to see visions. Before the people they appear holy but they live in lies, impurity, wickedness, manipulations and even witchcraft. They have all it takes to serve the devil but they are expert in social cosmetics or packaging. Beware of them. By their fruits you shall know them (Mt7:20).
6. The heavenly race has only one model. That model is not your priest or your pastor or your prophet or your daddies and mummies, overseers. The model is Jesus. He is the author and finisher of our faith (Heb12:2). You must go beyond social cosmetics of presenting yourself for who you are not. Jesus is clear about this. He ended today’s gospel by saying that “anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.” Show yourself for whom you are and aspire to be like Jesus.
