Now while the Pharisees were
gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think of
the Christ? Whose son is he?”
They said to him, “David’s.”
He said to them, “How then does
David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
sit on my right hand,
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet?’
“If then David calls him Lord,
how is he his son?”
No one was able to give any answer.
From that day forward, no one dared ask him any more questions.
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds
and his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses’ seat. Whatever
they tell you to do, go ahead and do, but don’t follow their example because they
don’t do what they say. They bind heavy burdens on others, but themselves will
not lift a finger to help anyone. Everything they do is for the sake of
appearances. They make their phylacteries broad, enlarge the fringes of their
garments, and love the place of honor at
feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, the salutations in the marketplaces,
and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men. Don’t call anyone ‘Rabbi,’ for only the
Christ is your teacher, and all of you are equals. Call no man on earth your
father, for you have one Father in heaven. Neither be called masters, for only
the Christ is your master. Whoever is greatest among you will be your servant.
Beware of the scribes, who like
to walk in long robes, and to get greetings in the marketplaces, and the best
seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts: they are the ones who
devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive
greater condemnation.”
Reflection
The question Jesus asks the
Pharisees here highlights a lack of consistency in how they used the
scriptures. Then he contrasted what they practice and what they preach. Does
this kind of hypocrisy continue to be a problem among believers? Do you expect
more from others than you demand of yourself?
Prayer: Don’t let me turn a
blind eye, Lord, to hypocrisy in my life.
To some degree, maybe we are all actors/hypocrites? I can remember meeting with one of my spiritual mentors and asking when I could hope to be done with pride/ego? His answer: "Oh, you'll be wrestling with that on your death bed." As we read in the "Velveteen Rabbit," it takes a long time to become real. Fortunately, as we age the ego shrinks and the Spirit within us becomes more transparent. Maybe that's why I like to spend the bulk of my time in nature or with people who know they aren't perfect but do the best they can with what they have to work with, those who are in the winter of their lives and those who are marginalized? Nature is what it is and the people I feel most at home with don't have the energy to keep their masks on anymore?
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