31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
My dear parishioners.
God Is Good!!! All the Time!!! And All the Time !!! God Is Good!!!
In our first reading, priests had the noble task of serving God and people, especially in the Temple. But here Malachi reprimands them for abandoning their sacred duties. He rightfully accuses them of having “made void the covenant of Levi,” a covenant granted by God to Phinehas, grandson of Aaron, because he took steps to restore Israel’s relationship with God after they fell into idolatry (Nm 25:12–13). The prophet rebukes the priests of his day for their failure to live up to the high standard exhibited by Phinehas. Specifically, they fail to give proper instruction in the ways of God. They also show partiality when consulted by others for moral guidance.
Today’s Gospel describes some rather sharp criticisms leveled against the leaders of the Pharisees by Jesus. While on the one hand these criticisms reflect issues Jesus had with these leaders, on the other hand they also reflect a deep and serious conflict Matthew’s community was experiencing with pharisaic leadership over how to interpret the Torah.
Listen but do not imitate. Jesus is very clear about the legitimate authority possessed by the scribes and the Pharisees. They sit on the chair of Moses, meaning that their teaching is authoritative for all Jews. The problem, however, is not what they say but how they live their lives. Jesus is likewise very clear about instructing the crowds and his disciples not to follow the lived examples of the scribes and Pharisees. They preach one thing but they practice another. They are what Jesus will refer to in other places as “hypocrites.” They are nothing more than actors without integrity.
Oppressive practices and the need to be seen. Jesus is very critical of the way that the scribes and Pharisees have taken practices and observances that were meant to be carried out only by the priests and temple officials and shifted the burden of them onto the shoulders of the common people and peasantry who were unprepared for such tasks. These scribes and Pharisees also loved to be in the public eye where they wore the finest of clothing and occupied the most prestigious places of honor.
No titles of honor. At the time of Jesus, the title of rabbi was just beginning to be used to designate an official teacher of the Torah. It was in full use by the time Matthew wrote this Gospel. Jesus is portrayed as being against all forms of honorary titles: rabbi, father, or master. The only person deserving of any of these titles is Jesus Christ. Jesus is well aware that when anyone assumes a title of honor it is not long before that person begins to believe that he or she is deserving of such acclaim. The dynamic of Christian self-understanding moves in the opposite direction. Exaltation comes through humility, which is radical authenticity. Greatness is calculated in terms of service to others. All of these things are exactly what the scribes and Pharisees have consistently failed to do.
Excerpts from “Sunday Homily Helps”, is used by permission of Franciscan Media. www.FranciscanMedia.org. All rights reserved
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Aloysius