WHOEVER HUMBLES HIMSELF WILL BE EXALTED

WHOEVER HUMBLES HIMSELF WILL BE EXALTED 

(A biblical reflection on the 31^st ORDINARY SUNDAY [YEAR A], 5 November 2017)

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 23:1-12 

First Reading: Malachi 1:14b-2:2b,8-10; Psalms: Psalm 131:1-3 Second Reading: 1Thessalonians 2:7b-9,13 

The Scripture Text

Then said Jesus to the crowds and to His disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they practice. They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi, by men. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Matthew 23:1-12 RSV) 

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 tells us to love God with our whole heart, our whole soul, and our whole mind. Immediately following this passage we find the command to bind these words to our wrist and let them be as a pendant on our forehead. The Jewish people took this command literally, made little black boxes (called tephillin or phylacteries), and placed handwritten copies of Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and other verses in them. They then tied one of these boxes to their foreheads and another to their wrists with leather straps.

In Deuteronomy 22:12, God commands the Jews to wear fringes on the borders of their garments. These fringes and four tassels, one on each of the four corners of the outer garments, were to remind the Jews of God’s commandments. In Jesus’ day, some Jews wore wide phylacteries and big tassels to call attention to themselves.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus criticizes some of the Pharisees for wanting the places of honor in the synagogue. Because the location of a person’s seat reflected social status, the most important people usually sat in the front of the synagogue and the least important sat in the back. Therefore, everyone was sure to notice a dignitary arriving and making his way to his front just before services began.

Finally, Jesus talks about how some of the Pharisees liked to be called “Rabbi”, a title that means “my master” or “my teacher”. In first-century Palestine, a person’s social status was also evident by how others addressed him. The more important the person, the longer and more elaborate the greeting.

Jesus bases his objection not on the meaning of the word “rabbi” but on the common opinion that a rabbi was more important and deserved more respect than one’s own parents because the rabbi passes on spiritual life through his teachings while parents are only able to give physical life to their children. For this the rabbi received longer and more elaborate greetings in public places.

Because all of the practices Jesus mentions in today’s Gospel were ways people could call attention to their own holiness, we should understand Jesus’ comments as a warning against using religious acts to enhance our reputation.

(Source: Jerome J. Sabatowich, Cycling Through the Gospels – Gospel Commentaries for Cycles A, B, and C, pages 106-107.)

Short Prayer: Jesus Christ, You are my Lord and my Savior. I sincerely desire to be one of Your true disciples. Grant me true humility and purity of intention so all I say and do will be said and done for Your glory and honor, not mine. Amen.

Jakarta, 4 November 2017 

A Christian Pilgrim