Tuesday of the
Second Week of Lent
(Isaiah 1:10.16-20; Matthew 23:1-12)
In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus wages a war on
hypocrisy. He emphasizes it in the
Sermon on the Mount. There he warns his
disciples not to fast, pray, or give alms for show. In today’s passage he critiques the Pharisees
for not practicing what they preach.
Then Jesus tells his disciples that they are brothers and
sisters to on another. As such, he does
not want anyone to assume greater respect or honor than anyone else. He becomes specific in what this means. They are not to call one another, “Rabbi,” “teacher,”
“master,” or “father.” These titles are
used among the Pharisees to covet honor.
We in the Church have not taken Jesus literally in this
command. Teachers inside the Church
abound. Priests are almost universally
called “Father.” The transgressions on
the part of the people may be readily forgiven.
They have a long tradition and often give comfort to those who seek
spiritual wisdom. But clericalism – the pretension
that priests are better and more deserving of honor than lay persons – is a tragic
sin. It is tragic because Orders is a
sacrament of service, not of domination.
It is a sin because it subverts the unity Jesus intends among his
disciples.
