Say the right thing AND do the right thing.

13Dec
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.  
- Matthew 23:1-12

In talking about the Pharisees, Jesus says they know exactly the right things to say, so much so that Jesus admonishes his followers to do what they say. The problem Jesus finds is with their actions; they say the right thing but their actions don’t match their words. Jesus takes the huge risk of essentially calling the Pharisees hypocrites. The Miriam Webster dictionary defines a hypocrite as: 1) a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion; and 2) a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings. None of us likes to admit, even to ourselves, that we are hypocrites, yet we all are indeed hypocrites. 

Today, we might ask ourselves:

  • Do I claim to be antiracist, yet fail to speak up when someone tells a racist joke?
  • Do I claim to care about the poor, yet am unwilling to forego a luxury I want in order to make a significant contribution to a homeless shelter or a food bank? 
  • When I make my list of what is important to me, do I list God first, then family, yet I set aside no real time to spend with God and give my family short shrift vis a vis my work?
  • Do I claim to be a Christian, yet fail to love my neighbor as myself? 
  • Do I treat the water server at a restaurant with as much courtesy as I give to the person who might invite me to the party I long to attend? (My dad always said, “Honey you can tell everything you need to know about a person by the way they treat the water server at a fancy restaurant.)
  • Do I claim to be _____, yet in my heart, mind and actions, I am actually _______? 

Musical Reflection - Fran McKendree - God, You Search Me Out and Know Me

Loving and merciful God, You know me, and you know exactly how my actions do not always match the person I claim to be. Help me to see the ways in which I fail to be the servant you want me to be, to ask forgiveness and then to raise my head high and move on to do the work you want me to do. Amen.
GospelLove Your NeighborJustice
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