Saturday of the Twentieth
Week in Ordinary Time - Matthew 23:1-12
Jesus continues his diatribe against the Pharisees. He says
to the people: “The scribes and Pharisees do observe the letter of the law
completely.” However, Jesus then instructs the people not to follow the example
of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus is angry with them. He criticizes the
Pharisees for the many burdens they place on the people’s shoulders and that
they do nothing to relieve the people of these burdens.
Jesus also is critical of their motivation for the good
works they do. He believes that the Pharisees do good not to help the people,
but rather to be seen and applauded for their seemingly good actions. In
addition, they love having the places of honor in the temple and at banquets.
They wear long robes and they like having people defer to them. And they love
to be called “Rabbi.” Jesus instructs his listeners: “Do not wish to be called
Rabbi.” All are brothers and sisters and they are to be equals.
Jesus then says: “You have only one Father, who is in
heaven.” Then he adds: “You have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among
you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the
individuals who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Today these words of Jesus may hit home with us. After all, don’t we also appreciate the
attention, compliments and even praise for the good we do? Jesus is not saying that compliments are bad;
however, Jesus primarily hopes that we will look at our motivation for the
“good” that we do. Jesus does want us to
do good, to be helpful and caring of others; however, Jesus desires that we do
this with the proper motivation: love!
How many times a day do you do something simply because it
is expected? Do you do it simply because it is your duty, your job or your
responsibility? Jesus desires that we do
everything in a loving and caring manner, even the activities we prefer not to
do. The reality is that almost all of the loving acts we do are pretty small:
being attentive to someone who needs attention, helping a neighbor with a job,
or striving to be patient with your children or a co-worker when all you want
to do is to scream at them.
The reality is that for most of us life is mundane,
repetitive and perhaps boring. I assume
that most of the time, we typically are not saving someone’s life, working with
inner city children or serving as a missionary in a third world country. Yet, we all have daily opportunities to “do
good” in our own way in our personal, social, and professional lives. For us,
these acts may seem trivial or insignificant.
However, if these acts of good are done with love and care, they likely
will be a gift to the receiver!
Today I invite you to consciously strive to be loving in
your thoughts, words, and deeds. You may not only make the people you interact
with feel noticed and cared about, you also may find that you experience being
more loving, peaceful, and cheerful. What a great gift this may be to others
and to us!
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