A warning against hypocrisy – Matthew 23:1-12

¹ Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ² “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. ⁴ They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

⁵ “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries^[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; ⁶ they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; ⁷ they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

⁸ “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹ And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. ¹⁰ Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. ¹¹ The greatest among you will be your servant. ¹² For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted

This was today’s reading at mass. I found this a very interesting and in some ways conflicting passage. If we are not to call anyone on earth ‘father’ or ‘teacher’ then how indeed do we refer to our lecturers or to our earthly biological fathers? However, I think what this reading is talking about is actually focusing on the actions of these ‘pharisees’ and saying that those who build themselves up on earth are not worthy of our adulation. What god says elsewhere is that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Those that recognise the kingdom of God and work quietly towards its greater glory here on earth will be recognised for their contribution in heaven.

As Father Thomas said today, God is a very simple God. He came to love and to serve. Simply that. I think if there was one message that came out of today, it was to live a simple life with all the glory focused on he who is worthy of it – our Lord Jesus Christ.

I want to know what others think about this. It is a very difficult to understand passage which could have any number of interpretations. God is all about love so what does what he says here actually mean? Why did he think the Pharisees are hypocrites? And what does he mean where he calls us all brothers? Is this talking about us all being equal and that we, none of us, should take it into our minds that we can judge others?

Let’s reflect and analyse our thoughts and behaviours.