Exalted to Humility—Lectionary Reflection for Pentecost 23A/Proper 26A (Matthew 23)

Matthew 23:1-12 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ² “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’s seat; ³ therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it, but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. ⁴ 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. ⁵ They do all their deeds to be seen by others, for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. ⁶ They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues ⁷ and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them rabbi. ⁸ But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. ⁹ And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father, the one 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 All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

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                We all want to be respected and even honored. Clergy are no different from anyone else. We can emphasize our titles in our conversations and relationships. You can call me pastor or Reverend or Doctor. Yes, you can call me Pastor or perhaps Reverend (I don’t really like this one) or Doctor (okay, this one works, after all, I earned that title!!). So, yes, I suppose my title is The Rev. Dr. . . .  While I spent my ministerial career serving in small congregations and continue to preach in small congregations, you would think that I wouldn’t be tempted by visions of grandeur. The truth is that even if I’m not a celebrity pastor heading up a megachurch, I (and my colleagues) enjoy receiving honor and respect from our congregations and from the larger community. I will confess that I treasure my retirement celebration, where friends, including leadership in the community (yes even the mayor and the state representative) said nice things about me.

                This word from Jesus that he delivered to his followers during his final days of earthly ministry there in Jerusalem undermines any sense of ministerial grandeur. Jesus directs our attention to the religious leaders of Jerusalem, with whom he had been having debates. It’s clear that this Galilean preacher/prophet didn’t have much respect for the religious elite. He represented a different community than the one represented by the Pharisees (a lay reform movement who were in many ways close to Jesus theologically) and the Scribes (religious professionals), whom Jesus labels through chapter 23 of Matthew as hypocrites. As for Jesus’ people, they would appear to be people who felt oppressed by the religious burdens placed upon them by the elite. According to Jesus, they didn’t practice what they preached. That seems to be the key here, as Jesus tells his audience to do as the leaders taught, but not as they acted. You must, Jesus tells them, practice what you preach.

                The truth is, we all struggle to practice what we preach, whether we’re religious leaders or not. Parents struggle with this. Politicians definitely fall short. The point Jesus makes here is that we should not expect more of others than we expect of ourselves. To do otherwise is an act of hypocrisy. That was Jesus’ primary concern when it came to the religious/cultural elite. They emphasize certain practices and beliefs, placing a burden on the people, who simply are not able to fulfill their obligations. It’s important to remember that while Jesus did have some support among the upper classes, his followers were mostly members of the lower classes of society. He himself came from such a home, with Joseph likely a common laborer. His opponents on the other hand were members of the social elite, people who took pride in wearing robes and other religious paraphernalia, as well as reveling in their titles so that everyone might know that they were important.  Indeed, they enjoyed sitting at the head table at banquets and at the front row of the synagogue services.

                If you’re a member of the clergy, this passage can be rather convicting. We might on occasion sit at the head table and at special services be invited to sit up front. Then there’s the clergy accoutrements like robes and stoles and chasubles, and of course, titles. I will confess that I have a robe with doctoral bars, along with stoles, both of which identify me as a religious leader. I’ve been known to be called by my titles of doctor, pastor, and reverend. I’ve even been mistakenly called Father (usually at a wedding or funeral, where a Roman Catholic attendee/participant goes with the typical language). Oh, and Jesus suggests religious teachers should not have people call them Rabbi because there is one teacher, and as for the rest of us, we’re all students of that rabbi (the Messiah). So, as Anna Case-Winters points out, “In the new community, titles are eschewed, and the egalitarian, nonhierarchical patterns are advocated instead. There is a ‘leveling’ in relationship to one another as all stand together before God” [Matthew: Belief, p. 264].

As I listen to Jesus’ words of admonishment, I try to take it in. I try to wear my titles and garb lightly, trying not to make too much of such things. However, it’s easy to get caught up in the expectation that others will recognize and honor my station in life. This Sunday, falling as it does on the first Sunday of November, follows in the wake of Clergy Appreciation Month. There are good reasons for such an observance. The life of the pastor is not easy. It can be lonely. The work can be difficult (people can be difficult). Thus, there is a need for self-care, something that was not stressed during my own ministerial education, but which is stressed more. Although there are those who believe that they are or should be on call 24/7, that is really an impossibility. Remember that Jesus took breaks from the crowd. He would spend time away from the crowds, and even his disciples, to pray, and rest, so he could continue with the ministry. Problems begin to emerge when we start believing we’re indispensable, a belief that may result in stories of our popularity and importance. Perhaps clergy might take this as a word of admonition by Jesus telling us to be circumspect as to how we view ourselves. 

                As I write this reflection, I must note that I’m now a retired pastor who remains actively engaged in ministry. I recognize that even now I get paid to do religious work (preaching, funerals, and weddings to name a few possibilities). Others do not get paid for their religious work. We who get paid may on occasion try to guilt members into being more active or more present at church and other church activities. In retirement, I’m more aware of that tendency to expect others to do as volunteers what I once got paid to fulfill.  Perhaps this is why people, including me, have long been impressed with the demeanor and tone of Pope Francis’ life and ministry. I realize not everyone, especially in some circles within the Roman Catholic Church, are not fans of Pope Francis. However, as an outsider, I’ve been impressed by the way he has comported himself. For one thing, he has simply referred to himself as the Bishop of Rome and abandoned the papal red shoes and pectoral cross the prior Pope wore. Instead, he wears ordinary shoes and wears the pectoral cross he wore before becoming Pope. Not only that, instead of living in the papal apartments he has chosen to live in the same apartments of other Vatican priests and visitors. A colleague who has been participating as an ecumenical observer at the papal synod noted that the Pope is known to eat his meals with the servers before visitors are served. Not only has he set the example he has called upon his fellow bishops to do the same (causing some gnashing of teeth amongst some who have come to appreciate the good life in the name of Jesus).

Our reading concludes with these words that remind us of our station in life, especially if we have positions of religious leadership, whether pastors or teachers: “The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted” (Mt. 23:11-12). It’s not long after he speaks these words that Jesus is arrested, stripped naked, flogged, mocked, and hung on a cross so that everyone might witness his humiliation and inglorious death.