(Ref. Texts: Mal 1:14–2:2.8–10; 1Thess 2:7–9.13; Matt 23:1–12)
“In Judaism, the temple was the most holy site in the world. But if you extend that argument as a metaphor, and you say the world is a holy place, and you’re treating this holy place like a money-lending psycho, then Jesus says, ‘This is hypocrisy!’ and he’d point it out and flip it over.”
Contents
Introduction
Having silenced the Pharisees on the issue of the greatest commandment, Jesus now confronted them on one issue. With the conclusion that the entire Jewish commandments hangs on the love of God and of neighbour, Jesus asked the Pharisees “what do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he? They said to him, the son of David” (Matt 22:42). But if the Messiah is the son of David, how come David, through the empowering of the Holy Spirit called him Lord? And if David called him Lord, how can he be his son? (Matt 22:43–45). After this extraordinary intervention, Matthew notes that “no one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions” (Matt 22:46). To the questions of the Pharisees, the Herodians and the Sadducees concerning the paying of tax (Matt 22:15–22), the resurrection (Matt 22:23–33) and the most important commandment (Matt 22:34–40), Jesus provided concrete and convincing answers. But when Jesus asked them one question, they could not provide an adequate answer. With his observation on their reply to the identity of the messiah, Jesus silenced the Jewish authority that they could not ask him further questions. Hence, Jesus turned to his disciples.
If to their hearing, Jesus reminded the religious leaders (priests and elders) that those they regard as sinners (tax collectors, prostitutes, and others) make it to the kingdom of God, while they themselves do not (Matt 21:28–32); that due to their unfaithfulness, the kingdom of God will be taken away from them and entrusted to those who know its value, and who will take proper care of it (Matt 21:33–43); that they were not qualified for the marriage banquet (Matt 22:1–14); that they should render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God (Matt 22:15–22); that God is not God of the dead but of the leaving (Matt 22:23–33); and that the greatest commandment is the love of God and of neighbour (Matt 22:34–40), Jesus now addresses the crowds and the disciples, admonishing them on what they should do and what they should not do, to avoid being like the Pharisees, the Herodians, the Sadducees, the chief priests, the elders and the scribes. Both the crowd and the disciples should avoid the hypocrisy and false leadership of the Pharisees. This is the message of this Sunday Gospel (Matt 23:1–12).
Beware of their hypocrisy
“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” (Matt 23:1–3). While the scribes were the official and professional interpreters of the Torah, the Pharisees were experts in theological matters. By Moses’ seat is meant the authority of Moses in terms of the law. That is, the pulpit where the scribes taught and interpreted the Torah. Jesus was very careful with his audience. His audience determined his teachings and statements. Because they could easily be contaminated, Jesus warned the crowds and his disciples to beware of the hypocrisy of the scribes and the Pharisees. Such hypocrisy consists in the divergence between what they teach and what they do. Once they sit on Moses’ seat, the crowds and the disciples must listen to the scribes and the Pharisees, and they must believe and put into practice what they teach them. At the same time, they should be careful not to imitate what they do. In other words, while seated on Moses’ seat, they teach exactly what the law says. But once they step down from the seat, they contradict what they have just taught the people. There is no agreement between what they teach while on Moses’ seat and what they do while out of Moses’ seat. Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have beliefs, opinions, virtues, feelings, qualities, or standards that a person does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves deception of others and is thus, a lie.
In the rite of ordination to the priesthood in Catholic Church, during the presentation of Bread and Wine to the newly ordained priest, the ordaining prelate in handing over the bread and wine pronounces these words “receive from the Holy People of God the gifts to be offered to God. Know what you do, imitate what you celebrate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross.” This gesture ties the rite of ordination directly to the Eucharistic context and to the priest’s service on behalf of the people of God. In other words, the priest must align his life with the Eucharist. He should mind what he does, imitate what he celebrates and more importantly, conform his life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross. Anything other than this, is a contradiction and amounts to hypocrisy. By asking the crowds and the disciples to follow the teachings of the Pharisees and the scribes, Jesus recognized their function as official teachers and interpreters of the Torah. So long as they adequately interpreted the law, they must be obeyed. Whatever they teach is limited only to the Law of Moses, and does not include further additions made by the Pharisees in the name of tradition and culture. What they do must not be followed because their religious practices and extra-biblical traditions are meant to override the main provisions of the Law (cf. Matt 23:23). Moreover, they do not practice what they teach. Therefore, the crowds and the disciples should obey God’s word not human laws and traditions. Same instruction goes to the contemporary Christians.
They tie heavy burdens, but….
“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” (Matt 23:4). The reason people should not follow what the scribes and the Pharisees do is because they do not practice what they teach. They do not practice what they teach because they know they are heavy burdens. By saying that the scribes and the Pharisees tie heavy burdens hard to bear on the people, while they themselves are not willing to practice any, Jesus underlines their hypocrisy. These ‘heavy burdens’ refer to the extra-biblical beliefs and traditions which formed the foundation of the Pharisaic belief. Although they were intended to adapt the Jewish Testament laws to the present and actual situation, but it later substituted the law itself. Moreover, its unproportioned and exaggerated obligations became so burdensome and oppressive to the people. To these unproportioned and exaggerated obligations, the scribes and the Pharisees exempted themselves. As Jesus denounced the hypocrisy of the Jewish authority (cf. Luke 11:37–44), one of the lawyers present said to him “teacher, when you say these things, you insult us too” (Luke 11:45). Immediately, Jesus replied “woe also to you lawyers! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them” (Luke 11:46). Instances of such heavy burdens include the washing of hands before eating (cf. Matt 15:2; Mark 7:1–3); the prohibition to pluck corn on a Sabbath (cf. Luke 6:1–2); and the prohibition to heal on the Sabbath day (cf. Luke 13:14).
Overburdening the people with massive laws and obligations was a common defect and practice of the Jewish authorities. Unfortunately, the same ugly incident has continued even today and among Christians. The government continues to make life miserable for the people with series and antagonistic laws. Similarly, even Christians tend to substitute the guidelines of the Gospel with their inhuman and utopian rules and prohibitions. This is why there are many hypocrites and fundamentalists among Christians.
Instead of practicing what they teach, they prefer to parade themselves along the roads, in the market places and in the Synagogues. For instance, “they do all their deeds to be seen by others; they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long” (Matt 23:5). The phylactery (Greek: phulaktērion – a receptacle for safekeeping/guard), is a small square box, made either of parchment or black calf-skin, in which are enclosed slips of parchment or vellum with the texts of Exodus 13:9; 13:16; Deuteronomy 6:4–9; 6:11–18, written on them, and which are worn on the head and left arm by every conservative Jew on week-day mornings during prayers. On the other hand, the fringes (Greek: kraspedon – twisted thread, tassel) refer to the ornament worn by the Israelites upon the edges, and especially at the corners of their robes, as an affectation of piety. In other words, the fringes are the tassels with blue cord that were attached to the four angles of the garment (cf. Num 15:37–41; Deut 22:12). Its function was to remind the Jews of their obligation to obey the commandments of God and to be holy (Num 15:40). Now, the problem is not that the Pharisees and the scribes wore these things. That is, Jesus did not criticize and condemn them for wearing the things prescribed by law. Instead, he was against their making the fringes broad and wearing the phylactery ostentatiously on the head and left arm. They made them so long and broad that they cannot pass without being noticed by all. And the reason is that they do all their deeds to be seen, admired and applauded by the people. They transformed a religious instruction to something used for making impression on the people. By so doing, they emptied it of its spiritual value, reducing it to mere eye-service.
It is this hypocritical and religious formalism that led the scribes and the Pharisees to loving to occupy the place of honour at banquets; to have the best seats in the synagogues; to love being greeted with respect in the marketplaces; and to have people call them rabbi (cf. Matt 23:6–7). Within the Jewish setup (and even in the contemporary society), guests were assigned seats at banquets and public gatherings according to their social status. Occupying these places of honour and the best seats made the scribes and the Pharisees point of attraction. Is the contemporary Christianity devoid of this problem? Next page.…