November 5, 2017
The Gospel readings for three Sundays, from the gospel of Matthew, were full of conflict between Jesus and Jewish religious leaders. In those gospel readings, the Pharisees and Sadducees tried several times to entrap Jesus, but he easily slipped their trap. In the gospel reading of today, Matt.23:1-36, Jesus turns to the crowds and his disciples addressing the spiritual failure of the scribes and Pharisees. He says that the scribes and Pharisees “sat on Moses’ seat”. Moses, of course, was the great lawgiver. Sitting on Moses’ seat means teaching by Moses’ authority—the highest authority available to a teacher of the law. Jesus acknowledges and tells his disciples “whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do”. That means that in spite of their personal failings, these scribes and Pharisees are stewards over a great spiritual treasure (the law), and Jesus wants his disciples to avail themselves of that treasure. This is in keeping with Jesus’ earlier statement, “Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Cf. Matt. 5:17). But he says further “but don’t do their works”. This is the point! The teaching of the scribes and Pharisees may be sound but their personal example is abominable. When it comes to teaching; nothing is as effective as a good example and nothing as corrosive as a bad example. There is always a problem of reconciling orthodoxy with practice. Teachers of faith have a special responsibility to be models of the behaviors and morals they teach. Their personal conduct should provide visible lessons. But the scribes and Pharisees fail to practice what they preach. Their lack of integrity undermines their work. They were so interested in personal honor and respect that they lost the vision of their call- to provide in “words and deeds” counsel on spiritual matters to people, who don’t have the opportunity to study the law day-and-night, who are often illiterate and who would not have access to the precious scrolls even if they could read. For people to see them and accord them respect, “they make their phylacteries broad; enlarge the fringes of their garments” The Phylacteries and the tassels refer to two aspects of Jewish traditions prescribed by the Law of Moses. The Phylacteries are small leather boxes containing one or more scrolls inscribed with passages of scripture that are placed on the left forearm and forehead. Tassels were worn on the corners of the garments. They serve as constant reminder of God’s law and commandments. The problem is not that they wear these things as demanded by the law, but that they seek personal honor for doing so. They wear especially large phylacteries and long tassels to draw attention to their scrupulous observance when they do not observe the inner contents of the Law. It is only external show without interior practice. The Phylacteries and tassels are like stained glass windows or icons intended to help people understand deeper spiritual things. Jesus’ warning against these things resonates with us today.
Fr Sylvester Ajunwa