Word to the Wise
Sunday, November 5, 2023 - 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time - A
[Mal 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10; 1 Thess 2:7b-9, 13; Matt 23:1-12]"The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their eat on the chair of Moses. Therefore do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice." [Matthew]
Every ordained deacon and priest has heard the following words while holding a book of the Gospels at his ordination to the diaconate: “Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.” That challenge is not new. We hear it in Jesus' scathing critique of the scribes and Pharisees , especially the ones in Jerusalem.
The scribes were the experts in the Mosaic Law - not only in its letter but also in the considerable body of interpretation that had built up over the centuries. The Pharisees were a lay group whose fundamental principle was that the Law of Moses was the revelation of God's will and righteousness came from observing that law perfectly. St. Paul, himself, was a Pharisee who had studied under a famous rabbi named Gamaliel.
The scribes could also read and write in a culture that was largely illiterate. This gave them considerable power and influence. The Pharisees were, in some ways, like "religious police" in their zeal, which gave them considerable influence. But, as Lord Acton wrote in the 19th century, "Power corrupts..." and Jesus took direct aim at the corruption and self-serving interpretations of the law that he encountered which in many cases were inhumane.
Our own Catholic culture is sometimes prey to this attitude. We are surrounded by all kinds of instructions and some folks delight in their exactitude of observance. The Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Code of Canon Law can become like weapons in the hands of folks with more zeal than common sense.
The integrity of Catholic faith begins with the scriptures and the Creed and living Tradition. We need to know what these teach so that we can practice them. Those who are the teachers need to know that they are teachers and not rulers or judges. Jesus' challenge in today's gospel is as good now as it was when he was in Jerusalem. AMEN