The gospel for Saturday of the 20th week in Ordinary Time is taken from Matthew 23. Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, the scribes and Pharisees have taken their seat 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. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to carry, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries, lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation. Rabbi, as for you, do not be called rabbi, you have but one teacher. You are all brothers. Call no one on earth your Father. You have but one Father.
In heaven. Do not be called master, you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be the servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Our human nature is something that we need to embrace, accept. There’s a part of all of us that would love to be the center of the universe.
There’s a part of us that want to be esteemed, that we want people to thank us. We want people to look up to us. It’s all a motive that can produce effective teaching. But if it gets out of control, if the ego gets in the way of the heart and really robs us of the most important quality, humility. Everything we achieve, everything we do in the kingdom of God, is from God. And yet our ego would love to claim everything that we do as something special in us.
It’s a lie. Remind yourself over and over when that voice comes along and says, why don’t they appreciate what I do? God appreciates everything you do. Please ponder the meaning of these scriptures. And after the music, I will close with a prayer. Foreign Father There’s a voice that comes into our minds over and over again, and it is somehow focused solely on whether or not we are seen as valuable.
Heal us by awakening in us an awareness that the greatness that we are called to is always your work within us, your work through us. Keep us from pride, keep us humble and receptive and thankful. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.