The Gospel for Tuesday of the second week of Lent is taken from Matthew 23, first through the 12th verse. Jesus spoke 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 and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, and greetings in the marketplace. And the salutation, Rabbi, as for you, do not be called rabbi. You have but one teacher, and 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 your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. It’s interesting that in our culture we tend to feel that we should give more honor to people who have positions of power, or we pay more attention to people who have some kind of public celebrity status. So interesting that we do that when we are told over and over again by our one Teacher that we are all one, we are all equal.

Yes, someone may have a position of responsibility that’s greater than ours, but it doesn’t mean that they’re more valuable. So help us to recognize everyone as your child, as the one you have asked to be a servant to the people around them. That’s the heart of this message of Jesus, to be servants to one another as equals, as brothers and sisters united. Closing prayer Father, the oneness that we have is something that slips through our fingers. We tend to be caught up in a cultural expectation of the importance and what makes people important. So bless us with an open heart to see the beauty and the dignity of everyone and to offer ourselves in service to all.

And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.