WORDS vs DEEDS
One of the key themes running through the writings of the Old Testament Prophets and the teaching of Jesus is the condemnation of religious “hollowness” – especially as they saw it practiced by religious leaders. Jesus condemns the Scribes and Pharisees, who held positions of religious authority. They were more interested in competing for positions of honor and recognition than in proclaiming the word of God, Jesus said. They were avoiding that “Word”.
Why did Jesus appear to be so harsh on them? Clearly, Jesus saw that they were “hollow”, inauthentic and gave much more importance to their own service than the service of others.“Do not follow their example. Their words are bold but their deeds are few.” They seek for places of honor, they bind up heavy loads on others, they expect marks of respect in public places…You get the picture.! Why was Christ so hard on the Pharisees? At the time of the Gospel narratives, the Pharisees had become more militant and extremists, afraid of losing their control over the common people.
“Walk the Talk!” How can we trust somebody’s words when they are not matched by deeds? The Pharisees were playing with words, symbols and icons. Signs and icons do not signal the end of the road, only the direction. Christ signaled the end – do not call yourselves masters, serve one another, “if you sit last, you’ll be first!”
We are called to work together to make this earth that place where the kingdom of God can be realized in the lives of all people. We are called to take care of one another and especially those who are deprived of their basic human rights and needs due to injustice and irresponsible leadership. But our task must be performed in the same spirit of humility Jesus proclaimed in our Gospel Lesson today.
Jesus’ cry to share one another’s burdens has echoed emptily in churches with good, religious people. We must be honest with ourselves about this – as individuals and as a community, both. We are called to a life of service. We are called to share our gifts, our talents, our time, our resources and our lives with others. Jesus is described by Matthew as a Servant. We are called to take up our share of that role, to be of service to our generation and to be transformed from hollow persons into persons filled with the spirit of God, who is Love and Service.
At her eighty-fifth birthday celebration, it was clear to all present that Margaret had lost none of her zest for life. “What advice would you have for people your age?” she was asked. “Well,” said the old dear, “at our age it is important to keep using all our potential or it dries up. It is important to be with people and to be of service to people as much as possible.” Then eighty-five-year-old Margaret was asked, “Exactly what do you do from day to day?” To which Margaret replied, “I look after an old lady in my neighborhood.”