Matthew 23:1-12

Year A - Pentecost +21 or Community Practice ²¹

November 2, 2014

Matthew 23:1-12

Who would you substitute for “Pharisees” in this passage? This is a dangerous exercise because of the way the passage is set up. Almost any substitution will bring more disfavor on the Pharisees than they probably deserve and misrepresent whomever is being compared to them.

With this caveat in place, might Fundamentalist (of any stripe) work here? 

Jesus could have also come to the same conclusion about humility if he had used his own Disciples as an example. That may cut a bit close for many of us as it suggests that it is not some other stereotyped or scapegoated group that needs a refresher course, but me.

As you come to this passage one more time, you may want to consider your own renaming of what this intended to be ordinary time following Pentecost might be? Here we are using “Community Practice”. One practice is the development of refrigerator magnet check-lists. What parts of this pericope lend themselves to a daily checklist to see how you are doing with your humility for its own sake, not to get an A+ on a test and become exalted? Design a checklist for yourself to guide you into next steps of growth. If you pay attention you’ll find out more in the defining of parts related to your life than reading any 3 devotional books.