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Reformation Sunday

Matthew 23
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; 3therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. 5They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 6They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. 8But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. 9And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.


Marvelous thing, the Internet.

At the World Christianship Ministries you can be ordained almost immediately, and purchase ordination packages they say “are filled with authority and materials.” But wait:

Earn $ to help support yourself, family and Ministry. Begin your own Marriage Ministry from your home or apartment. CLICK HERE for more details.

And the cost! So reasonable. The basic ordination package, including a certificate and a “pocket ordination card (laminated in plastic)” is only $58. But wait! Spend $85 and the World Christianship Ministries will send you a clergy dashboard sign (yes, laminated in plastic) as well as handy resources such as wedding and baptism certificates, a booklet entitled “Preparing Your First Sermon” and another called “Ways Your Ministry Can Raise Money.”

You can choose the font of your ordination certificate. Old English, Signet, and a font oddly named Prodigal are among the choices, and you can also choose your title, including Pastor, Prophet, Preacher or even Bishop. Still not satisfied? For another $48 you can purchase an honourary Doctor of Divinity degree, and I say why not, you’ve come this far.

And at the bottom of the page: “Offerings from Canada must be in USA dollars in the form of a Postal Money Order or Bank Check or Bank Money Order. WE ARE NOT ABLE TO ACCEPT A PERSONAL CHECK FROM CANADA. That last part was in ALL CAPS. I think the Canadian branch of the church has issues. I say forget the whole thing.

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The minister sits on a padded seat behind the pulpit: therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and expect them to spend no more than five dollars; but they themselves are unwilling to make anything other than jelly-jam. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their Geneva gowns broad and their stoles long. They love to have the place of honor in the Milner Room and a second floor office with a view, and to be greeted with respect on Weston Road, and to have people call them reverend doctor.”

I don’t know who that is. But we all have to endure a little critique now and then. We all get called out from time to time, and I guess Matthew 23 is the call out for clergy.

Now, the United Church has a statement of ethical norms for clergy, and slamming our colleagues is on the list of no no’s. Even preaching this sermon could land me in trouble, so I better be careful about what I say about my brothers and sisters of the cloth. And that might extend backwards in time too, and surely includes the scribes and Pharisees, who were really just first-century clergy. This whole sermon might end early, since it looks like I’m bound ethically to say nothing.

But don’t worry, I’ll fine something to say. Why, just before I got started my favour Hebrew scholar handed me “The Works of Josephus” and said “here, you better read this.” 900 pages, 6 point font, it wasn’t going to happen. But marvelous thing, the Internet, so I found a nice summary online.

Jesus said: “They do not practice what they teach.”
Josephus said: “For they follow what the Word in its authority determines and transmits as good.”

Jesus said: “They lay heavy burdens on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.”
Josephus said: “Many have witnessed to their virtue in devoting themselves to all the best in their words and way of life.”

Jesus said: “They do all their deeds to be seen by others.”
Josephus said: “Pharisees love one another and practice consensus in their community.”

Jesus said: “They make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long.”
Josephus said: “The Pharisees live thriftily, giving in to no luxury.”

Jesus said: “They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi.”
Josephus said: “Out of respect, they defer to those advanced in years. Nor are they so bold as to stand in opposition to what (the elders) have proposed.”

So who was this Josephus? If he were alive today, we might call him “the most interesting man in the world.” Born the son of a priest, he became a priest, then he became a hermit for a while. He traveled to Rome to negotiate with the Emperor Nero, returned home and became a general in the revolt against Rome, lost, survived a mass suicide, became friends with Vespasian and Titus, both future emperors, tried to negotiate a way to save Jerusalem from destruction, and became a Roman citizen. He married four times, and finally settled down with an imperial pension to write three of the most important books of the age. There is no word whether he drank Dos Equis.

Now, growing up among Pharisees, and becoming a Pharisee before becoming the most interesting man in the world, we can accuse Josephus of bias. But as someone who obviously turned his back on being a Pharisee, we might imagine he could be critical too, or at least less invested in making them look good. His account of the Jewish Revolt is critical of both Jews and Romans, so we know he can show balance.

It gets messier. In the same chapter Jesus sends the disciples out to be prophets, sages and teachers, granting the very title he argued against. In the next chapter he give the Great Commission, the same one we follow, saying “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Throughout the Gospels Jesus is called both teacher and Rabbi, the very titles he spoke against.

Clearly, something else is going on here. I have no doubt that Jesus was harshly critical of the religious leaders of his day, but the way Matthew records his words point to something more. Remembering that Matthew is writing in a time when church and synagogue were competing for the hearts and minds of believers, the words he records may say more about AD60 or AD70 when Matthew writes than AD30 when Jesus expressed sentiments just like this.

Since I spoke to you about the Occupy Wall Street it is no longer ignored. The story non-story finally became mainstream news and then spread to cities here and in Europe. I think I even mentioned the “We are the 99%” notes that people were writing and posting online to describe their situation. Without saying much more on this topic, I find it interesting that a number of counter-point notes popped up, with people explaining that they got everything they have through hard work, never borrowed money from anyone, never complained, etc., etc.

Two things on this: First, if you were paying attention, you could smell a rat. One guy started out his note by saying he was responsible for his own success, describing how, and then saying he had sympathy for the 99% who could not claim the same. A day later someone cribbed his exact words, wrote them out, and wrote the opposite ending, condemning the protesters. Curiously, this person didn’t show their face.

The second thing is precisely what Jesus said: These counter-protest note-makers want “all their deeds to be seen by others; They love to have the place of honor at banquets and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces.” Why else brag that you are self-made. Yes, there is reward for hard work. Yes, you won’t get far in life if you don’t push yourself. But there is no such thing as a self-made person, just as there is no minister, priest or rabbi deserving pride of place, since all clergy are servant leaders, no less, no more.

Humility dictates that everyone of us acknowledge the real sources of our success: the parents who raised us, the school nurse who mended that gash, the first grade teacher who taught you to write good, the heavily subsidized college or university that gave you additional skills, the government that licensed your craft, and even the Internet Al Gore invented for you.

Jesus said “be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect,” but he he could also have said, “be humble, as your Father in heaven is humble.” God, in humility, is the author of all that is and the parent to us all, and then like a good parent retreated to allow us to discover our way in the world. We were fully prepared for life after leaving home, but then left to live that life, and not hovered over like some latter day helicopter parent. God give us all the guidance we need: to treat each other with respect, keep an eye out for hypocrites, to acknowledge the debt we owe others, and always be humble. Thanks be to God, Amen.

posted by michael jacob kooiman @ 3:46 AM