Thoughts for the Day

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practise what they teach. They 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. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honour at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

For those still not sure about the Pharisees I have included a good general account about them under "Further Thoughts" below. Suffice it to say Jesus objected to the Pharisees for the way many insisted that the people obey every word of the oral law, but often didn't practice what they preached. Today's passage from Matthew's Gospel gives us the clearest picture of why Jesus denounced them.

But today let's look at the end of this passage where Jesus says we are "students" and he is the "instructor". In the years I spent as a Diocesan Children's and RE Adviser there was one thing that upset me, and I'm afraid I took great pleasure in subverting it. I spent a lot of time with parishes looking at all-age learning (the fore-runner to some extent of 'Messy Church'), and I was often asked by PCC's to go and talk to them and run an all-age service. Most PCC's saw 'all age' as meaning put the children up front to do something; and they saw a Communion Service as a place where adults came to worship and children went out at the second hymn to learn. I own up, that occasionally I turned this on its head by sending the adults out to the cold hall to learn, and conducting exciting worship in church with the children!

The point is twe are all learners (and we all need to worship). We are students from the beginning of our journey as Christians, with Jesus as our instructor. We should learn from scripture about what it means to be a Christian; from our tradition (whether Anglican, Methodist, RC or ?); and from learned men and women of faith. If we had an exam this Lent about our faith, what would we say we have learnt in the year since last Lent?

Lord Jesus Christ,
You taught Your disciples and the people
through story and parable.
Teach us, we pray,
through all the means at our disposal -
through the printed word;
through films,
through sermons;
through the teaching of others;
and through hymns,
to learn more about You each day,
and about Your plans for us
and for Your world.
Amen.