Oct 23 Readings
Hear What We Believe
- UCC Statement of Faith
- New Zealand Statement of Faith
- Lord's Prayer
- Music Version of the Lords Prayer
Focus Theme
God With Us
Weekly Prayer
Your steadfast love endures from age to age, O living God, for in Christ you tenderly care for your people. Instruct us in your way of humble service, that we may imitate his saving deeds who humbled himself for our salvation and is now exalted with you in splendor for ever and ever. Amen.
Focus Reading
Matthew 23:1-12
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 practice 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 honor 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."
Reflection
by Kate Huey
Jesus has not been winning friends among his people's religious leaders since he rode into Jerusalem, hailed by the crowds as a prophet, and then cleaned up the temple of its moneychangers. It was no longer business-as-usual for the Pharisees and scribes, and they don't seem to know what to do about it. They're offended by Jesus' parables that seem to be aimed right at them for their refusal to accept the reign of God as he experiences it. Expert in the law and all things righteous, they must find it galling to listen to this dusty prophet-healer from the hinterlands who marches (or rides) onto their turf and offers a scathing critique of them. After deftly handling their trick questions and posing a few challenges of his own, Jesus turns to the crowds and to his disciples, and starts talking about those religious leaders; chapter 23 of Matthew's Gospel is this long and heated speech of Jesus, outraged by the hypocrisy of the very ones who should be leading the people by example toward lives of greater faithfulness to God. The lesson here is not difficult to grasp. What is difficult, however, is to resist the temptation to read the story as a criticism of the ancient Jewish leaders instead of seeing ourselves in them, like religious people in every age and place. We know that the early Christians of Matthew's community could have easily succumbed to the same temptations of pride and place. They struggled, too, with which rules they were to observe if they wanted to live lives faithful to Jesus' own example. We read this Gospel text, then, or "overhear" it, as Matthew's little community heard it, as we share those same struggles, questions and temptations. We struggle with how to be leaders that live up to the things we say and expect from others. We struggle not to be simply "actors," but real Christians, real followers of Jesus.
For Further Reflection
Leo Tolstoy, 19th century
Hypocrisy in anything whatever may deceive the cleverest and most penetrating man, but the least wide-awake of children recognizes it, and is revolted by it, however ingeniously it may be disguised.
Charles de Montesquieu, 18th century
To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.
Ambrose Bierce, 20th century
Hypocrisy: prejudice with a halo.
Edwin Hubbel Chapin, 19th century clergyman
Ostentation is the signal flag of hypocrisy.
Friedrich Nietzsche, 19th century
It is easier to cope with a bad conscience than with a bad reputation.
Albert Einstein, 20th century
Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods
