But can he participate in the ritual? Sitting and with his eye on the ledgers, only then rich - indeed, 'lord'
(Mt 9:9-13)
"Jesus does not exclude anyone from his friendship. The good proclamation of the Gospel consists precisely in this: in the offer of God's grace to the sinner! In the figure of Matthew, therefore, the Gospels propose to us a real paradox: the one who is apparently furthest from holiness can even become a model of welcoming God's mercy and allowing us to glimpse its wonderful effects in his own existence" [Pope Benedict, General Audience 30 August 2006].
Friction arose in some assemblies of believers, because some church members still considered it profane to have contact with or accept foreigners, who had not yet adapted to the identity mentality of customs.
Even the Judeo-Christians from Galilee and Syria whom Matthew addressed needed to learn to break the isolation of ancient purity norms. They did not have to keep themselves apart.
The friction of opinions became particularly acute in the [typical third-generation] debate over the kind of permissible participation in meetings and the Breaking of Bread.
Conflict pitted against each other the group of converts from paganism (increasingly conspicuous) and the Judaizing group.
The latter did not like habitual contact with those far from their mentality, but rather distinction.
Both in the assemblies and in the quality of everyday fraternal life, unpleasant situations and doubts of conscience arose [about whether or not to welcome pagans who had converted to Jesus the Messiah, let alone share the table with the (supposedly) defiled].
Several church brethren were accustomed to still sacredly consider it profane to have any contiguity with anyone, or even to accept the judged defiled.
The devout conception of moral subdivisions led to the belief that it was necessary to keep the new at a distance, for not having adapted to the not-yet-demythologised mentality of Semitic traditions.
Thus the evangelist wants to describe how Jesus himself faced the same conflict: without any ritual or sacred attention, except to man.
Why? According to the Master's teachings, the relationship with the distant and different, and our own hardships or hidden abysses have something to tell us.
Mt intended to help the Judeo-Christian faithful to understand a discriminating opening: the leap from common religiosity - made up of absurd beliefs, separations and squeamish attitudes - to the Faith in progress.
A discriminating opening is the hope in life itself that comes, and calls for the surrender of artificial positions; hence the possibility of social and ritual insertion.
Such is the teaching, the story, the Person of Christ.
He guides us to existential entrustment, to global trust; to believing the story of the public sinner, who is each one, to be our own.
To proceed along such a Way, one starts precisely from the unexpressed energies of one's own primordial states, recognised, assumed, made personally fruitful; dilated in one's brothers, without distinction.
In fact, the Gospel passage emphasises that in its time the apostles (v.10) had by no means been called by the Lord to the same and rigorous practice of segregation, typical of ethno-purist beliefs, which was nevertheless in force around them.
Therefore, the believers of the 70s and 80s did not have to keep themselves apart: rather, they needed to learn how to break the isolation of the norms of social and cultic conformity.
The Father is Friendly Presence.
The glad tidings of Matthew are this: the life of Communion is not gratification, nor is it recognition.
The Eucharist is not a reward for merit, nor is it a discriminator in favour of sacred marginalisation - or adult casuistry.
God does not complicate our existence by burdening it with too many obligations and duties that weigh down our days and our whole lives; rather, He sweeps them away.
For this reason, the figure of the new Rabbi touched people's hearts, without borders.
Prohibition must be replaced by friendship. Intransigence supplanted by indulgence; harshness by condescension.
In such an adventure we are not called to forms of disassociation: we start with ourselves.
Thus one arrives without hysteria at micro-relationships and [without ideological charges] at the current - even devout - mentality.
No more false goals, superficial objectives, obsessions and useless reasoning, nor mechanical habits, ancient or modern; others' [never reworked in themselves].
With such an experience of inner excavation and identification, women and men of Faith must share life with anyone - even notorious transgressors like the son of Alphaeus; seeing themselves in them.
And by laying down the artifices: without first claiming any licence.
The faithful in Christ are called to share the breaking of bread with pagans and sinners.In this way, without first demanding a discipline of the arcane, and practices that celebrate distances, such as the ablutions that preceded the meal.
Matathiah in fact means 'man of God', 'given by God'; precisely 'Gift of God' (Matath-Yah) ['Gift' despite the anger of official authorities].
The observant sects of Judaism treated publicans as unclean beings, to be kept at a distance.
The seed of alternative society of believers in Christ accepted them and grasped their resources, the good for the community.
The anxiety of contamination stemmed from a false, preconceived and exclusivist idea of what not only in Palestine but even in the Diaspora was identified by total squinting with 'Yahweh's Will' - a factor of separation in the midst of other peoples.
Illusion that had not stimulated an attitude of sympathy towards the diverse reality, nor of friendliness towards the neighbour outside the 'circle'.
According to the direct warning of Jesus himself - even to one of the apostles - the only impurity that God does not tolerate is that of not giving space to those who ask for it because they have none.
Sometimes we are in fact like 'comari'; souls imprisoned in a world closed within fences that transfix our gaze [even on grand accounts and club records: tiny certainties]. And a devout life of small-mindedness.
The Lord wants full communion with the transgressors, not because of an ideological banality: it is the invitation to recognise, confess, agree, live together.
Thus allowing the soul forced into anguish to breathe.
Not to subject his intimates to some form of humiliating paternalism: knowing oneself to be incomplete and allowing oneself to be transformed from poor - or rich - into a lord, is a resource.
"And it came to pass that while He was reclining at table in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners who had come were reclining at table with Jesus and His disciples" (v.10 Greek text).
"They were reclining": according to the manner of celebrating solemn banquets, by free men - now all free.
How marvellous, such a monstrance!
A living Body of Christ that smells of Sharing: authentic Worship!
It is this all empathic and royal awareness that smoothes out, makes credible, the content of the Announcement (vv.12-13). Although it shocks the susceptibility of the official teachers.
From now on, the division between believers and non-believers will be far more humanising than between 'born again' and not, or pure and impure.
It is a different karat - the principle of a life of the saved, which unfolds and overflows beyond the club ropes.
Among the disciples, it is likely that there were quite a few members of the Palestinian resistance, who opposed the Roman occupiers.
By contrast, here Jesus calls a collaborator, and one who allowed himself to be led by advantage.
As if to say: the New Community of sons and brothers does not cultivate privileges, separation, oppression, hatred.
The Master always kept himself above the political shocks, ideological distinctions and corrupt disputes of his time.
In his Church there is a strong sign of discontinuity with religions: prohibition must be replaced by friendship.
The apostles themselves were not called to the same strict practice of segregation and division typical of ethno-purist beliefs, which prevailed around them [and was believed to reflect God's established order on earth].
Even today, the Lord does not invite the best or the worst to follow, but the opposites. A principle that also applies to the intimate life.
The recovery of opposing sides also of our personality, disposes us "to conversion" (Lk 5:32): not to rearrange the world of the Temple, but to make us change our point of view, mentality, principles, way of being.
Christ also calls, welcomes and redeems the publican in us, that is, the more rubricistic - or worn-out - side of our personality.
Even our unbearable or rightly hated character: the rigid one and the - equally our - rubricist one.
By reintegrating precisely the opposites, it will even make them flourish: they will become inclusive, indispensable, allied and intimately winning aspects of the future testimony, empowered with genuine love.
Being considered strong, capable of leading, observant, excellent, pristine, magnificent, performing, extraordinary, glorious... damages people.
It puts a mask on us, makes us one-sided; it takes away understanding. It floats the character we are sitting in, above reality.
For one's growth and blossoming, more important than always winning is to learn to accept, to yield to the point of capitulation; to make oneself considered wanting, inadequate.
Says the Tao Tê Ching [XLV]: 'Great uprightness is like sinuosity, great skill is like ineptitude, great eloquence is like stammering'.
The contrived norm (unfortunately, sometimes even unwise leadership) makes us live according to success and external glory, obtained through compartmentalisation.Jesus inaugurates a new kind of relationships, and 'covenants' of fruitful divergence - even within ourselves.
And He makes everything the Word alone 'Follow Me' (v.9) [not others].
The Master's Wisdom and the multifaceted art of Nature [exemplified in the crystalline wisdom of the Tao] lead all to be human.
It is not 'perfection' or narcissism that make us love Exodus.
To internalise and live the message:
What is your spiritual and human strength? How did you generate it?
