Mar 10, 2025 Written by 

Rabbis, Fathers and Preceptors? At the mercy of approval

Being present to oneself: do not replace Love with flaws, observance, deference

(Mt 23:1-12)

 

The New Relationship between God and man could not be contained within the meticulous regulations of the First Covenant and its burdensome customs.

At the time of Jesus, such sick obsessions of snooty verticism dominated, therefore only epidermal; incapable of giving breath, freedom, propulsive motivations.

The pyramidal conception of the world and the external idea of the web of spiritual life never correspond to Revelation, nor to the simple criteria of natural wisdom.

Indeed, the Tao Tê Ching (iv) says: "The Tao mitigates its splendour, makes itself similar to its dust. What profundity! It seems to have always existed'.

Master Wang Pi comments: "[That which has no origin] by smoothing its points, does not injure creatures; by untangling its knots, it does not fatigue them; by mitigating its light, it does not debase their bodies; by making itself like its dust, it does not disturb their genuineness".

Adds Master Ho-shang Kung: 'While having extraordinary splendour, one must know how to keep oneself in darkness and gloom [...], make oneself similar to dirt and dust, along with the crowds: one must not differentiate oneself from them'.

 

Our reality is interwoven with opposing states, which innervate it and complete it; even moving it forward. Even turning it into a raging torrent.

A rejection, an abandonment, an experience of failure, limitation, illness or dislike of others - even a reversal - can bring us back to the dormant energies of life and give birth to the new Person.

In this way:

How do we contact our new ways of being? What steps to take to enter into a dynamism of regeneration that helps to develop a living climate - and where to start?

 

Jesus proposes Faith: a founding Relationship, that is, a new way of standing before the Father and the world... with a trusting, spousal and creative attitude; in the initiative of an Other point of view.

Multifaceted love, Eros coming to us in a palpable dialogue - not without inner struggles.

This in the time of a path (singular, not at all traced or external). Even on the spur of the moment annoying, because it goes against the tide.

Religious authorities, on the other hand, sought their security in the strict and conspicuous observance of the written and oral Law.

Without risk or mind-boggling personalisation.

 

In the face of such an accommodating mentality, devoid of vertigo, the young Master insists on the practice of Friendship [much stronger than voluntarism] which relativises fulfilment.

He thus gives the profound Tradition its true meaning, rediscovering the authentic meaning of the Torah and the rules of conduct.

After all, it was precisely the spiritual leaders of the official religion who were the first not to believe what they preached to others... or rather, they felt exempt, because they were accustomed to thinking of themselves as elective, recognised, selected, chosen models - almost cast from above.

A vice of return that the Risen One seems to discern in the spiritual leaders of his own new people, where those in charge - while proclaiming Christ himself - began to become lovers even of obsequiousness.

Just like the ancient professionals of religion, who pushed conformity, legalism, and moralism; accustomed to show off, dictate judgment, and condition the very course of the Law.

Then as skilful specialists they always found any excuse to say and not do - and pass as 'impeccable worshippers':

"They bind together burdens that are heavy and hard to carry, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they not even with their finger want to move them" (v.4).

 

Even today, true communication experts always act in public, to be acclaimed.

But in their conduct they have no decisive and deep-rooted inner principle, falling prey to situations; as light as butterflies.

Driven by ambition, here they are all showiness and vanity - even self-love aroused by the social influence they willingly desire and exercise.

A spirit of verticality and vacuous self-importance that Mt notes also snaking among his veteran communities in Galilee and Syria.

Small assemblies then besieged by the influx of pagans, from whom the Judaizing elders demanded hierarchical respect above all.

Hypocritically ousting Christ and the Father, such veterans of ancient religiosity also aspired to be called rabbis, fathers, preceptors (vv.7-10).

Self-appointed superiors, with a limited and reductive yardstick of judgement.

 

With regard to the experience of Faith, the Lord instead orders us all to be brothers - that is, on an equal footing - in the certainty of a single Father.

This also applies to us, especially in the time of rebirth from the global crisis.

 

In Deus Caritas est (no.35):

"This right way of serving makes the worker humble. He does not assume a position of superiority before the other, however miserable his situation may be at the time. Christ took the last place in the world - the cross - and precisely with this radical humility He redeemed us and constantly helps us. He who is in a position to help recognises that in this very way he too is being helped; it is not his merit or title to boast that he can help. This task is grace. The more one does for others, the more he will understand and make his own the word of Christ: "We are useless servants" (Lk 17:10). Indeed, he recognises that he acts not on the basis of a superiority or greater personal efficiency, but because the Lord gives him the gift of it. At times, the excess of need and the limits of his own work may expose him to the temptation of discouragement. But it is precisely then that it will help him to know that, in the final analysis, he is but an instrument in the hands of the Lord; he will thus free himself from the presumption of having to bring about, personally and alone, the necessary improvement in the world. In humility he will do what he can do, and in humility he will entrust the rest to the Lord. It is God who rules the world, not us. We serve Him only as much as we can and as long as He gives us the strength. To do, however, what we can with the strength we have, this is the task that keeps the good servant of Jesus Christ always on the move: 'The love of Christ impels us' (2 Cor 5:14)".

 

How much we need a bath of humility, in the soul of each one who wishes to be present in his actions!

We can start, for example, by avoiding using devotion and the Church as means of promotion, to appear important and emphasise some 'spiritual' rank higher than others.

A false attitude in itself - it causes excessive forcing, deaf to the inner core. But also detrimental to the building of a family atmosphere, or culture of the encounter, synodal path; and so on.

By insisting, on the other hand, on the attitude [this is infallible] of mutual service, there will be no more time left to get caught up in vanity, disputes over precedence, arguments, the gap between saying and doing.

 

Where, on the other hand, can the theatre of unlove, which does not vitalise but depresses God's people, start from?

From the imperishable scribes and Pharisees (v.2) always exaggerated in their spirit of control.

Well, according to the Gospels, those who take on ecclesiastical leadership tasks have no right to any 'bow': they are simply 'deacons' (v.11) of the brothers.

 

 

To internalise and live the message:

 

Do you like bows? What does your soul say about peacocks?

87 Last modified on Monday, 10 March 2025 06:18
don Giuseppe Nespeca

Giuseppe Nespeca è architetto e sacerdote. Cultore della Sacra scrittura è autore della raccolta "Due Fuochi due Vie - Religione e Fede, Vangeli e Tao"; coautore del libro "Dialogo e Solstizio".

[Nicodemus] felt the fascination of this Rabbi, so different from the others, but could not manage to rid himself of the conditioning of his environment that was hostile to Jesus, and stood irresolute on the threshold of faith (Pope Benedict)
[Nicodemo] avverte il fascino di questo Rabbì così diverso dagli altri, ma non riesce a sottrarsi ai condizionamenti dell’ambiente contrario a Gesù e resta titubante sulla soglia della fede (Papa Benedetto)
Those wounds that, in the beginning were an obstacle for Thomas’s faith, being a sign of Jesus’ apparent failure, those same wounds have become in his encounter with the Risen One, signs of a victorious love. These wounds that Christ has received for love of us help us to understand who God is and to repeat: “My Lord and my God!” Only a God who loves us to the extent of taking upon himself our wounds and our pain, especially innocent suffering, is worthy of faith (Pope Benedict)
Quelle piaghe, che per Tommaso erano dapprima un ostacolo alla fede, perché segni dell’apparente fallimento di Gesù; quelle stesse piaghe sono diventate, nell’incontro con il Risorto, prove di un amore vittorioso. Queste piaghe che Cristo ha contratto per amore nostro ci aiutano a capire chi è Dio e a ripetere anche noi: “Mio Signore e mio Dio”. Solo un Dio che ci ama fino a prendere su di sé le nostre ferite e il nostro dolore, soprattutto quello innocente, è degno di fede (Papa Benedetto)
We see that the disciples are still closed in their thinking […] How does Jesus answer? He answers by broadening their horizons […] and he confers upon them the task of bearing witness to him all over the world, transcending the cultural and religious confines within which they were accustomed to think and live (Pope Benedict)
Vediamo che i discepoli sono ancora chiusi nella loro visione […] E come risponde Gesù? Risponde aprendo i loro orizzonti […] e conferisce loro l’incarico di testimoniarlo in tutto il mondo oltrepassando i confini culturali e religiosi entro cui erano abituati a pensare e a vivere (Papa Benedetto)
The Fathers made a very significant commentary on this singular task. This is what they say: for a fish, created for water, it is fatal to be taken out of the sea, to be removed from its vital element to serve as human food. But in the mission of a fisher of men, the reverse is true. We are living in alienation, in the salt waters of suffering and death; in a sea of darkness without light. The net of the Gospel pulls us out of the waters of death and brings us into the splendour of God’s light, into true life (Pope Benedict)
I Padri […] dicono così: per il pesce, creato per l’acqua, è mortale essere tirato fuori dal mare. Esso viene sottratto al suo elemento vitale per servire di nutrimento all’uomo. Ma nella missione del pescatore di uomini avviene il contrario. Noi uomini viviamo alienati, nelle acque salate della sofferenza e della morte; in un mare di oscurità senza luce. La rete del Vangelo ci tira fuori dalle acque della morte e ci porta nello splendore della luce di Dio, nella vera vita (Papa Benedetto)
We may ask ourselves: who is a witness? A witness is a person who has seen, who recalls and tells. See, recall and tell: these are three verbs which describe the identity and mission (Pope Francis, Regina Coeli April 19, 2015)
Possiamo domandarci: ma chi è il testimone? Il testimone è uno che ha visto, che ricorda e racconta. Vedere, ricordare e raccontare sono i tre verbi che ne descrivono l’identità e la missione (Papa Francesco, Regina Coeli 19 aprile 2015)

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