Rabbi, Father and teachers? Be present to yourselves, not at the mercy of approval

(Mt 23:1-12)

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

At the time of Jesus, such obsessions dominated, with their sickening arrogance, and were therefore only superficial, incapable of giving breath, freedom, or motivating force.

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

In fact, the Tao Te Ching (iv) says: 'The Tao mitigates its splendour, makes itself like its dust. What depth! It seems to have always existed'.

Master Wang Pi comments: '[That which has no origin], by blunting its points, does not hurt creatures; by unravelling its knots, it does not tire them; by mitigating its light, it does not debase their bodies; by making itself like its dust, it does not disturb their authenticity'.

Master Ho-shang Kung adds: 'Even though you have extraordinary splendour, you must know how to remain in darkness and gloom [...], make yourself like dirt and dust, together with the crowds: you must not differentiate yourself from them'.

Our reality is woven with contrasting states, which innervate and complete it, even making it advance. Even transforming it into a raging torrent.

Rejection, abandonment, an experience of failure, limitation, illness or lack of self-esteem - even a setback - can bring us back to the dormant energies of life and give birth to the new Person.

In this way:

How can we get in touch with our new ways of being? What steps can we take to enter into a dynamic of regeneration that helps to develop a lively atmosphere - and where do we start?

Jesus proposes Faith: a fundamental 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 another point of view.

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

This takes place over the course of a journey (unique, not copied or external). Even on the spot, it can be annoying because it goes against the grain.

The religious authorities, on the other hand, sought their security in the strict and ostentatious observance of the written and oral Law.

Without risk, without dizzying personalisation.

Faced with this accommodating, unadventurous mentality, the young Master insists on the practice of Friendship [much stronger than voluntarism], which relativises fulfilments.

He thus gave deep Tradition its true meaning, rediscovering the authentic sense of the Torah and the rules of behaviour.

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 elected, recognised, selected, chosen models - almost as if they had been sent from above.

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

Just like the ancient professionals of religion, who pushed for conformism, legalism and moralism; accustomed to showing off, dictating judgement, and conditioning the very course of the Law.

Then, as skilled specialists, they always found any excuse to say and not do - and pass themselves off as 'impeccable believers':

'They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger' (v. 4).

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

But in their conduct they have no intimate, determining and rooted principle, remaining prey to situations; light as butterflies.

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

A spirit of elitism and empty exaltation that Matthew notes winding its way even among his veterans of the community in Galilee and Syria.

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

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

Self-proclaimed superiors, with limited and reductive standards of judgement.

In terms of the experience of faith, the Lord commands us instead to be all brothers and sisters - that is, equals - in the certainty of one Father.

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

In Deus Caritas est (n. 35):

"This right way of serving makes the servant humble. He does not assume a position of superiority over others, however poor their situation may be at the moment. Christ took the last place in the world — the cross — and it is precisely through this radical humility that he redeemed us and constantly helps us. Those who are in a position to help recognise that it is precisely in this way that they themselves are helped; it is not their merit or a source of pride that they are able to help. This task is a grace. The more one works for others, the more one will understand and make one's own the words of Christ: "We are useless servants" (Lk 17:10). For one recognises that one is acting not on the basis of personal superiority or greater efficiency, but because the Lord has given one this gift. At times, excessive need and the limits of one's own work may expose one to the temptation of discouragement. But then he will be helped by the knowledge that, ultimately, he is only an instrument in the Lord's hands; he will thus be freed from the presumption of having to achieve, on his own and by himself, the necessary improvement of the world. In humility, he will do what he can 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 we can and as long as he gives us the strength to do so. However, doing what we can with the strength we have 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 everyone who wants to be present in their 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.

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

On the contrary, by insisting on the attitude [which is indeed infallible] of mutual service, there will be no more time to be caught up in vanity, disputes over precedence, arguments, or the gap between words and deeds.

Where can the theatre of disaffection, which depresses rather than invigorates the people of God, start again?

From the everlasting scribes and Pharisees (v. 2), who are always exaggerated in their spirit of control.

Well, according to the Gospels, those who take on leadership roles in the Church are not entitled to any 'ribbons': they are simply 'deacons' (v. 11) of their brothers and sisters.

To internalise and live the message:

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