“The scribes and the Pharisees… all their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.“
Matthew 23
We may not know what a phylactery is or how to lengthen a tassel, but when Jesus criticizes the scribes and Pharisees, the message is clear - they are using these traditional symbols not for prayer but to bring honor to themselves. Their prestige from being religious leaders is used to get places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues.
A phylactery is simply a small box containing scripture which is tied to the arm or forehead during prayer. This very visible sign of devotion (still used by some today) was being corrupted by the religious leaders who wanted the admiration of all.
It’s always easy to dismiss the religious leaders of Jesus’ day as dense and judgmental. But sometimes we may wonder if we are really all that different. We may catch ourselves wanting to impress people by how we look or the importance of our jobs. If we carry titles which bring us honor, we may enjoy using those titles just a little more often than necessary. Perhaps we want to show people that we are devout, or how much we are giving up for Lent or how much time we spend in prayer each day. Hand-in-hand with each “blessing” of ours may be a judgment about people who don’t have important jobs, don’t look as polished as we do, and even those who pray differently or less publicly, or something that does not fit our standards.
Just as there is nothing wrong with the phylacteries or tassels of the religious leaders in Jesus’ time, there is nothing inherently wrong with titles in front of our names, good jobs, or wanting to be holy. But as Jesus cautions us in today’s gospel about titles and honors, he seems to be asking what priority these things have in our lives. How important are they? Have they become the focus of our lives?
Jesus is clear and direct: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” We must be servants for others, he says. Nothing is more important than caring for others and tending to those who have less than we do.
Jesus defended the weak and vulnerable of his day. A devout Jew, he broke with many traditions of his day, standing by lepers, speaking with women and making friends with tax collectors. He shows us with his life how to be a servant and how to stand up for those who have no one else. Carrying out that call from Jesus is not easy and may cause discomfort in our lives, but it is clearly what we are called to. Be a servant. Be humble. Don’t judge. Don’t move toward honors but away from them.
Jesus is not leaving us to deal with all of these challenges alone, but is there with us in those challenges. We will fall and fail and still, when we sit quietly opening our hearts at the end of the day and listen, we can feel the deepest love Jesus has for us and know that tomorrow we can try again.
Maureen McCann Waldron
The most important part of my life is my family – Jim my husband of 47 years and our two children. Our daughter Katy, a banker here in Omaha, and her husband John, have three wonderful children: Charlotte, Daniel and Elizabeth Grace. Our son Jack and his wife, Ellie, have added to our joy with their sons, Peter and Joseph.
I think family life is an incredible way to find God, even in (or maybe I should say, especially in) the most frustrating or mundane moments.
I am a native of the East Coast after graduating in 1971 from Archbishop John Carroll High School in suburban Philadelphia. I graduated from Creighton University in 1975 with a degree in Journalism and spent most of the next 20 years in corporate public relations in Omaha. I returned to Creighton in the 1990s and completed a master’s degree in Christian Spirituality in 1998.
As our children were growing up, my favorite times were always family dinners at home when the four of us would talk about our days. But now that our kids are gone from home, my husband and I have rediscovered how nice it is to have a quiet dinner together. I also have a special place in my heart for family vacations when the kids were little and four of us were away from home together. It’s a joy to be with my growing family.
Writing a Daily Reflection is always a graced moment, because only with God’s help could I ever write one. I know my own life is hectic, disjointed and imperfect and I know most of us have lives like that. I usually write from that point of view and I always seem to find some sentence, some word in the readings that speaks right to me, in all of my imperfection. I hope that whatever I write is in some way supportive of others.
It’s an incredibly humbling experience to hear from someone who was touched by something I wrote. Whether the note is from someone across campus or across the world, it makes me realize how connected we are all in our longing to grow closer to God.
