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Reformation Day Sermons:
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Do As I Say and Not as I Do!
a sermon based on Matthew 23:1-12
by Rev. Elizabeth Ann Quick
I 've not yet experienced
what it is like to be a parent, but I can tell you, from a child's
perspective, that there's not much greater joy than when you can catch
your parent doing something they've been telling you not
to do. All along, your parent tries to teach you something, like to
always tell the truth, or to stay away from alcohol, or to always clean
up messes, or to be a responsible driver. And then, you catch them in
the act - of going 80 on the thruway (in this I speak from personal
experience), or of telling a white lie. And you know, as a child, you've
got them right where you want them - your parents aren't even doing
themselves what they've insisted you do! From a parents' perspective of
course, the situation is a nightmare, and the best a parent can usually
come up with is to remind the child: Do as I say, and not as I
do! After all, parents know better, and in their wisdom, may have
some good reasons, though mysterious and unknown to children, for their
behavior. In reality, though, parents hopefully more often choose to
lead by example. The best way to teach someone and convince someone of
what is right is by living these behaviors ourselves. In the church, we
call this "practicing what we preach" and we call failure to practice
what we teach hypocrisy.
Hypocrisy is one of the topics Jesus frequently
addressed in his teachings, and he was most likely to bring up the topic
when he was talking to or about the religious leaders in the community - the Pharisees. The Pharisees were scholars of the law, or the
commandments. They interpreted the commandments in the scriptures to see
how they should be applied in everyday life. For example, if the
scriptures say we should keep the Sabbath holy, the Pharisees would
debate and discuss exactly what this meant - exactly what is prohibited
and what is allowable to do on the Sabbath? The Pharisees sought to
follow God's commandments, just as we today seek to interpret how the
Bible guides us in our daily living, and in their study of the law,
counted over six hundred commandments that should be followed for
faithful living.
But Jesus accused the Pharisees of missing the mark,
and losing the message in their quest for obedience to the law. He warns
the crowds against them - he tell them, "the scribes and Pharisees are
in the line of Moses, and know the commandments, so listen to them, and
follow as they teach, but don't do what they do, for they do not
practice what they teach. Jesus then continues on to accuse the scribes
and Pharisees of several faults in his words to the crowds. He accuses
them of not practicing their own teachings. He accuses them of laying
burdens onto others that are hard to bear, without offering to "lift a
finger" to help ease the load. He accuses them of making a show of their
faith. He says that they "make their phylacteries broad and their
fringes long. Phylacteries were boxes that were tied to the arm and
forehead that contained words of scripture in them, and fringes were
part of a garment worn by Jewish men. The long fringes and phylacteries
would be worn not by common people, but by the Pharisees, as a show of
their devotion. Jesus insisted that it was actually a show of pride in
their own piety. And Jesus accuses the Pharisees of being obsessed with
titles and positions and places of honor.
Jesus criticizes the Pharisees not for seeking
to follow the commandments. Jesus himself said that he came to fulfill
the law, not abolish the law, and so he urges us to follow the
commandments as the Pharisees teach. But Jesus criticizes them for
taking what is meant as a gift or a tool for our discipleship - God's
commandments for our living - and turning them into something that is a
weighty burden, or a point of pride that separates and elevates some of
us above and beyond others. (1) Where does our obedience to God's
commandments come from? From a sense of duty, or from a heart full of
desire to love and follow God? When does our following of the
commandments separate us from following God?
Jesus wanted the Pharisees to close the gap between
their words and their actions. And it is not only the religious leaders
that need this reminder. We must remember that Jesus had the most
criticism for those who were inside the religious community - people
like you and me who would consider ourselves generally obedient to the
commandments. I think that we, like the Pharisees, make our own mental
lists of commandments that are important to follow and interpretations
of what God's commandments mean for us - I know I do it myself. Perhaps
we do not have as many as the Pharisee's 600+, but I think that each of
us has an idea of what we consider the essentials - the core beliefs you
must have to be a Christian, or the core practices you must follow, or,
perhaps more likely, the core list of things you can't do or
believe and still count yourself as a Christian. What's on our lists?
Perhaps it goes without saying to have things like murder on our list.
Maybe we can put the ten commandments in general on our list, as long as
we don't get too specific or worried about honoring the Sabbath, or
coveting the things that others have. Maybe our list includes
prohibitions against sex outside of marriage, or gambling, or drinking.
And we can probably make a case for everything on our list, and find a
verse in the Bible that tells us what we are and aren't supposed to do.
Be careful, Jesus says. Are we tying up heavy burdens
on others? Are we, with our requirements for faithful living, making it
impossible for others to live up to our standards? Are we proud of
ourselves, and proud of our community of faith, and convinced that we
live pretty good lives, not doing anything too bad, and in our
confidence, do we make others feel overwhelmed with what it would take
to become a disciple? In all their obedience, and all their efforts,
even with the scriptures literally tied to them, the Pharisees still
didn't practice what they preached. In the phylacteries, the words that
Jesus calls the greatest commandment are printed: "Love the Lord you God
with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength." And Jesus
taught that our love of God is best expressed in loving one another.
Perhaps the burden of trying to follow these two commandment, follow
them thoroughly, consistently, and frequently - perhaps that is enough
of a burden for all of us to bear.
Thankfully, there is one teacher we know we can trust
- in Jesus, we find one whose words and actions always match, who always
practiced what he preached, and who promised to give us an easy burden
that we could bear to carry, comforted in the arms of God's grace. So
let us be content to be students of the law of love. For all who exalt
themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be
exalted.
Amen.
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(1) see Kari Jo Verhulst, "Living the Word,"
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