For many years Catholics were discouraged from reading scripture. There were many reasons for this practice, but the main one was the lack of education of most of the population. Books were scarce, and mistakes in those books were common. Universities were places of learning from books for the privileged few, whereas most of the population learnt their faith from preaching, songs, poems, statues and stained glass windows. Direct reading of the scriptures by those who were not experts in these times introduced a great margin for error.
A little knowledge can be quite dangerous.
Last week I was in the jail when I was confronted with a man who asked me why I allowed people to call me Father. I was clearly wrong, he insisted, and the scripture clearly stated this fact. When I asked him whether teacher s and rabbis needed to be banished them from our vocabulary as well, he became defensive, but stuck to his guns. It was written there and he was not to be dissuaded from his assertion. When know we are ignorant we are empowered to listen to those with knowledge, but when we believe that we have all the answers, we are in big trouble.
The gospel passage today can be taken to condemn all Jews, as well as banishing us from using the words father, teacher and rabbi. If we do so we will be missing the point and allowing scripture to speak only to our prejudices. The unbroken tradition of the church, teaching these passages over the last two thousand years, speaks to us far more holistically.
If we are more concerned with position, pomp and power than service, then we shall be mimicking the worst excesses of the Pharisees. If any of us think that we are better, closer to God or more worthy because of our position or calling, then we are placing ourselves in the position of God and do not warrant the title teacher, father, rabbi, dad, mum, granny, officer, mr, mrs, or any other term of respect. The greatest among you must be your servant. Christ lived perfect servant leadership.
Jesus called us to be humble in discipleship and to whatever leadership we called. This is non-negotiable for a Christian. It is just as well that today we investigated the new translation of the Confiteor before Mass. At the beginning of Mass we are given the opportunity to acknowledge our need for God and be humble before him and each other. It is a lifelong task! May God accompany us on the way.
Homily, 30th October 2011, OLQP, 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A
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