Readings: Mal 1: 14b-2: 2b, 8-10 1 Thes 2: 7b-9, 13 Mt 23: 1-12
God has a problem with authority. He is not pleased with those who use their power over others to benefit themselves. Although the prophetic book of Malachi quotes the Lord as saying “ O priests, you have turned aside from my way and have caused many to falter, therefore I have made you contemptible and base before all the people” and Jesus tells his followers not to follow the example of their religious leaders, it would be a mistake to limit God’s unhappiness with just their actions. If the scripture is to be made real we must ask ourselves some questions. For starters, what does it mean to have authority over someone? It means that others look for us to set an example. If you are in the second grade, the first graders look up to you. Whether you are a boss, a parent, a sister of a brother, someone looks to you for good example. If you profess to be a Roman Catholic others are watching. All of us have authority. The next question is what form does that authority take? Jesus points out that the problem with the Pharisees was that they never practiced what they preached. I wonder how many of us have resorted to the philosophy of do what I say and not as I do when we interact with those who look to us? Young people seem to have a knack of picking out those who can’t “walk the walk” very quickly. What kind of example do we give them? One of the reasons the Pope is so popular with youth is that they recognize his authenticity. Someone once described Mother Theresa as the most powerful person they had ever met. Surely this was not because she had authority over an army or power in a worldly sense. She had authority because she was consistent in word and deed. Jesus tells us “the greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but who ever humbles himself will be exalted”. If you look closely at the words of scripture this Sunday you will notice that true authority has a great deal of maternal characteristics. The responsorial psalm describes true peace as being quiet “like a weaned child on its mother’s lap”. Those with true authority have a sense of peace and quiet about them. Restlessness has given way to quiet. Thessalonians describes those in authority as being “gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children” and “with such affection for you that we shared our very selves.” Selflessness is also a quality of true authority.
Jesus also has difficulty with those who do their work in order to be seen. Those who have authority in the Kingdom of God work for the glory of God not to be seen. William Barkley in his scripture commentary says, “The whole design of the Christian should be to obliterate himself, so that if men see his good deeds they may glorify not him but his Father in heaven”. Those with authority never draw attention to themselves and frequently use phrases like “Thank God” and “With the help of God”. Thessalonians challenges us to “give thanks to God unceasingly, that in receiving the Word of God you received not a human word but as it is, the word of God, which is now at work in you who believe” If we allow ourselves to be instruments of this Word we will live our lives with the authority that Jesus had as he called all people to conversion and peace. In you Lord we have found our peace and with your help we can bring it to all those who look to us for example.