Read the passage: The Message or The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
Click here for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.
Just in case you thought Jesus got himself killed for being meek and mild mannered, this week we have a text full of Jesus swearing, cursing and insulting.
Unfortunately, they were the religious leaders of their day. They - like us - were the ones who studied the Bible, who prayed regularly, and who earnestly sought to live in accordance with Biblical teachings. That is, they are who we are now.
Frankly, I'm not sure where the Good News is in this passage. If we sort out the attacks on the Scribes and Pharisees as being "chaff," then I suppose there is some "wheat," in the teaching about how we are to live:
- Listen to those who are knowledgeable about the Bible and practice what they teach.
- Make sure that we ourselves practice what we preach.
- Don't lay heavy, strict, narrow moral burdens on others.
- Don't make a show of our faith.
- Be humble; don't look for fancy titles or other rewards.
- Treat one another as equals.
This might be a good opportunity to recognize that passages like this have a shameful history of being the fuel for violence against Jews.
David Ewart,
www.davidewart.ca
