Matthew 23

[Wardog]

Last Sunday’s Gospel started me thinking about what Jesus would say about the Church today. Is there a similarity to the Pharisees of whom Jesus spoke and the Magisterium today? If not, please explain the difference.

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

 

[Ahimsa]

Last Sunday’s Gospel started me thinking about what Jesus would say about the Church today. Is there a similarity to the Pharisees of whom Jesus spoke and the Magisterium today? If not, please explain the difference.

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

What Jesus criticized can be applied to any religious organization, whether it’s Pharisaic Judaism, the institutional Vatican, or the Southern Baptist Convention. No human institution is perfect.

Having said that, the solution is not to destroy the institution (and Jesus never recommended disbanding the Jewish authority structures), but infusing the institution with new life, by reminding people of the true essentials of religion: see all men and women as brothers and sisters under one God, and being humble and a servant to all living beings.

 

[JRKH]

Actually I don’t see much problem with this.
If Jesus looked at the Church of any era, he would find good and bad teachers.

the thing that we should note abut Mt 23 is that Jesus tells US to be obedient to the teachings of those who sit on Moses seat (now the seat of Peter) regardless of the acts of the individual teachers. In this way we remain faithful to Christ.

So - remain faithful to the teachings of the Church. Where there are sinful teachers, they can be easily recognized and prayed for…after all they are human too.

Peace
James

 

[Bookcat]

Actually I don’t see much problem with this.
If Jesus looked at the Church of any era, he would find good and bad teachers.

the thing that we should note abut Mt 23 is that Jesus tells US to be obedient to the teachings of those who sit on Moses seat (now the seat of Peter) regardless of the acts of the individual teachers. In this way we remain faithful to Christ.

And thanks be to God for the humble and wonderful Pope Benedict XVI!

(and of course the multitude of others)

 

[ahs]

Actually I don’t see much problem with this.
If Jesus looked at the Church of any era, he would find good and bad teachers.

the thing that we should note abut Mt 23 is that Jesus tells US to be obedient to the teachings of those who sit on Moses seat (now the seat of Peter) regardless of the acts of the individual teachers. In this way we remain faithful to Christ.

So - remain faithful to the teachings of the Church. Where there are sinful teachers, they can be easily recognized and prayed for…after all they are human too.

Peace
James

…YES!

 

[underacloud]

I am reminded of a wonderful quote, but I can’t recall who said it. I will try to find it. The essence of it is that no matter how low the practices of the Catholic Church have decended at times, her teaching has not descended to that level.

Yes, many who constitute the magersterium, now or at any point in history, may well be similar to the Pharisees (or even worse). There have been popes of (arguably) highly dubious character. But the Holy Spirit guards the Church from any teaching errors, and we rightly remain bound by the Church’s teaching, no matter what we think of the teachers.