DON’T JUST TALK THE TALK
Do as they say, not as they do. That is what Jesus said about the religious leaders of his time. Could he say that about leaders in the Church today? Could he say that about Christians today?
Speaking as a cleric, a religious brother and a leader in God’s family, today’s reading always gives me pause. “Call no one father for you have only one Father who is in Heaven.” Does Jesus actually mean that? If so, then why do we call priests father?
The heart of what Jesus is saying I think is that in the family of God, no one is better than anyone else. We are all a mixture of saint and sinner. We are all equally loved by God our Father, our Abba.
At the time of Jesus many religious leaders used to lord it over the people. They demanded taxes from the people without a thought for whether this would push people into poverty or homelessness. In medieval times many bishops and priests saw themselves as aristocrats.
This is not Jesus’ vision of the Kingdom or of the Church. Jesus reminds us that we are all brothers and sisters. He tells us that we have one teacher or rabbi, His Spirit.
Sure we have different roles. Some are chosen for leadership but in the Church leadership is a service. It is a service of listening, of empowering, of involving and of raising up. It is trying to serve as Jesus served.
