Gospel: Matthew
23:1-12
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.”
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Reflection:
Who is a
true follower of Jesus?
A true
follower of Jesus is someone who is simple, he doesn’t think highly of himself neither he isolates himself
in an ivory tower so that others will look-up to him. A follower mingles and
interacts with the people, he doesn’t throw judgment on anyone regardless who
they may be.
A true
follower lives and breathes humility, its part and parcel of his way of life. How
then can we be humble, how then can we live and breathe humility and how then can
we make it our way of life? We always have to do things with the end in mind
that everything that we do we do for the greater glory of God. We don’t do
things for our own glory, we don’t do things for us to be praised to high
heavens.
Many of
the Pharisees during Jesus time had a mentality of superiority perhaps this was
because they were the ruling power. They love to give commands, they love to be
looked-up and they crave for prominence and respect. Servanthood and humility was
farthest from their mind.
From time
to time we need to ask ourselves, Am I a true follower of Jesus? Or I’m
becoming more like the Pharisees who always seeks prominence, honor and
attention. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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