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.
It may sometimes be necessary to be obedient to authority even when the moral character of that authority leaves something to be desired. If those in authority teach the truth than it is true regardless of their own hypocrisy. If what they command is in accord with the divine law it holds no matter whether or not they themselves act uprightly. But it is important to not allow any flaws in their character to rub off on us. It is all too easy to excuse our own behavior when we see it reflected by those in authority. It is tempting to think we must sink to the lowest common denominator to compete on the terms of the world. But this will ensure that progress away from that which we despise is slow or nonexistent.
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.
Christians ought to be aware of the fact that we all preach without practicing to some degree. This is because we strive for holiness which always remains at least partially aspirational during our mortal lives. But we ought not to have comfortably settled in to hypocrisy as a matter of course. We must not become those who are ready to tell others how to live a life of righteousness while being indifferent to our own. It is only when we recognize our own struggle adequately that we will be moved to help with other people's burdens.
The authorities in the time of Jesus colluded to tie up the heavy burden of the cross and to force Jesus to carry it, utterly indifferent to the suffering they caused. Jesus, however, refused to inflict any burden without helping. He carried the cross for us all when we were too weak to do so. And about every other burden he said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (see Matthew 11:28). He would have our only burden be the one which he himself helps us to carry. This is the starting place where we find the leverage to be similarly sympathetic and compassionate ourselves. Then we can obey the command of Paul to the Galatians, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (see Galatians 6:2).
Jesus wants to teach us to have love and mercy be our main motivations. We can do this when we first allow his own love to touch our hearts and respond with thanks. The alternative is to try to live righteous lives on our own without his help. But if we do this we will try to scrape together some sort of payment in order to justify the project to our egos. It may be something as vain as religious attire or professional sounding salutations. It will, of course, leave our ego wanting more. But if we leave it to run free it will take at least what it can get. Let us consider instead the truth of our position, living humbly and thankfully as servants privileged to share the burden of Christ.
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.
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