Hypocrites all...

The Gospel reading for today from the Common Lectionary:

1Τότε ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐλάλησεν τοῖς ὄχλοις καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ
2λέγων· ἐπὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι.
3πάντα οὖν ὅσα ἐὰν εἴπωσιν ὑμῖν ποιήσατε καὶ τηρεῖτε, κατὰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν μὴ ποιεῖτε· λέγουσιν γὰρ καὶ οὐ ποιοῦσιν.
4δεσμεύουσιν δὲ φορτία βαρέα [καὶ δυσβάστακτα] καὶ ἐπιτιθέασιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὤμους τῶν ἀνθρώπων, αὐτοὶ δὲ τῷ δακτύλῳ αὐτῶν οὐ θέλουσιν κινῆσαι αὐτά.
5πάντα δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν ποιοῦσιν πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· πλατύνουσιν γὰρ τὰ φυλακτήρια αὐτῶν καὶ μεγαλύνουσιν τὰ κράσπεδα,
6φιλοῦσιν δὲ τὴν πρωτοκλισίαν ἐν τοῖς δείπνοις καὶ τὰς πρωτοκαθεδρίας ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς
7καὶ τοὺς ἀσπασμοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἀγοραῖς καὶ καλεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ῥαββί.
 8Ὑμεῖς δὲ μὴ κληθῆτε ῥαββί· εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὑμῶν ὁ διδάσκαλος, πάντες δὲ ὑμεῖς ἀδελφοί ἐστε.
9καὶ πατέρα μὴ καλέσητε ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὑμῶν ὁ πατὴρ ὁ οὐράνιος.
10μηδὲ κληθῆτε καθηγηταί, ὅτι καθηγητὴς ὑμῶν ἐστιν εἷς ὁ Χριστός.
11ὁ δὲ μείζων ὑμῶν ἔσται ὑμῶν διάκονος.
12ὅστις δὲ ὑψώσει ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται καὶ ὅστις ταπεινώσει ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται.
Matthew 23: 1-12  (NA 8)

Today's Gospel is one of those interesting ones which serve as a warning to us all. Like the Grammarians (οἱ γραμματεῖς -word parsers) and Pharisees, we love to sit in Moses' Seat (ἐπὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως καθέδρας)  AND we do not practice what we preach (κατὰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν μὴ ποιεῖτε· λέγουσιν γὰρ καὶ οὐ ποιοῦσιν).

The Philosopher looks at this and in his despair derides the religious.  The Synagogue may just as well be the church in φιλοῦσιν δὲ τὴν πρωτοκλισίαν ἐν τοῖς δείπνοις καὶ τὰς πρωτοκαθεδρίας ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς.  Ask yourself are we any different from the Jews of Jesus time, we pretend but we too as so called Christians love to dress in fine robes and make a show of our places in Church.  Is it no wonder we hear from the youth of today that "I'm not religious, but I am spiritual."  Is it any wonder that the youth see our hypocrisy and leave "organized religion"?  Everything we do is for to be seen (v.5).  

But we ought not to despair for we are left in the end with a comforting thought if we but head it.  The lofty will become our servants and if we approach our thought, our religion, our doings in the everyday world, and are humble in our "lived experiences" (Erlebnisse), we will be alright.  We have but one Rabbi and one Father, and we ought to recognize that in our doings (ποιήσατε).

Wait for it, the punch line, because there is always a punch line (a line that punches you in the face) in Jesus' sayings:"those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." (v. 12)

But then again we already know that.  Don't we?  Perhaps we need the reminder. 
Humility is the key!