Homilies

31st SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: DENUNCIATION OF THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES

POPE PAUL VI once said, “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses” (EN 41).

Jesus sees the importance of the work of the scribes and the Pharisees for they have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. They are great teachers, in other words. But Jesus was aware that these people are hypocrites. Thus, his advice was: “Do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example”. Let us try to reflect on the observations of Jesus toward these two groups of people so that we can also get rid also of these tendencies.

First, the scribes and the Pharisees are not witnesses. As Jesus said, "they preach but they do not practice". I would say that this is also one of our weaknesses as humans. It is easier to say things, but to do them is another thing. Mostly leaders are good at this. They allow their subordinates to toe the line, but they fail to do it. Some teachers, too, have this tendency. They can be good in teaching things to students, but they could not apply these to themselves and to their own children. Pope Paul VI reminds us that modern people do not listen to leaders and teachers, but to witnesses. If modern men and women happen to listen to leaders and teachers, it is because they are witnesses. What we believe should be lived out.

Second, the scribes and the Pharisees are hypocrites. Jesus observed that “all their works are performed to be seen”. Our work of piety or spirituality is meant for God, and not for the people to know and appreciate them. Therefore, we should have a clean motive; we do not do it for display or personal gains. Some of our politicians belong to this category; they are the modern-day hypocrites. Many years ago, our city in Mindanao had its first overpass. It was much ballyhooed that the name of the congressman was printed on a big board and placed in the overpass so that people can read it. It was wrong because on the first place, he did not use his own money for it. Moreover, that is his job to serve the people and there is no need to have it acknowledged. This actually continues to this day. In every road project, there is always a signboard which prints the names of the politicians for the public acknowledgment.

Third, the scribes and the Pharisees are obsessed with honor. To have that, “they love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi’. So, places and titles are important for them. For most of us, this cannot be a problem because we are not used to sitting in the front seats in every celebration. In fact, even in Sunday masses, we would notice that front seats are seldom filled up, but back seats are. But, one time, I encountered two women who love front seats in the church.  This happened in one of the plush parishes in Manila. At the beginning of the Mass, I noticed two domestic helpers sitting on the front or first pew of the Church. When I began my preaching, I noticed that the two household helps were gone. Their seats were now occupied by two elderly and rich-looking ladies. I then learned that these two ladies often come to Church late, but they wanted those seat to be theirs, so, they sent the two domestic helpers before them.

Jesus reminds us to be true to our calling us Christians. He wants us to be witnesses by practicing what we teach and by learning to live out what we believe. He wants us also to be sincere in our pious works. Our motive for doing these is the enhancement of our relationship with God, but not to gain praises from other people. Lastly, honor may be important to our life, but we should not be obsessed by it. Obsession would lead to arrogance and boastfulness. Actually, if we want to be honorable before the eyes of God, we need to be lowly and humble.
 

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