Humility - Way to Eternal Life (Matthew 23:1-12)

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

November 05, 2023

Mal 1:14-2:2.8-10; 1 Thes 2:7-9.13; Mt 23:1-12

Humility - Way to Eternal Life

Today’s liturgical readings remind us of the need to hold firm to the message of eternal life by practicing the Christian virtue of humility. Humility guarantees and safeguards our faith. It is a call to lead and teach rightly the message of eternal life. It is a call to live rightly, to be just, and most importantly, to glorify God our creator. The Thessalonians, as soon as they heard the message of Saint Paul, accepted it as God’s message and not something human.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns us not to follow the hypocritical way like that of the Pharisees. Phylacteries & tassels are strange vestments to us. The scribes and pharisees wear them at prayer. They are of small leather boxes strapped to their wrists and forehead, called phylacteries. They each contain four important passages of the Hebrew bible. The scribes and pharisees even increased the size of these to draw attention to themselves. But the design of Jesus is not to pay most attention to oneself: “He who loses himself finds himself”, and “The greatest among you shall be the one who serves the rest.” 

Jesus denounces “show-off-religion” which has no life and in fact, is opposed to the message of eternal life. What Jesus is denouncing here is earthly pride which is opposed to eternal life. Jesus in no way permits us to disrespect authorities or to insult those in position by calling them derogatory names instead of giving them the honor that is due to them. Such behavior would equally, run contrary to the messages of eternal life which says: “Honor your father and mother,” (Ex 20, 12); “Obey your leaders and submit to them…(Heb 13, 17); and finally, “Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority ….(1Tim 2, 2). Jesus simply wants us to be true to the message of eternal life. 

The punishment is intended for the proud. Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased. If God gives repentance to the proud, they will be abased or exalted in their own eyes. If they don’t repent, they will be exalted before the world. Nebuchadnezzar, in the height of his pride, was turned to be a fellow-commoner with the beasts. Herod became a feast for the worms. Babylon, that sat as a queen, became the scorn of nations. God made the proud and aspiring priests contemptible and base (Mal. 2:9), and the lying prophet to be the tail, Isa. 9:15. If the proud do not humble themselves, there is a day coming, when they shall rise to everlasting shame and contempt (Dan. 12:2)

The preferment intended is for the humble. He that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Humility is that ornament which is in the sight of God of great price. In this world, the humble may not have the honor of being accepted but in the sight of the holy God, they become wise. They shall be exalted to inherit the throne of glory and be crowned, before angels. Humility is not deference in dealing with others, but is primarily a dependence on the mercy of God for salvation, rather than a dependence on our own self-righteousness to receive eternal life.