Be Not a Scribe
“In the course of his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.” Mark 12: 38-40
I believe there is a little of the scribe in all of us and that during our holy times it is more evident. It is something to pay attention to, and be weary of, as I think it is evident that the Lord sees through our self-righteousness.
Who were the scribes? The scribes were the ones who made sure that everyone was following the rules. You will see a lot of the scribes showing up in the Gospels because they were checking to see if Jesus was following the rules. They were so caught up in looking righteous that they overlooked being righteous. So concerned with Jesus doing things the right way, (as they saw it) that they overlooked God’s way. They in a sense are the tattlers in the schoolyard. But they think nothing of “devouring the widows house” as long as it was preceded with a lengthy prayer. The widows, who were the most vulnerable in society.
It makes me wonder what their fellow Jews thought of them. The pious Jews.
Is that something we need to be aware of as we proceed through this holy week? Are our prayer and devotion about looks or about fulfillment and service?
At times we (Christians) have been guilty of only being concerned for the “rules” and not as much for the mission. It will be our undoing because the Lord calls us to follow him, not our own mind, but his will. This can only be done if we look beyond ourselves and into the heart of God. It is through prayer that we learn what that will is.
It is Tuesday of Holy Week and we are on our way to a very painful time in the collective Christian experience. But we are looking toward the joy of Sunday where our story begins again. May we do so in humility and faith. May we look for a way to bring ourselves into a deeper relationship with Christ as our Holy Week progresses.
Note: Sorry that I missed yesterday…quite ill indeed.
