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We need to roll up our sleeves and do the work.

March 7, 2023

Isaiah 1:2–4,16–20  |  Psalm 50:7–15,22–24  |  Matthew 23:1–12

As a person who identified as “agnostic” in my early twenties, part of my rejection of religion came from my observations of people who I know believed themselves to be faithful, but who, to me seemed false. One example was an old friend’s mother who regularly petitioned her adult child to attend Sunday Mass even though she knew he was not aligned to the teachings of their church. She would go to church on Sundays and live each week believing she had therefore “checked the box” of being a good Christian. It was clear that, for her, this attendance was the critical activity required for salvation. The pressure she put on her son, and her wrath in his rejection, led to him to regularly lie about his own attendance.  He would time a scenic drive around the local neighborhoods to align with the hours of a service to give the appearance of meeting her wishes. 

It’s not that the mother was a “bad” person, it just seemed to me that her focus was wrong. The act of showing up at church, standing up, sitting down, and mumbling a bunch of words doesn’t, in and of itself, open the door to being Saved. I never recall her talking about her church community, reflect on the meaning of a sermon, or consider what she might do differently in her life to be better or do more for others. She had come from a poor background but in that time lived a life of wealth and privilege. Her most redeeming quality was her fierce love and devotion to her family. I like to imagine that her deepest to connection to God was perhaps manifested through these latter expressions of emotion she embodied.

In Matthew 23: 1-12, the statement (regarding the scribes and Pharisees) reminds me of my friend’s mother: “They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long.” She seemed to believe that being seen at Sunday mass made her a good Christian. If only it were that easy. This gospel makes it clear that it’s not about appearances. We need to roll up our sleeves and do the work. Every day. At St. Luke’s our Confession and Absolution gives us an opportunity to inwardly reflect our own imperfect journeys to this end. Each week: what have we done and what have we left undone? What can we do differently to be better, kinder people? How can we keep our hearts open to God and the teachings of Jesus? It is not appearances that matter. It is how and when you are present with others and show up to do what is right in the eyes of God.

Jennifer Cormier