March 6, 2023 - 10:54am

Lenten Meditation: Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Lenten Meditation: Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Matt. 23:1-12

“They make up heavy loads and pile them on the shoulders of others, but will not themselves lift a finger to ease the burden.” --Matthew 23:4

In my old office, I kept a post-it note on my computer monitor: “Be mindful of the work you leave for others.”

It’s a maxim from the writer, actor, and wiseman, “Judge” John Hodgeman. I heard or read the saying somewhere and scribbled it down, not realizing how much the words would come to haunt me (in a good way!). The impulse to put an item back on the wrong shelf in the grocery store as opposed to where I found it, my tendency to “mostly” clean something up, or seeking to evade necessary “busy work” in a shared project or initiative… it got a lot harder with those words in the back of my mind. “Be mindful of the work you leave for others.” All too often, my convenience was becoming someone else’s inconvenience. I thought my time was more special or more valuable than someone else’s.

I found that same message on my mind as I read today’s gospel. Jesus is addressing the Pharisees in the temple, but his argument with them is less about the content of their theology, than the character of their leadership. Why do they say one thing, but do another? Why do they make a show of their piety for other people? Why are they so concerned with their own personal honor and being shown respect? Jewish theology taught that the Torah and the laws of Moses were gifts from God, support and guidance for a fruitful and upright life. But in the hands of the Pharisees, faith became a burden instead of a boon. Blessed with knowledge and social esteem, Jesus accuses the Pharisees of not really caring about the people they are supposed to guide. They are not mindful of the work they leave for others–the toll their selfishness takes on people’s lives of faith.

Today: Leave a note to yourself, somewhere you will see it. It could be a verse of scripture, a line from a hymn, or a comment on the radio that was particularly thought provoking. Live with the words for this week and reflect on how they change you.

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