Above: Woe Unto You, Scribes and Pharisees, by James Tissot
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
O God, generous and supreme, your loving Son lived among us,
instructing us in the ways of humility and justice.
Continue to ease our burdens, and lead us to serve alongside of him,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 51
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The Assigned Readings:
Jeremiah 5:18-31 (Monday)
Lamentations 2:13-17 (Tuesday)
Proverbs 16:21-33 (Wednesday)
Psalm 5 (All Days)
1 Thessalonians 2:13-20 (Monday)
Acts 13:1-12 (Tuesday)
Matthew 15:1-9 (Wednesday)
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Braggarts cannot stand in your sight;
you hate all those who work wickedness.
You destroy those who speak lies;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful, O LORD, you abhor.
–Psalm 5:6-7, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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The dominant theme of these days’ readings is that false prophets are bad people whom God will punish. Related to that theme is another: following false prophets leads to a bad end. I have summarized that point, which the lessons state eloquently, so I will not dwell on it. A side comment germane to the topic is that nobody who taught me in Sunday School when I was a child mentioned the story from Acts 13, in which St. Paul the Apostle blinds Elymas the sorcerer with only the power of words and the Holy Spirit. I could have sworn also that Jesus said to love one’s enemies and that the Apostle wrote that people should overcome evil with good, so I have some unanswered questions about that story. Maybe those in charge of my childhood Sunday School classes considered the tale too troublesome, assuming that they knew of it. Many of my childhood Sunday School teachers seemed to know remarkably little about the Bible and much of what they did “know” was objectively wrong. But I digress.
I choose to focus instead on Matthew 15:1-9. Jesus chastises some Pharisees for obsessing over an extra-biblical point of ritual hand-washing–a matter of the theology of cleanliness and uncleanliness, of purity and impurity–while accepting gifts which should go instead to support the aging parents of the donors. Donating wealth to the Temple for the support of professional religious people could be a pious act or a dodge of one’s obligation to honor one’s parents; motivation made all the difference. Our Lord and Savior’s driving point remains relevant, for how we treat each other (especially within families) matters to God. Related to that point is a second: do not obsess about minor points and imagine that doing so makes one holy while one violates major points.
I, as an Episcopalian, embrace the Anglican Three-Legged Stool: Scripture, tradition, and reason. A better mental image is a tricycle, with Scripture as the big wheel. My theology places tradition in a place of respect, where it belongs. Thus I reject certain Protestant interpretations of Matthew 15:1-9 as a condemnation of all extra-biblical tradition. My reasoning extends beyond the fact of my chosen denomination, for I understand that even those who criticize extra-biblical traditions of others for being extra-biblical have their own. Such criticism reeks of hypocrisy.
No, I situate my criticism of those Pharisees where Jesus did: neglecting human needs while providing theological cover for the practice. Those who engage in such behaviors are truly false teachers who harm others. And God is watching them.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 7, 2014 COMMON ERA
PROPER 18: THE THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF THE SAINTS AND MARTYRS OF THE PACIFIC
THE FEAST OF ELIE NAUD, HUGUENOT WITNESS TO THE FAITH
THE FEAST OF JANE LAURIE BORTHWICK, TRANSLATOR OF HYMNS
THE FEAST OF JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER, POET
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Adapted from this post:
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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