"But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."
Matthew 23:8-12
There are some interesting ideas here. I like the idea that we are all brothers and sisters, and that we shouldn't differentiate ourselves by rank or class. That isn't always easy to do, since those things are sort of baked into our social structure, but the idea that we don't need that is compelling, and the idea that we should treat each other as brothers and sisters, no matter what else might be going on is also a strong idea, which perhaps we can use to work for change. Removing some of that "classism" from the way that we treat others or expect to be treated could perhaps ameliorate or even alter the inequities of our society.
A related idea here is that greatness is shown through service. If we work for our individual greatness, then it won't work, but if we remain humble and work for the greatness of the community as a whole, then we can gain the power to accomplish those righteous goals.
The ideas of unity and community that flow through these verses make me think of the ideal of a Zion community, where there are no poor because everyone shares with each other, voluntarily. That kind of a society can seem really far away sometimes, but today... let's remember that we can help make it happen, and that it is these small principles that Christ teaches us that can help us get there. As we master these ideas of treating people as siblings and serving our fellow men we set an example for others, and we grow closer to that ideal. The more of us that work at it, the closer we will get... and eventually we WILL get there, because God will help us as we do his work.
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."
Matthew 23:8-12
There are some interesting ideas here. I like the idea that we are all brothers and sisters, and that we shouldn't differentiate ourselves by rank or class. That isn't always easy to do, since those things are sort of baked into our social structure, but the idea that we don't need that is compelling, and the idea that we should treat each other as brothers and sisters, no matter what else might be going on is also a strong idea, which perhaps we can use to work for change. Removing some of that "classism" from the way that we treat others or expect to be treated could perhaps ameliorate or even alter the inequities of our society.
A related idea here is that greatness is shown through service. If we work for our individual greatness, then it won't work, but if we remain humble and work for the greatness of the community as a whole, then we can gain the power to accomplish those righteous goals.
The ideas of unity and community that flow through these verses make me think of the ideal of a Zion community, where there are no poor because everyone shares with each other, voluntarily. That kind of a society can seem really far away sometimes, but today... let's remember that we can help make it happen, and that it is these small principles that Christ teaches us that can help us get there. As we master these ideas of treating people as siblings and serving our fellow men we set an example for others, and we grow closer to that ideal. The more of us that work at it, the closer we will get... and eventually we WILL get there, because God will help us as we do his work.
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