Join the All-Inclusive Club

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121619.cfm
Numbers, 24:2-7, 15-17
Matthew 21:23-27

In the gospels we hear a lot about the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, chief priests and elders. In general they are described as those resisting Jesus on a semi-continuous basis and conspired to have Him killed. So we will begin with a short description of what their functions were. Most of the description of the various functions are taken from an article that appeared in the March 2009 issue of U. S. Catholic.

The Pharisees were the keeper and interpreters of the Law or the first five books of the Old Testament. They also advocated for continuing of the interpretations of the Torah. After the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD they brought the religious life out of the Temple and into homes, synagogues, and the lives of everyday people thus preserving the traditions and beliefs of the Jewish people. Unfortunately, they had a big problem with Jesus taking on the authority of God by healing people, interpreting the Law and forgiving sins.

The Sadducees upheld traditional practices and beliefs of the Jewish faith and that worship at the Temple maintained the covenant between God and Israel. Like the Pharisees, they opposed Jesus who challenged just about every religious authority He encountered.

The elders acted as community leaders and judges. The chief priests were members of the high priestly families or those acting with the authority of the high priests. Finally, the scribes were probably lawyers or judges. The scribes interpreted Jewish law but they did not make the law. Their problem with Jesus was that He claimed authority over the law.

In today’s reading of the gospel, Jesus is teaching in the temple area. The chief priests and elders approached Jesus and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered, “I shall ask you one question and if you answer it for me I will shall tell you by what authority I do these things. Where was John’s baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?” They knew that by answering earthly authority many followers of John would rebel against them and if they answered heavenly authority then they would have to explain why they did not follow the teachings of John. So, they answered, “We do not know.” Jesus responded to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, chief priests and elders were the elite. It was like the club of the one percent of the one percenters and Jesus was not a member of the club. After all, Jesus was a commoner, the son of a carpenter. Who the heck did He think He was speaking to the elite like that? How dare He teach in the Temple without the permission slip from these gate keepers.

Here you see the beginnings of certain clubs. If you do not belong to the club then you are not welcome to infringe upon them. Even the apostles had a bit of club attitude at one point. In Luke 9:49 John says to Jesus that someone who is not one of them is casting out demons in Jesus’ name. Jesus tells John not to hinder the man. If he is not against you then he is for you.

Well, things haven’t changed much in 2000 years. We still have clubs. If you want to succeed in politics it helps to be a member of the political club. We are members of a club by virtue of the fact that we meet together once a week and share common beliefs. We also belong to a very big club called the Catholic Church.

I personally love my Catholic faith. I love the liturgy, the incense, the candles, benediction, and above all the ability to receive the Eucharist. I am proud of the charity hospitals that the Catholic Church supports, the Marian House in Colorado Springs, our stance against abortion, etc. I know we have problems but who doesn’t. I have to admit, I am partial to any athlete that I see make the sign of the cross because I know we are in the same club. I remember watching a football game and one of the announcers said, “Well, it looks like their only hope is a Hail Mary full of grace.” At this point it got kind of quiet before he finally corrected himself. I forget the name of the announcer, but I knew, at this point, he was a member of the club too.

While writing this, I recalled a conversation with my next door neighbor in St. Louis, Bill. He, knew I was Catholic and I knew he was a Mason. He was a good friend and we would chat out in the yard all the time. He was retired from Bell Telephone and was telling me that when he was working at Bell managers would change frequently. If the manager was a Mason, then the Protestants would get preference for promotions. If the manager was a Knight of Columbus then Catholics would get preference.

We all have problems with what we believe to belong exclusively to us. Some of the biggest disagreements I witnessed at work was over turf. Someone would do something that overlapped with someone else’s area of responsibility and all heck would break loose. There would be poison pen letters to managers, vice presidents, and CEO about the very idea that someone would infringe on his or her sacred area of responsibility.

Now aren’t these the very same problem the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, elders and chief priests had with Jesus. Let us remember that we are all members of God’s family. We do not want to commit the sin of pride by thinking we are better than anyone else, especially those who are not in our particular club and hold different opinions. We need to consider everyone we meet to be a child of God and be willing to listen to their point of view. This does not mean we have to agree with them but we are called to love them and give them the respect they deserve. In the cases where someone or some group is against us, then we are called to pray for them.

What we forget is that every single thing in this universe was created by our God and every living person is a member of one all-inclusive club. We all have different and multiple functions and identities. We are husbands, fathers, teachers, engineers, lawyers, military retirees, doctors, plumbers, carpenters, contractors etc. but we all share the same primary identity. We are all beloved of the Father, brother and friend of Jesus, and a temple of the Holy Spirit. Even though some may not recognize this identity, it still is true for them as well as us.