OXYGEN

22 Mar
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Isaiah 1:10.16-20

Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the command of our God,
you people of Gomorrah.

‘Wash, make yourselves clean.
Take your wrong-doing out of my sight.
Cease to do evil.
Learn to do good,
search for justice,
help the oppressed,
be just to the orphan,
plead for the widow.

‘Come now, let us talk this over,
says the Lord.
Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

‘If you are willing to obey,
you shall eat the good things of the earth.
But if you persist in rebellion,
the sword shall eat you instead.’
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Matthew 23:1-12

Addressing the people and his disciples Jesus said, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they! Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.

‘You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will exalted.’
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Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers

In one of my junior college physics lessons, my tutor said something which really struck me. He said that he did not see us so much as students but as equals who had not yet reached our potential. I did not really process the statement beyond the fact that it sounded cool. As a teacher myself now, I find myself coming back to his words. As an experienced teacher told the cohort of senior students, our hope was they would soon be able to hold conversations with us at a deeper level than they were able to the year before.

The second paragraph of today’s gospel passage sounds bizarre at first. Are teachers not necessary? Is it not given as a good title or held as a proper profession? Taken in the context of the rest of the passage, it becomes clear what kind of “teacher” Christ is referring to. These are the ones who only hold the title but do not model the real values. Rather than raise others up to be equals, they lord over them. Justice for the oppressed, help for the orphan and widow – these are all good things to speak about, like name-dropping, but probably are not practiced. If that is the case, then the title loses its worth. Rather, to teach should be to serve in humility as Christ did, showing good example in addition to preaching

Not all of us are in the teaching profession but we are all teachers in one way or another to those around us. As we journey this Lent, let us reflect on what we are teaching and what those around us learning. Do they grow or do they wilt? My brothers and sisters, in these reflections, let us bear in mind Christ’s example as servant, building others up to be the best they can be rather than focusing on our own glory.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Aloysius Ting)
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Prayer: We pray for our youths, that they may always strive for their dreams.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for building us to the kingdom of God daily.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 23 Mar – Jeremiah 18:18-20; Matthew 20:17-28
Thu, 24 Mar – Jeremiah 17:5-10; Luke 16:19-31
Fri, 25 Mar – Isaiah 7:10-14;8:10; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38; Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Sat, 26 Mar – Micah 7:14-15.18-20; Luke 15:1-3.11-32
Sun, 27 Mar – Exodus 17:3-7; Romans 5:1-2.5-8; John 4:5-42; Third Sunday of Lent