Piety

Matthew 23:5-7 – “For they (Pharisees) do their works to be seen by others; they broaden their phylactories and lengthen their fringes, they love to take the place of honor at feasts and to sit in the best seats at the synagogue, to be greeted in the marketplace and to be called teacher by others.”

To recap, Jesus told his disciples to do what the Pharisees teach, but not what they do. This is the list of the things they do. The first sentence says it all – they do their works to be seen by others. This is a very superficial faith – it’s an abuse of faith in the service of power. Their show of faith is just an act put on for the approval of others. Jesus called them out for this behavior. But, here’s the thing, they were respected businessmen. People looked up to them. They were pillars of the community. And Jesus called them hypocrites without hesitation, because they use this public aspect of their faith to cover for their sins.

Jesus and God weren’t and still aren’t interested in pious displays of virtue. Jesus called them and calls us to a deeper faith. Rather than such pious religion, Jesus wants us to focus on God’s priorities; widows, orphans, those in prison, those who are ill, the 1800+ children being taken away from their parents at the border; the most vulnerable people in our society. Jesus wants justice for these people. That is what it means to be a follower of Jesus; to work with the Spirit for justice for the most vulnerable in our societies. How? By making our voices heard; calling our representatives and senators, calling Jeff Sessions, calling the DHS, and there are many more ways. Here is a webpage with lots of different options for pushing back against this terrible, inhumane idea.

Making a show of not being in a room alone with a person of the opposite sex while being okay with separating children from their parents at the border is not following Jesus. It’s just bigotry. Not baking a cake for someone whose supposed sin is not a temptation for you is not following Jesus. It’s just bigotry. Never swearing while being okay with 45’s actions is not following Jesus. That is the cheap grace that Dietrich Bonhoeffer talked about. Jesus called those people out. We need to also begin to call those people out. Everywhere we run into them.

Doing nothing is no longer an option, especially for white people. Our silence and ignorance has allowed bigotry and hatred to flourish. It’s up to us to work against it and to keep working against it even after 45 is gone. White supremacists will work to keep the status quo, we need to work toward a more fair and just society for everyone.