Readings: Tobit 3:1-6, 7-10,11-13; Psalm 25; Mark 12:18-27
In my reflection, I got stuck once again on something that is peripheral but can become very essential. These Sadducees: what a bunch of dishonest idiots! Yes, they came to Jesus not seeking honest dialogue at all, only hoping to trap Jesus with a question. From the first sentence we see that they did not believe in resurrection, so reason for their question was not because they wanted to learn something about an issue that divided Jewish religious experts. Were they just trying to understand where Jesus stood on this question? I i not. They asked with devious intent. They addressed Jesus as “Teacher”, perhaps to mock him. They were so clever in constructing a argument that a carpenter’s son would not be able to answer. Maybe they just wanted Jesus to take a public stand on a controversial issue.
Whatever their reasons, the Sadducees remind me of people I come across quite regularly in my own life … a person who raises an issue not to move a discussion forward but to embarrass a companion … a person on a church committee who seems more interested in winning an argument than in solving a problem … a person, say a politician, who asks “innocent” questions only to shoot a proposal out of the water, to kill it … person who acts quickly so that another may not act, making sure a that person loses.
Now let’s contrast that first scene of proud Sadducees with the last part of today’s reading from the Psalms: “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.” I struggle with humility, perhaps many of us do, partly because we are not too exactly sure what humility entails. The liberating character of humility is the opposite of the controlling nature of a competitive, me-first attitude. Humility causes me to examine myself, my very reasons for doing things. So, I have to ask myself: how often have I tried to be clever – at work, at church, in my home – asking insincere and “innocent” questions in order to maneuver someone into a corner, into a disadvantage, to an awkward position? How often have I tried to be clever even with God, justifying my behavior and choices? I must admit that the answer to these questions is “too often.”
Let me walk humbly with my God. Blessings. Fr. Brian