Consequences of Context

Reading Scripture and others in context

03/02/2021

Matthew 23:1-12 Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, laying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

One of the most sound principles of scripture study is to keep the larger context in mind. The context carries consequences for the correct interpretation of the bible. As a result, every verse of scripture should be read in the larger context of the chapter. But don’t stop there: every chapter must be read in view of the larger book. But that context is not enough either.

Every book of the bible should be studied in the larger context of where it appears in the Old Testament or in the New Testament. Thus the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “Be especially attentive to the content and the unity of the whole Scripture.” In other words, there is a holy harmony and wholeness to the entire bible, and that larger context has consequences for each verse, and indeed, down to each and every word.

But wait, there’s more: even that context is not enough to correctly interpret the bible. The Catechism continues to comment on the consequence of context by adding: “Read the Scripture in the living Tradition of the whole Church.” In other words, the bible is a cherished heirloom of our spiritual family, the Church. One friend of mine likes to scrapbook, and she has compiled a huge book of pictures of her family: their birthdays and weddings, funerals and vacations, and when they came to America, etc.

But if you were to flip through the pages of that book without knowing my friend or her family, or their long history, the pictures would be disconnected and not make much sense in isolation. Similarly, the bible tells our family story, and therefore you must know the family history called Tradition, to understand the pictures in our scrapbook called Scripture. The context carries consequences.

Today’s gospel from Matthew 23, makes many Catholics cringe and makes many Protestants perk up. Why? Well, because Jesus says in no uncertain terms: call no one on earth your father. You have but one Father in heaven. Oh no, Catholics have been wrong all along calling their priests “Fathers” in direct violation of what Jesus commanded in Mt. 23:9. But is that what Jesus really meant? No. Why?

Because the context carries consequences: words should be read in the context of verses, verses in the context of chapters, chapters in the context of books, books in the context of Testaments, and Testaments in the context of Tradition. In other words, just like you cannot take one picture out of my friend’s scrapbook and use it alone to explain her whole family story, so you cannot take Mt. 23:9 out of context of the whole bible.

Let me just share two other scripture citations to put Mt. 23:9 into its proper and larger context. St. Paul refers to himself as a “father” in 1 Cor. 4:15. We read: “Even if you have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for I have become your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” St. Paul attributes the title of father to himself showing that is not what Jesus meant in Mt. 23:9.

The Old Testament book of Judges adds further context. A man named Micah asks a Levite to live in his house and serve as a priest. Micah says: “Be a father and a priest to me.” Clearly fatherhood and priesthood are closely related in the book of Judges. And Micah does not worry about calling the man his “father.”

When we read Jesus’ words about call no one on earth your father, in light of the larger context of the books of the bible, we see the point of that polemic. His comment was aimed at the Pharisees and their abuse of authority. Indeed, modern day priests who abuse our authority should not be called “father” either, and we should be defrocked as well.

My friends, this principle of scripture interpretation – context carries consequences – also helps us to interpret other people, not just the bible. Do get you get upset when babies cry in church? Do you feel frustrated and angry when someone drives recklessly in traffic? Do you think your husband or wife is selfish and does not care about the family? Do co-workers get under your skin or your boss really bug you? Are the people on the street corners just lazy and not willing to work?

Be careful not to take those actions out of the larger context, that is, the context of this person’s whole life – and indeed, the context of God’s plan for their life – and interpret that action too harshly, prematurely and in isolation. The larger context of their whole lives carries consequences for their irritating behavior today. Just like the context helps us not to cringe when we hear Jesus’ words in Mt. 23:9, so the larger context of people’s lives may help us not to cringe when we have to deal with them.

Praised be Jesus Christ!