Standardized Testing
– 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
Every teacher abhors standardized testing for their
students, not because their jobs are now
conditioned upon the success of their students on such tests, but because
everyone knows that people learn in different ways, though they are only tested
in one way. The tests do not reflect the
diversity of learning styles that exist among human beings: some are auditory learners, others are visual
learners, while others may be tactile or kinesthetic learners. St. Paul knew this fact two thousand years
ago as he catalogued the variety of gifts and talents God gives to people in
the life of the Church. The person who
has received the gift of prophecy cannot be judged on the criteria of teaching,
any more than the teacher can be measured on the criteria of someone with the
gift of tongues.
And yet there is a universal criteria that does apply to
every human person, whether Christian or not.
There is a standardized test for the entire human race at the end of
time, and it is not a catechism quiz or a dissertation on dogmatic formulae. The test is the set of questions offered to
the sheep and goats in Matthew 25: did
you feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, visit the
sick and imprisoned, clothe to the naked, and welcome the stranger? What is more, the standardized test is an
open book test: we know the questions in
advance and we have a lifetime to complete the questions. And as an open book test we have the Book to
consult as a guide to help us complete the questions.
In the first reading the people of Israel rejoice in having
the law read to them from the scroll.
This moment recorded in the book of Nehemiah is a watershed moment in
the history of Israel and humankind in general.
Prior to this time the law was transmitted orally through memorization,
but now Israel has the law recorded on scrolls so they can be accessed by the
whole people. The reading of the scroll
is an emotional moment, for we have a plan for living that comes from God. No other nation on earth has a god that cares
for people in the way God does for Israel.
The law enables us to know God’s will and to successfully accomplish the
questions for the day of judgment.
What the people of Israel lacked was an example of someone
who perfectly lived the law of God in his or her life. Kings would come and each one would fail in
some way to appropriate the law in their lives.
The prophets came to admonish the leaders and the people to live the law
faithfully, but they faced persecution, rejection, and marginalization. And yet Israel had the courage to include the
teachings of the prophets in the official scriptures of her people. Israel stands as a unique example of a
culture and a people who accept and appropriate self-criticism within its
history and ethos.
The prophetic tradition brought with it the expectation of a
Messiah who would live the law perfectly, and through that example of perfect
living would liberate God’s people from every possible form of oppression. In the Gospel text Jesus announces that this
expectation is fulfilled in himself. The
entire ministry of Jesus as recorded in the gospel texts confirms this mission
of Jesus. When John the Baptist tells
his disciples to ask Jesus whether he is the one or should they look for
another, Jesus replies: “Tell John what
you have seen and heard: the blind
regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead
are raised, the poor have the good news preached to them.”
Jesus proclaimed that he was anointed by the Spirit of the
Lord to accomplish this work, and anointing and ministry that we share in baptism
and confirmation. Every Christian has
the obligation to carry out this ministry of care and concern for the poor; it
is a fundamental component of being a Christian. To neglect this obligation is to reject the
call of Christ, for it is the only standard by which we are measured in the
eyes of God. We all have a variety of
gifts and callings within the body of Christ, but they all exist to serve the
fundamental Christian vocation of imitating Christ in his mission to the poor
and vulnerable.
As we seek to become more faithful to our mission as
followers of Jesus, we need to know His will for us and to see the example of
Jesus in the Gospels. We pray that the
knowledge of God’s will and the example of the Lord Jesus will help us in our
ministry to others: “Let us pray,
pleading that our vision may overcome our weakness. Almighty Father, the love you offer always
exceeds the furthest expression of our human longing, for you are greater than
the human heart. Direct each thought,
each effort of our life, so that the limits of our faith and weaknesses may not
obscure the vision of your glory or keep us from the peace you have
promised. We ask this through Christ our
Lord. Amen.”
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