The Vanity of Title

Gospel: Matthew 23: 1-12

Jesus rejected the honors and status offered him by the devil in the desert.  He continually did so throughout his public ministry as well, rejecting titles of distinction, places of honor, and special regalia.  Jesus then commands us to do likewise, though as in so many other areas we have decidedly ignored the exhortation.  We invent countless apologetic for the titles, special seats, and distinctive garb - all of it vanity in comparison with the poor, humble Jesus of the Gospels.

For in the end the titles, places of honor, and special clothing place one person above another in importance, or rather, it minimizes the importance of others.  All these things make blurry the clear fact that all people are made in God's image, all are children of God and worthy of respect and care.  It replaces the true temple of God - the human person - for ones made of wood and stone. These things often lead us not to question in any way figures who need to be questioned when they fail to respect and care for God's people.

All of us have a common origin.  All of us have a common identity as children of God.  All of us have a common fate and destiny in one day arriving at death.  All of us will be remembered for a time, then utterly forgotten on this earth.  And looking back we will come to see the vanity and in many cases great harm of these titles, places of honor, positions, status, and finery of garb.  If we see the world as a desert and our life as a pilgrimage, then we can more readily reject these things and cling to God alone.