Introduction
The Christmas season, Advent, is now beginning and the theme that caught my eye last week when I was reading the Bible may not really fit into this time.
Or maybe it is.
During the Christmas season, we meet more and more with various relatives and sometimes it is not without tension. And perhaps a reflection on today's Bible text will help to make things a little less tense in some situations. Maybe you don't have any problems in this respect.
The Bible text is Matthew 23, where Jesus massively criticises the Pharisees, the so-called cries of woe. Actually, the text is about toxic behaviour and I would like to reflect on this with you.
I wanted to read out a definition of toxic behaviour at the beginning, but there is no Wikipedia article on it.
You know the word "toxic", I think. It means "poisonous" or "harmful" and it probably comes from ancient Greek. "tò tóxon" means something like "the bow", which the Greek fighters used as a weapon. "Toxikòn phármakon" was then the poison in which the warriors dipped the arrowheads.
And that can be quite a striking image, because toxic behaviour can hit you like a poisoned arrow.
But the main problem with toxic behaviour is that it is usually seen in the other person. I would like to go through these cries of woe with you today, because Jesus goes into detail about this toxic behaviour of the Pharisees.
The term "behaviour" has to be understood a little more broadly; one could use the new German word "mindset" here, i.e. the fundamental way of thinking and acting in one's life. Perhaps the term "mentality" also fits.
What to do
I begin with Matthew 23:1-4; NL
I think that's a pretty blatant statement: "Stick to what they say, but don't follow their lead."
Perhaps the proverb "preach water, drink wine" also comes to mind here.
It is not uncommon for us to judge others more harshly than we judge our own behaviour. We find a similar statement in Matthew 7:3; NL
The tricky thing is that you usually think you don't have a beam in your eye because you don't see it.
What helps to change this toxic behaviour is to realise that we only know a little. In 1 Corinthians 13:9, the Luther translation says so beautifully: "User knowledge is piecemeal.
We know little and the beam in the eye symbolises the much that we do not know.
Now we find more toxic behaviour here: "do not do the least thing to lighten your burdens." This seems to me to be a very interpretive translation, because other translations say that they do not think of even touching these burdens with a finger.
But the toxic behaviour is clear. The other needs pressure, absolutely!
Maybe an example from politics: I don't know if you have been following this discussion about the citizen's income. The CDU attached great importance to the possibility of sanctions right from the start. The government wanted a trust period of six months, which has now been overturned. I can't judge the decision itself, but I find it remarkable that some MPs distrust social welfare recipients on principle, but claim quite nice lump-sum allowances for themselves, in addition to their salary, for which in part nothing has to be proven. There is a one-time lump sum of 12,000 euros for office equipment and there is also a monthly lump sum of four and a half thousand euros, which MPs are allowed to spend without any proof. There are other allowances, some of which require proof, but I find these sums quite crass and then demand sanctions, monitoring and pressure.
I therefore advise great caution when people demand pressure for others.
I noticed another toxic behaviour in this passage. Jesus says: "Keep to what they say".
We often tend not to listen to people who act like asses, even though they may say the right thing on some points.
I think that even with statements from such people, one must approach them with the attitude: "Test everything and keep what is good."
Of course, that's really hard, you don't want to do it, but it's a sign of mature thinking if you judge statements rationally.
A question of status
Let us move on to the next section (v.5-12):
Applause and recognition as a driving force for any behaviour is certainly toxic.
It's all right to get recognition and applause, but if that's the central motive for action, then it's bad. Then you subordinate more important things to it. Maybe you start telling people what they want to hear in order to keep getting applause, maybe you start scheming in order to keep being in the foreground in front of others.
I think that, rationally speaking, it is clear to everyone that such behaviour is unhealthy.
But let's think a little more broadly. It starts with:
"Everything they do, they only do outwardly."
The phrase "What will people think!" came to my mind. That goes beyond applause and recognition.
How much space do you give in your life to this sentence: "What will people think!"? At what point does it become toxic?
What I have often heard is that there is a fear among free church members of being mistaken for a sect. That is why it is very important to be involved in all ecumenical activities. "What are people supposed to think!"
So, you can of course participate in ecumenical activities if you think they are meaningful.
What is it like, for example, to take a stand on some social issues? For example, abortion? Of course it is important that there is help available, there are special cases when the mother's life is in danger, etc. but human beings from the beginning. Abortion is wrong. "But what are people supposed to think!"
Of course, it's not about putting people down, the tone makes the music, friendly in language, authoritative in substance, but the question remains: "What are people supposed to think!" When does it become toxic?
Let's go back to the recognition. Do not call anyone your master, your father, your teacher. That is, of course, a somewhat strange-looking text. Of course, if I were an apprentice, I would call my master my master, and I also call my father father, and I also had to deal with people in my school days who I would still call teachers today.
I don't know who translates this text down to the last word. I once knew a Jehovah's Witness who was called by his first name by his young son. However, I never asked him if this was related to this Bible passage, I just assumed.
My children also call me Dad, which I don't find bad now.
I think it is about the use of these terms in the context of dominion and superiority as the Pharisees understood and lived it. V.11 says that the greatest among them must serve the others.
Jesus introduces the perspective here: What benefits the other? Ultimately, to serve means to do what benefits the other.
And without this perspective on what benefits the other, domination and superiority become toxic. In some cases, it is difficult to agree on what benefits the other, and that of course makes it difficult.
The other opinion
Let us move on to the next verses (vv. 13-15):
As you can clearly see here, Jesus Christ could also be angry. He stood opposite the people and witnessed live what their behaviour caused.
I want to look at it a bit more emotionlessly, because I don't have anyone directly in front of me now.
The Gospel was already a nuisance in the beginning. You don't have to do everything right, you can bring your guilt to God and you can accept before yourself that you are guilty and become free through Jesus Christ.
This is, of course, a nuisance for people who want to determine exactly what one should and should not do.
This also applies more generally: when people who abide by many rules get angry at those who live more freely with few rules, this is toxic behaviour.
Don't get me wrong, I think rules are basically good. But you have to stick to the rules that you yourself find sensible and helpful.
If you only stick to it because others stick to it, then you quickly get on this track: If I stick to it, then the other person has to stick to it too! Then a certain envy of rules develops and that is definitely toxic.
Furthermore, the text is also about who determines what the truth is. And it is also about the fact that others should necessarily accept this truth without reservation.
We as Christians, I am convinced, have one truth, the Gospel, which is summarised reasonably well in the Apostles' Creed. Personally, I still miss the truth of the Bible in it, but otherwise, I think that is the truth that all Christians can and should agree on.
Everything beyond that: How do we put it into practice, what rules do we find good for our everyday life, how do we live our faith in a very practical way? This is what we have to wrestle with, with our limited cognition and limited knowledge. We are on the road with our imperfections, we often err, we sometimes misunderstand the Bible, but we trust in Jesus Christ.
When we become arrogant and think we always know exactly about everything, it also becomes toxic.
A wrong attitude leads to wrong teaching
Let us move on to the next section (v.16-22):
I don't want to go into detail here, but one basic rule becomes clear:
If you think you have the truth, then you will eventually say stupid things.
That should be enough for this section now.
What is essential?
V. 23.24
That is an exciting question: What is essential and what is not?
The Pharisees, for example, when they took a spice like parsley for their meal, brought a tenth of it to the temple. That was a huge expense and who benefited from bringing a few crumbs of parsley into the temple.
Justice, mercy and faith, that's what matters. If you leave that out, then actually all behaviour becomes toxic. Tithing is fine, of course, but this small-mindedness without the right attitude is toxic in any case.
Inside and outside
V. 25-28
The problem here is clearly the lack of self-reflection. I am good and there is no problem with that, that is what they thought of themselves. But Jesus looks deeper and reveals the reality here.
You have to be willing every now and then to reflect on your own attitude and behaviour, bring your mistakes to God and be ready for change, otherwise you have here another source of toxic behaviour in your life.
Well, I never...
Let us move on to the last passage considered today (vv. 29-31):
"Well, I would never have...", that is toxic thinking. It's similar when you judge people's behaviour harshly in dictatorships. From a distance, everyone thinks they are resistance fighters.
Let us be aware of our weakness, our vulnerability and our temptability. We need Jesus Christ with whom we can cope with our everyday life, with whom we can get through difficult situations and to whom we can always come.
Summary
I will conclude by briefly listing the individual points once again:
- They do not act according to what they teach you.
- It is, of course, wrong to expect others to do more than themselves (splinter bar).
- Also, finding pressure on others fundamentally good is toxic.
- But still check everything and keep the good.
- A question of status
- Applause and recognition must not be the driving force of action.
- "What are people supposed to think!" How much does this sentence determine us?
- We need the perspective of what benefits the other.
- The other opinion
- The Gospel is true, makes free and is a nuisance to many.
- And for the application and implementation of the Gospel, we humbly walk with our incomplete knowledge, but trust in Jesus Christ.
- Adhering to rules only because everyone does it is not good. And rule envy is toxic.
- If you think you have the truth, then you will eventually say stupid things.
- What is essential? Justice, mercy and faith, that's what matters. If that is missing, it becomes toxic, especially petty behaviour.
- Inside and outside: It is not important how we appear on the outside, we must always reflect on ourselves, come to Jesus, so that our inner being comes clean.
- "Well, I would never have..." is quite arrogant and also toxic. Let us be aware of our weakness and let us go to Jesus Christ again and again.