NOTES for Mat 23:1-12
The beginning of the twenty-third chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew is a very joyful text. And there are at least two reasons for this. The first great joy is that the power of Truth is so great that our sinfulness, felt especially sharply and painfully when we are speaking of servants of the Church, is no obstacle to it. What could be more joyful than this news? For what is the whole sorrow and anguish of all atheists and apostates of all times and peoples: they cannot believe what comes from the mouths of unrighteous priests, and they transfer their rejection from the person to what he says. This is a very strong psychological phenomenon; fighting it can be simply impossible, and from this come anguish, disappointment, absurdity, and the rest. But in fact: no. We need to destroy this terrible cliche in our consciousness, that priests are a kind of God-chosen people who are higher than the angels. On the one hand, for example, Symeon the New Theologian often writes that a priest approaches the Sacrament before which even angels tremble: "it will show me to be like the angels of God, and perhaps make me greater than they, O my Master," he writes. And this is so. But on the other hand, the priest says very important words during the prayer of absolution after confession: I, only an unworthy priest, by the authority given to me by Him, forgive and absolve... And this too is a prayer sanctified by the Church. In other words, the miracle about which the Gospel speaks to us today is that Truth is not damaged by our sinfulness. And although we are all people, all human beings, Truth, as if in an ark, floats down the river of generations without suffering harm. Truly, a miracle and a joy.
And the second joy. We very often want a "spiritual director"; people endlessly pray for a spiritual director. But is there not in this a desire that someone else finally take upon himself your own burden of responsibility? It seems to us that we are so humble, ready to be disciples; let them come and teach us how to live, and we will obey. But the Apostle speaks against this: "Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature" (1 Cor 14:20). Be mature in your thinking; be responsible for your own actions. This is precisely what is meant by the very important words "and call no man your father on earth", which the Lord speaks to us today. In essence, we violate them; the whole structure of the church violates them. Let us not break the structure of the church, but let us at least understand this. Then there will be such joy in communication with a confessor: he is not your teacher and not your father, but a brother, perhaps an older one, but a brother, while your Father is in heaven.
There is so much joy in this: to be all equal, so that no one suppresses anyone's personality, no one punishes anyone, no one forbids anyone anything, but only advises and helps. Yes, we all have different experience and different wisdom, but the Lord is so much more perfect than we are that before Him we are all equal. It is impossible to understand this while remaining only on earth, but as soon as you lift your mind to heaven, from there both small houses and tall bell towers look almost the same. In the same way we are all equal before the Lord, and this is wonderful.