I think many people, when they imagine the Jewish community, think they are of one voice. All in agreement with one another. All groups uniformly worshiping God. However, that is really not the case. Judaism has three main sects. Orthodox (the most adherent to strict interpretation of the Torah), The Reform movement (the most liberal) and the Conservative movement (somewhere in between the two). And in Israel, the Orthodox are further divided into the Ultra-Orthodox (also called the Haredi) and Orthodox (not quite as strict in observant). Of course, the largest Jewish group in Israel are the secular, or non-practicing/believing, Jews.
The Haredi males have a unique role in the state of Israel. Their job is to study Torah and the Talmud. As a consequence of this, they are exempt from military service and also receive subsidies from the government so that they can focus on these tasks. As one might imagine this status often puts the Haredim in conflict with the rest of the population of Israel. The Haredim (plural of Haredi) also hold a strong role in the government often setting policy regarding religious matters in a religious state. This includes the policy that Conservative and Reform Jews are not recognized within Israel. Only the Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox are considered to be Jews.
This came to mind when I read today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. A situation arose in the early church such that the Hellenists (Greek speaking Palestinian Jews) were complaining that the widows in their community were not getting a proper amount of resources distributed on a daily basis. Remember, in Jewish law and custom, widows had very few rights in society and were often poor. So it is very possible that the plight of the Hellenist widows was a carry over from prior custom. Also, the apostles had been focused on studying and preaching the Gospel. As a result, it is likely that these day to day matters were not being handled by them, or anyone else. “Minor” issues were slipping through the cracks.
Being Hebrews, the Apostles were obviously aware of the temple structure in which the Sadducees, Pharisees and Scribes held positions that allowed them to focus on the Torah, as I discussed concerning the current day Ultra-Orthodox community in Israel. I am presuming that it was this awareness of temple structure that led to the Apostles proposing a system where they would appoint seven members of the community to deal with day to day administration while freeing them to focus on spreading Jesus’ message. And we are told that this arrangement was acceptable to the whole community.
So, why the peace and acceptance of this decision among the community of believers while we see discontent towards the favored status of religious temple elites and also toward the separate Orthodox community in today’s Israel? I think Paul hit the nail on the head when he said that we are many parts but all one body from 1 Corinthians 12. The apostles did not establish this arrangement so that they can be treated as upper class and separate from the rest of the community. I believe they recognized that each person had certain gifts, given by God, and these gifts are used to help the community grow and prosper.
The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. 8 To some people the Spirit gives a message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives a message of knowledge. 9 To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. 10 To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages. 11 All the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives gifts to each person, just as he decides.
It is when we work for the good of all, not for the betterment of ourselves, that the power of the spirit most shines. Father Burke Masters from our diocese here in Illinois, was a collegiate baseball player before entering seminary. He often says that the teams that he was on that were the most successful were not the ones with the most star players but the ones where the players sacrificed their own individual honors for the good of the team.
And that is what differentiates the Pharisees from the Apostles. It is caring for the welfare of others. Whether the focus is on their spiritual needs or their bodily needs. All equally important. Different aspects of the same body. And doesn’t our current Church suffer when parts of the body become focused on its own needs. Clericalism is a stain on our Church today. It is that attitude by the clergy such that they strive for elevation within the political structure of the church rather than on the needs of the faithful. Losing touch with the Gospel message. Losing focus on Jesus. In today’s Gospel, as Jesus walks on the sea and reaches the Apostles, who are fearful of the dark and the growing storm. And isn’t it fear that drives our own self serving choices. Fear of anonymity, fear of failure, fear of hunger. Fear of being alone. And if we do not let fear rule our decisions our choices will more than likely focus on the good of others. As Jesus reaches the boat, and sees fear in the eyes of the apostles (this story in Matthew has the apostles thinking they are seeing a ghost), he responds with words for them and for us…”It is I. Do not be afraid.”
