Today’s gospel speaks to the heart of what appears to be a very modern dilemma. Jesus is warning his disciples not to fall into the trap of being beguiled by appearances. He warns them against behaving in ways which attract attention and focus on the externals, saying:
“Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.”
In an age that seems to be obsessed by appearances his words have a particular resonance. While he wasn’t talking about social media, we all recognise the similarities. Valuable as social media is it constantly presents us with images of “the perfect life” that we are all meant to be living.
This is attractive and beguiling, but not necessarily life-giving. As anyone who spends time on social media is aware this can lead us to be harshly judgemental of others and of ourselves.
This means that what could be a valuable tool becomes a burden to ourselves and to others. This is not the way of the gospel and it carries no blessing with it.
Jesus is quick to show his disciples another way of being. Having told them how not to behave he carries on:
“The greatest among you must be your servant. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
His words call us to reflect on how we engage with social media. The call of gospel living is not to make ourselves the centre of attention, but to focus on serving others. It’s blessing for our image obsessed age is that it sets us free from worrying about appearances and from the anxiety and judgement that can come with that.
How is your use of social media reflecting the blessing of gospel living this Lent?