The people be greeted

As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, (Mk 12:38)

The scribes who like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted often appeared in the marketplaces. Clad in the ceremonial dress with high dignity, they want to be greeted in public places.

It is natural that a junior greets a senior. A student ought to greet his teacher. Greeting is an expression of politeness and respect. However there is a conventional problem that a senior does not condescend to greet but takes a certain attitude to be greeted. A junior who does not have the etiquette and social sense to greet could be termed as wrong but it is not more serious than the matter of the senior. We can say this because the junior who does not have the sense of need to greet a senior is probably uneducated and socially immature but the senior who expects or even exerts himself to be greeted seems to have a distorted personality.

If the teacher of the law was a man of character he would not try to be greeted and would not even feel disappointed even if he is not greeted. For example, let us regard the teacher of the law as a professor of a seminary or a pastor of today. If the professor is a man of character he would not bother much whether his students greet him or not. For him the kingdom of God and his rule is everything. Those who are concentrating in an absolute thing are not swayed by a relative one.

Here the matter of greeting does not merely belong to the level of external etiquette. Once it goes further, it can be compared to bribe. A bribe is something offered to a boss in his favor. A formal greeting is also a kind of favor and so greeting and bribing are similar. If we are free from greeting and bribe, our life would be much lighter. However, it is not an easy mater. When we receive greeting and bribe, it makes us happy instantly and also helps our practical life. Jesus told the disciples to watch out the teacher of the law who enjoys to be greeted. Let us remember it.