True Reformation - Matthew 23:1-12

Many of us Protestants do not give much attention to Reformation Sunday anymore. To some, it seems to focus more on our differences as Christians, rather than our similarities. But I think that on this Sunday before the presidential election, we should think about the very deep meaning of reformation.
The text in Matthew's gospel deals with perceptions of power. "Who will get the best seats?" seems to be the tone of the mindset which Jesus challenges. He makes it clear that true reformation has nothing to do with status, religiosity or power. We can speak eloquently about power and faith, but faith that does not translate into action is worthless, in Jesus' view. If we are concerned about who gets the best seats, it may indicate our own lack of awareness about power that is not ours.
Jesus had a marvelous way of bringing things down to the everyday level. If one was to ask, as did the disciples at one point, as to who would have the best place at the table, Jesus used his answer to show the individual that the question just asked was the wrong one. To avoid traps like this, we should not lose a true sense of self and place. I like the paraphrase of the beatitude that states, "happy are those who know their place before God." Even an awareness of the need for humility and wonder can go awry. Sometimes, we who are in positions of leadership or power, will try to appear humble, even though we like our positions and our power. We can still lose sight of the world and our place in it. We are religious people, and well-educated, and we must be modest about that, right? There is a wonderful quote, spoken by Golda Meier to one of her cabinet ministers, "Don't be so humble; you're not that great."
Presidential candidates seek to identify with "everyman/woman" by trying to show how out of touch the other candidate really is. This current campaign has been hateful and full of half-truths, because that is what works in American politics. How badly must one want power, to campaign for almost two years for an office? I have little doubt that, on the day after this election, someone will come forth to announce that he/she will make a run for the office in 2012!
We must seek true reformation as a country, because, no matter how much we try to convince ourselves of the truth of the belief, we are not God's chosen nation. However, I do believe that God does hold us to a higher standard, because we have the resources to reform society and to influence the rest of the world for good. So, as we live through this election, may we look for signs of reformation that rise above the bidding war for the best seats in the house. God really does care about our motives and actions, and those cannot be summed up in a thirty second soundbite.