Eagles and Crows

November 2, 2014

Eagles and Crows

Matthew 23:1-12        NOTES NOT EDITED!

SIS—We must continually reevaluate our lives to see if we are living as true disciples, or just pretenders.

As we find many times in the N.T., Jesus contrasts true discipleship with a false discipleship which is little more than religious pretense.  One way Jesus approached this dichotomy was to contrast sheep with goats (Mt. 25), wheat with tares (Mt. 13), and wise maidens as opposed to foolish maidens (Mt. 25).  These are not the only such contrasts, and Jesus was not the only N.T. writer to make such examinations.  The Apostle John contrasts “light and darkness”  (1Jn. 1:6). There are other such comparisons in the N.T. but I am going to use a different idea to drive home the point of Matthew 23.  I am going to contrast eagles and crows.

As I was reading in my study of Matthew 23, I came across this quote which represents a common sentiment in regard to eagles.  The writer points out, “Eagles are admired the world over as living symbols of power, freedom, and transcendence” (Website).  That same writer goes on to point out some remarkable facts about these remarkable birds.

There are more than 60 different species of eagle. 

Eagles are different from many other birds of prey mainly by their larger size, more powerful build, and heavier head and beak. Most eagles are larger than any other raptors apart from vultures.

Eagles have unusual eyes. They are very large in proportion to their heads and have extremely large pupils. Eagles’ eyes have a million light-sensitive cells per square mm of retina, five times more that a human’s 200,000. While humans see just three basic colours, eagles see five. These adaptations give eagles extremely keen eyesight and enable them to spot even well camouflaged potential prey from a very long distance. In fact the eagles’ vision is among the sharpest of any animal and studies suggest that some eagles can spot an animal the size of a rabbit up to two miles away!

Many eagle species lay two eggs, but the older, larger chick frequently kills its younger sibling once it has hatched. Adults do not intervene.

The Harpy Eagle and the Philippine Eagle have wings that spread 2.5m across and use their massive, sharp talons, to kill and carry off prey as large as deer.

In Greece, Golden Eagles eat turtles, dropping them from great heights onto rocks to break open their armored shells.

Eagles play prominently in religion.  The spot on which an eagle landed dictated to the ancient Aztecs the place where they were to build a city.

Also, of course, the Golden Eagle is our national mascot.

And then there is the crow.  Not so impressive.  It is common enough to be such a nuisance that farmers invented the “Scarecrow” to keep crows from devouring the crops.  Crows don’t sweep down and snatch prey from the earth, but scavenge the carcasses of road kill.

Crows, like eagles, do play a part in religion but almost always as a bad, or evil, omen.  Nobody writes songs about “soaring like a crow,” and Isaiah 40:31 would lose significant affect if he had said, “but those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like CROWS!  Just doesn’t have the same impact.

If we had to choose, most all of us would choose to be an eagle of a crow.  Most of us if we were honest think of ourselves as “eagles.”  We are legends in our own minds.  If this were not so, God would not have led the Apostle Paul to write in Romans 12:3:

I tell everyone among you not to think of

himself more highly than he should think.

An exalted ego has been the plague of man since the dawn of time.  It is the very nature of man to think he is “right,” even when dead wrong.  The Bible (KJV, especially) exposes man’s penchant for self-delusion (Prov. 20:6):

Most men will proclaim [every one] his own goodness.

This is vanity, of the sort Solomon discusses at length in the Book of Ecclesiastes.  Vanity arises out of a prideful, self-deluding, self-righteousness.  Even the ancient muse, Aesop, recognized this short-coming in man. 

Aesop tells the story of an Eagle and a Crow.   An eagle, swooping down on powerful wings, seized a lamb in her talons and made off with it to her nest. A crow saw the deed, and his silly head was filled with the idea that he was big and strong enough to do as the eagle had done. So with much rustling of feathers and a fierce air, he came down swiftly on the back of a large ram. But when he tried to rise again, he found that he could not get away, for his claws were tangled in the wool. And so far was he from carrying away the ram, that the ram hardly noticed he was there. The shepherd saw the fluttering crow and at once guessed what had happened. Running up, he caught the bird and clipped its wings. That evening he gave the crow to his children.   "What a funny bird this is!" they said laughing, "What do you call it, father?" "That is a crow, my children. But if you should ask him, he would say he is an eagle."  And the moral of the story is   . . . Do not let your vanity make you overestimate your powers.

This fable easily conforms to the truth of God’s Word here in Matthew, and throughout the N.T.  Many people think they are Christians, but in fact they are crows.  Let’s read our text to see the contrast between true faith, and faith that is nothing more than the thin veneer of religion.

MATTHEW 23:1-12.  Here are three ways Jesus contrasts Eagles and Crows.  These contrasts are not given simply to make a point, but to make a difference.  Jesus wants us to be the best disciples we can be.

1.  Crows Lay on Burdens—Eagles Lift Burdens (4a to 4b; 11-12)

We just read:  4a They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry  and put them on people’s shoulders.

The, “they,” mentioned in this verse refers to the Scribes and Pharisees introduced in verse 1.  These two group represent the “elite” leaders in the religion of Judaism.  Scribes were experts in the Jewish tradition, especially the texts.  They supervised the copying of the O.T., they edited the text where they felt it was unclear, and they served as the judges of what the texts said.  Given the importance of the Word of God, they were powerful people.  The Pharisees were sort of like the “religious police.”  They monitored the strict observance of the Jewish rituals. Their oversight was as exacting as it was exasperating.  They made rules faster than the common Jew could observe them.  The Scribes and Pharisees were all about religious rituals—the meaning got lost in the minutiae.  Nothing is harder than self-righteousness based upon good works.  In fact, it not only is hard—it is impossible!  Jesus did not come to “lay a heavy burden” of guilt upon us.  The problem with “righteousness through ritual” is constant condemnation because we fail so much.  This is not the way of grace.  Jesus said, speaking of Himself (John 3:16),

For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn  the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Jesus also said, “My yoke is easy and my burden light” (Mt. 11:30).

Jesus did not mean that living as His disciple would be easy going, but that we do not have to bear the burden of trying to gain our salvation through our own works.  That burden has been lifted in order that we can spend our energy lifting the burdens of others. 

Look again at verse 4, noting especially the contrast in the second part

They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry  and put them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger  to move them.

Crows lay on burdens.  Eagles lift them.  Look at verses 11-12:

¹¹ The greatest among you will be your servant.  ¹² Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Jesus has removed the heavy burden of sin on our back so that we can help bear the burden of those in our world bent low by sin.  We don’t serve to “get saved,” but we serve because we “are saved.”  Our souls have been lifted to heaven so that we can get down in the dirt and dung of life to rescue those not yet saved.  It is a humbling experience.

Crows are always squawking about people following rules—rules so burdensome that they don’t follow them, themselves (as we will see later).  Eagles catch people up in the draft of their loving service lifting them above the burdens of sin.

Crows are so busy judging others that they are blind to their own short-comings.  Now, don’t hear what I am not saying.  I am not saying that it is wrong to “judge” the sinful behavior of others—even judge it harshly—but we must not become “the judge” of other people.  We must judge their behavior for the purpose of lifting them up from the burden of their sin.

On February 24, 1948, one of the most unusual operations in medical history took place in Ohio State University’s department of research surgery. A stony sheath was removed from around the heart of Harry Besharra, a man thirty years of age. When only a boy he had been shot accidentally by a playmate with a .22-caliber rifle. The bullet had lodged in his heart but had not caused his death. However, a lime deposit had begun to form over the protective covering of the heart and gradually was strangling it. The operation was a delicate one separating the ribs and moving the left lung to one side. Then the stony coating was lifted form the heart as an orange is peeled. Immediately the pressure of the heart was reduced, and it responded by expanding and pumping normally.

That’s what eagles do—eagles lift the crushing burden of sin by peeling away the stony covering on a person’s heart through love.  Crows lay on burdens--eagles lift them.

2.  Crows live large—Eagles live small (vv5-7 to vv8-9)

Compare verse 5-7 to verses 8-9:

Verses 5-7 describe crows:  5 They do everything to be observed by others: They enlarge their phylacteries  s and lengthen their tassels.  u 6 They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues,  7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people.

Verses 8-9 describe eagles:  ⁸ “But as for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher,  and you are all brothers.  ⁹ Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven.  ¹⁰ And do not be called masters either, because you have one Master, the Messiah.

These verse pack in a lot of religious tradition and history.  Phylacteries were boxes tied on the forehead and wrists of devout pious Pharisees.  These little boxes held little slips of sacred text, most notably the Shema from Deuteronomy 6.  Notice that there arose a competition of sorts.  To show a greater level of devotion, some Pharisees would “enlarge their phylacteries.”  They also wore special robes with long tassels to highlight their status in the religious community of the Jews.  One writer describes these phylacteries, robes and tassels as, “the religious bling of the day!”

These Pharisees were not “back-seat Baptists!”  No, they sat right up front—whether at a banquet hall or the fellowship hall, or the worship center.  They felt they deserved a special place of honor, and they took it.  They “lived large for everyone to see.”  I cannot help but think of the Pope and how he dresses with ornate robes, a skyscraper hat, and large scepter—not to mention a very valuable ring.

Catholics (and Orthodox churches) refer to the priest as, “Father.”  It is similar to referring to a pastor as “Reverend.”  I think both should be avoided.  Sometime, about 100 years after the death of Jesus, leaders in the church started using the title, abba, in front of their names.  The foundation for this “special designation for holy men” is anticipated in the words of Jesus.  Rabbi, Father, and Master all refer to giving someone a special place of privilege because they are a religious leader.  It is OK to show respect for someone who has earned a particular title, like doctor if they are an M.D. or Ph.D., but this leads to a “caste system” that breeds division in the church.  Jesus said in verse 8 to refer to eachother as “brothers” (or sisters as the case may be.”  The only vertical relationship we have is with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Everything else is horizontal.

Contrast that attitude with what God desires for true disciples.  The Greek word order in verse 8 emphasizes the contrast:  But you, NOT!  Crows are noisy birds you always know they are around squawking up a storm.  It is not so with Eagles.  Eagles exhibit a quiet dignity.  They can squawk but they do so sparingly.  We are not to live large, or to live for show.  We are to live “Little Lives,” working without fanfare to build the Kingdom of God.  Pharisees like to “live large,” but look what Jesus said about His “eagle” disciples (Mt. 18:4):

Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child (“Little One”)—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

I don’t mean to offend you—I’m as guilty as you are—but far too many of us put more emphasis on “status,” than we do on “sacrifice.”  There is nothing wrong with having a nice car, a nice house, or nice clothes, as long as we don’t do it for show.  But, therein lies the trap—how do you NOT show a nice house?  or nice car? or nice clothes?

I cannot answer this question (or those like it) for you except to say:  crows live large—eagles live small.  The balls in your court.

3.  Crows love to teach—Eagles love to learn (vv2-3, 6-7 to v10)

²“The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses.  ³ Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do, because they don’t practice what they teach.

And also verses 6-7:  ⁶ They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues,  ⁷ greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people.

Contrast that with verse 10 talking about true disciples:  And do not be called masters either, because you have one Master,  the Messiah. ¹¹ The greatest among you will be your servant.

We have already mentioned something about crows wanting to be observed, but here we tie the issue of “teaching” with “ special places of honor.”  The Pharisees are crows because they valued the “title” of teacher (Rabbi) more than the valued you the “purpose” for teaching which is to guide people into righteousness.  We know they did not hold the purpose of teaching in high esteem because verse 3 says:

“they don’t practice what they teach.”

There is a great error circulating in the church, and has been here for many millennia, that the person with superior knowledge of the Scriptures has a superior relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.  That simply is not true. 

The most dangerous person in the world is the person who has a head full of Scripture and a heart as empty as a reservoir after a long drought.  God far prefers a person with a little knowledge that the person practices, than a person full of knowledge but doesn’t practice any of it.  It is not what you know that matters, but what you do with what you know.

The “crows,” or Pharisees, loved to sit at the teacher’s desk—“the seat of Moses, the great Lawgiver.”  Yet, they really had not desire whatsoever to put into practice what they were teaching.

Now, there appears to be a contradiction here in my own life.  I do, in fact love to teach and teach all the time.  So, am I a crow?  Not really.  The big difference between a crow and an eagle in regard to teaching especially is the crow thinks he (or she) has learned it all, and the eagle wants to learn more.  In fact, eagles learn more the more they teach.  That’s why I love teaching . . . because I learn so much from the interaction with my students.

If you are blessed enough to teach—whether it is preschoolers, or Ph.D. students—you will be amazed at how much you can learn.  Sometimes, you will just be amazed at the sheer creativity of your students.  As a teacher, you think your lesson is going one way, but in the students mind—the lesson is on an adventurous detour.  For example, I read about a teacher who had a student that regularly fell asleep while the teacher was giving the lesson.  Each time, the teacher would gently wake the student and admonish him not to sleep in class.  One day, the exchange got a little bit heated.  Once again Craig fell asleep shortly after the teacher began his lesson.  The teacher stopped and said firmly, “Craig, now you know you can’t sleep in my class!”  Craig stirred a little bit, and mumbled without raising his head, “Well, I could if you would just shut up!”

Classrooms are full of adventures in learning, whether in grade school, high school, or Sunday school.  But, the most effective teacher is not the teacher who is full of knowledge, but the teacher that is full of wonder and a love for learning.  A true disciple is a “learner.”  In fact, the word for disciple means “to follow, or to learn.”  There really is only “one Teacher” (v8), the rest of us are learners and followers.

I thought a lot this week about eagles.  In fact, I came across a song that was popular in 70’s written by the Steve Miller Band.  It’s called “Fly Like An Eagle.”  I listened many times to this song but I never noticed that it had a Biblical theme.  The Steve Miller Band was a rock band not a praise team.  See if you can catch what true Christian—an eagle—does with his or her life.

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'

Into the future

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'

Into the future

I want to fly like an eagle
into the sea
I want to Fly like an eagle

Let my spirits carry me

I want to fly like an eagle

Till I'm free

Oh, Lord, its a revolution

Feed the babies

Who don't have enough to eat

Shoe the children

With no shoes on their feet

House the people

Livin' in the street

Oh, oh, there's a solution

There IS a solution to the needs of our world and it begins when Christians begin acting more like eagles than like crows.  Eagles lift burdens, live small, and love to learn more about Jesus.  Are you living like a “crow,” or living like an eagle?  Let’s all decide, today, that we are going to spread our wings and “fly like an eagle.”

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