Whosoever Shall Do And Teach

"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:19). No choice or decision or action is made in a vacuum. Whether we keep or break a commandment, no matter how great or small, our decision ripples out to those around us. Whether we think we are being observed or not, others will learn from our choices. "Preach the gospel always; if necessary, use words" (commonly attributed to St. Francis of Assisi.) If we break a commandment, we are teaching others that it is ok to break a commandment. We are fostering a community and shaping the environment around us into a culture that is at best complacent and at worst eager to disobey and rebel against God. We are setting ourselves against the Creator of the Universe, and though we may attack and waste and wear out our strength, in so doing we will minimize our own power and diminish and wither and shrivel up until we are the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. However, if instead we teach and lead by example in keeping the Commandments, and foster and nurture a community where we build each other up and rely on the strength of the Lord and contribute willingly and joyfully to His work and His glory, then we are allying ourselves with the Creator of the Universe and He will magnify and ennoble our efforts until we shall indeed be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. Not only that but we will be joined by many other noble and great ones whom we have inspired by our teaching and our example in keeping the Commandments.