The Gospel according to Matthew (23:23-26)
Jesus said:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin,
and have neglected the weightier things of the law:
judgment and mercy and fidelity.
But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.
Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,
but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.
Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,
so that the outside also may be clean.”
Reflection:
The 23rd Chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, where we have today’s reading from, is known for Jesus’ strong condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees. He repeats this line in particular: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites..”.. I had grand plans to talk more about who the Pharisees were, but I’m sure that would put all of you, except perhaps Dr Bill Shaules, to sleep. Suffice it to say that the Pharisees were the teachers and enforcers of Jewish Law, which included the Torah (the first five books of the Bible, historically attributed to Moses), as well as the Prophets and other traditions that came down to the time of Jesus.
Notice that Jesus never takes them to task for not knowing the Jewish Law. They knew the law backward and forward. When I say they were the enforcers, I mean that they were the ones who watched their fellow Jews to catch them in any infraction of those hundreds of laws. No doubt, any Jews who saw a Pharisee coming their way did their best to change course or do something to avoid the interaction.
Jesus’ complaint about the Pharisees concerns how they exalted the law, not caring if their fellow Jews (or, truly, even themselves) were focusing on why those laws existed in the first place. The laws were given to provide structure for the Jewish people, and to help them to always bear in mind that they worshipped a God who loved them and wanted them to walk closely with Him. They were to help His people to love and reach out to others, even as God had reached out to them.
Clearly, if we look at today’s portion of the Gospel, the scribes and Pharisees were seen as holy only on the outside. The lesson is clear to us who are Jesus’ followers today: we ought not be like these scribes and Pharisees, at least not their life example. We should do all we can to learn about the amazing beauty of our Catholic faith. That’s an example of the scribes and Pharisees that is good for us. But, we should not use our faith as some way of showing that we are somehow “better”, “more holy”, “more deserving of God’s blessings” than anyone else. God loves everyone equally. He longs for all of us to be with Him one day in heaven. Our mission must be to do what we can to draw others into that kingdom. Not an easy task, but one that we do not do on our own. We merely need to ask God to help us, and then watch how He works through us!
Action for the Day:
Is there some concrete way that you can help bring about God’s kingdom? Are you hesitant to do that task? Why is that? Ask our Lord to help you and, as I said a moment ago, watch how He works through you! Finally, when that happens, give Him the praise and thanks for using you in that way!
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