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:
This 23rd Chapter of Matthew’s Gospel is known for the stern rebukes given by Jesus to these scribes & Pharisees. Each of the rebukes begins with: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites..” We missed out on the first several of those rebukes, as the Ordinary Time Gospel was preempted by the Feast of St Bartholomew. Suffice it to say that these are harsh words, indeed, that Jesus proclaims. Note, too, that He didn’t shy away. He said them openly, to their faces!
What were the scribes and Pharisees’ job? It was to teach and enforce the Jewish Law. The Law, which was given to allow the Jews to have “guardrails” to keep their lives ordered, so they could live lives that brought them, or kept them, close to God. That is not a bad intention at all. I think all of us who are reading or listening to this reflection want that, too. Paul himself, in his first letter to Timothy suggests praying for those in authority, so we might have a “quiet and tranquil life.”
The problem for the scribes and Pharisees is that they focused on the teaching and enforcing, and losing sight of the *reason* for the Law – that it was given in love by our Creator, to help the people to live that “quiet and peacable life”, and to live like they desired to try to love like God does. The scribes and Pharisees made it all about the Law, and nothing else.
The lesson for us is to not fall into that trap. Yes, let us bear in mind the various guidelines of our faith, but let us always look inward – how am I doing with regular attendance at Mass and receiving the Sacraments? Am I giving back to God in thanksgiving for all He has done for me? Let us not see it as a scorecard or challenge to see who can be more “holy” or more “Catholic”. Let us pray for everyone, especially those in authority and those who bug us for whatever reason. Let us never lose sight of the fact that the practices of our faith are nothing if we don’t try to love like Jesus from our hearts. If we do that, we will naturally be right in line with what is expected.
The bottom line, let’s just love, and leave the rest in God’s hands.
Action for the Day:
May we take time today and ask God to help us not be judgmental of others – their faith, their choices, or anything else. May He give us a heart of love and service, that we pray for everyone, especially that person who we need to love better.
Link to the DEACON5 website: https://deacon5.com/
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