Ord.Wk 21st: Tuesday 25th August, 2020 August 25, 2020
Reflection on the WORD
Hypocrisy – Faith: In today’s Gospel, Jesus reprimanded the Pharisees and scribes for the hypocrisy in the practice of their religion. A hypocritical practice of faith is to show others that we love God, while the opposite is true in the living of our lives. Ponder on, “We can deceive others, but not God.”
Matthew 23:23-26
Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay your tithe of mint and dill and cummin and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law - justice, mercy, good faith! These you should have practised, those not neglected. You blind guides, straining out gnats and swallowing camels!
‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of cup and dish and leave the inside full of extortion and intemperance. Blind Pharisee! Clean the inside of cup and dish first so that it and the outside are both clean.’
Today's Pointers on God's Word
As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?
- •The Scribes and the Pharisees misled the people by over focusing on the external observation of the Law while forgetting the need to obey the spirit of the Law.
- •We are each challenged to show reverence and care to the observation of external symbols and rituals of the liturgy, but not to forget our need to live out the meaning of our worship.
- •Thus, if we praise and thank God in our worship, then we must also praise and thank God through our daily love and care for His sons and daughters whom He loves so deeply to the point of dying for them.