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Gospel: Luke 12: 1-7
At that time:
So many people were crowding together
that they were trampling one another underfoot.
Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples,
“Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.
“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness
will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors
will be proclaimed on the housetops.
I tell you, my friends,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but after that can do no more.
I shall show you whom to fear.
Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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I started learning how to golf at age 30.
Before I learned how to swing a club, watching golf on television was about as fun as watching paint dry. I couldn’t understand how anyone could be so interested in watching a little white ball fly through the air… or, eventually, roll into a little cup.
I needed to experience the game before I could appreciate it.
I needed the thrill of a perfect drive; of sinking a long putt; of hitting a skilled shot out of the sand. As well as the frustration of missing a short putt; watching my ball dribble into the water; or losing to a friend by a stroke.
Golf is an amazing, life-long game that I find captivating. But I never would’ve believed it if I were only on the outside looking in – watching from behind a screen.
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In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues his harsh condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees. Although they were the religious leaders of his day, they were like “whitewashed tombs,” ritually clean on the outside, but defiled within.
Although they praised God in public and attempted to follow hundreds of man-made rules, Jesus tells them they’ve never had a real experience of God. He’s more a figment of their imagination; a man-made creation; a bundle of rules. They’re still on the outside, looking in.
Their eyes have not been opened to the power of scripture; they have not known the fire of the Holy Spirit; their hearts are not possessed by love, but chilled by legalism.
“Beware of the leaven – that is, they hypocrisy – of the Pharisees,” he says. They appear religious, but are defiled within.
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What has my own experience of faith been like? Do I feel that I’m on the outside looking in, or has my heart been set aflame by the Holy Spirit?
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Often, those who struggle to believe in God are the ones unwilling to engage or take a risk, much like the scribes and Pharisees. They keep God at a comfortable distance.
Much like golf, faith only becomes real – and enjoyable – after you dive in. What does that mean for me today?
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Image credits: (1) Pinterest (2) USA Today’s FTW (3) Foresight Sports
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