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Gospel: Matthew 23: 13-22
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,
or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple swears by it
and by him who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by him who is seated on it.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Someone once said, “You may be the only bible a person ever reads.”
As Christians, you and I are meant to digest the Word of God so deeply that it becomes part of who we are.
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In today’s Gospel, Jesus accuses the religious authorities of doing the very opposite. They’ve essentially hijacked religion, turning it into a system of rules, leading people to believe that God cares more about the purity of their hands than the purity of their hearts.
“Woe to you!” Jesus says.
The meaning of this word, “woe,” in Greek not only carries a sense of deep wrath, but also sorrow. The fact that the religious leaders of his day have prevented people from encountering the love and mercy of God made Jesus sorrowfully angry.
So, he condemns them with seven different “woes.” Some have called this Gospel passage, “Christ’s rolling thunder.” Nowhere else does Jesus issue such a strong, sustained rebuke. In fact, the religious leaders are the only ones whom Jesus condemns in the Gospels.
This is a damning truth, considering the fact that Jesus prayed for – and even forgave – his executioners! But this is how seriously the Lord holds religious figures accountable – or, for that matter, anyone who claims to know him.
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“You may be the only bible a person ever reads.”
So, how has the Word of God come alive in your heart? How is the compassion of Christ revealed in your speech? How does the love of God reveal itself through your actions?
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As Teresa of Avila reminds us, “Christ has no body on earth now, but yours.” May we use our eyes, our voice, our hands and feet to reveal the infinite love and mercy of God, lest Jesus cry out, “Woe to you!”
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Image credits: (1) Jesus Christ- The World’s Savior and Redeemer (2) The Sydney Morning Herald (3) Strength with Dignity