“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”
Tuesday, 23rd August 2016,
Twenty First Week of Ordinary Time
2Thes 2:1-3, 14-17;
Ps 95:10-13;
Mt 23:23-26
FREEDOM FROM HYPOCRISY!
It is quite clear from the life and the example of Jesus that he never condemned any one; He condemned the sin and not the sinner. Even in today's Gospel Jesus condemns the way that the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had misused religion and religious practices for their own personal gain. Jesus condemned the hypocrisy of the people. In principle hypocrisy is to claim to have what one really does not have. Telling lies and a hypocritical life always go hand in hand. Jesus does not like this kind of life. In a hypocritical way of life the reality of religion is lost, and religion is practiced only with ulterior motives. Jesus could discern immediately those who were sincere in their life and those who were hypocritical. Therefore, He condemned their hypocrisy with courage. The hypocrites try hard in winning over the converts. Once they are won over, their life is made miserable by introducing unnecessary rules, external rituals and practices. So the people lose sight of the essentials of the religion and hold on to some accidental rituals. All rituals and religious practices should help us to come closer to God. They are means used in religion to come close to God, and they are not end in themselves. Jesus condemns all the types of hypocrisy that takes away God from one's religious practices.
Prayer: God our Heavenly Father free us from all our hypocritical behavior in following Your Son Jesus. Amen.
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