Gospel: Mt 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.”
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The obedience of the Pharisees is noteworthy. Not only do they pay taxes to the state but also intentionally tithe themselves for the support of the poor and the Temple. But even the Jewish pious practices of justice, mercy, and fidelity point to something more central: condemnation of unfairness, mercy towards all, and fidelity to one’s religion as practiced in one’s fidelity towards one’s fellow human beings. Scrupulous legalism does not give “justice” to the lowly or to God. God wants to encounter human beings in freedom and in ever-changing situations in life. The scrupulous observance of particular regulations hinders a far more radical obedience to God as taught by Jesus.
In our practice of faith, do we go straight to the heart of the matter? Do we have a sense of priority so that we do not get lost in details, to the neglect of more important things? Neglecting the “weightier” things by focusing on the literal interpretation of the law often defeats the very purpose or spirit of the law.
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2017” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
