Pharisees Within
Pharisees Within
Gospel Refection: Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
The Lord said:
“Woe to you, Pharisees!
You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb,
but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.
These you should have done without overlooking the others.
Woe to you, Pharisees!
You love the seat of honor in synagogues
and greetings in marketplaces.
Woe to you!
You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.”Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply,
“Teacher, by saying this, you are insulting us too.”
And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law!
You impose on people burdens hard to carry,
but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”
Today’s Gospel opens with Christ stating, “Woe to you, Pharisees! It grasps us, and we immediately understand admonishment is coming from a warning. Calling out the Pharisees, Christ states, “You pay tithes of mint and rue, but you pay no attention to judgment and love for God!” In scripture, we read that, The Law of Moses laid down that the harvest had to be tithed, including mint and Rue (Lev 27:30-33). We know Jesus does not mince any words. How would you react to such a public rebuke? Let us take a moment to think of ourselves. How do and what do we tithe?
We know the Pharisees on the outside they are clean, but their hearts are full of malice and rottenness. They pretend to be just. Appearances are all that matters to them. Therefore they strive to appear highly virtuous. We all have “a Pharisee” within us. It naturally comes with our human nature. However, we can acknowledge this pride and improve. The next step is to begin to practice humility, a denial of self. Humility is considering others better than yourself and requires an examination through the Word of God of the actions and attitudes of daily life.
God Bless this day and always!
Good points. From the beginning of Christianity folks have read passages like this to apply not only to the Pharisees but to all Jews right up to the present. However, non Jews and folks thru the centuries till now forget that Jesus was also speaking to all human beings. We are no better. Instead of pointing fingers, we must look into ourselves in all honesty. We will be unpleasantly surprised and that includes me!!!!
Yes,instead of being so careful to obey every so called staute or commandment,even though in themselves,they are good;we should show constant love and have empathy for others,even for those who persecute us,for really,they are hurting people.Hurt people hurt people!