What a Tragedy

Today’s Gospel Text:  "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' 31 Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. Matt 23:27-32

Reflection: What a tragedy! How shall we look at these scribes and the Pharisees, in their pitiable state, as they stand exposed by a one man army; Jesus Christ the righteous one?

What was the sin of the scribes and the Pharisees that they had to face such an onslaught from Jesus?

Was it a curse that Jesus utters against them when he proclaims these woes or shall we look at them as opportunities, maybe, it could be a last one for them, lest they die in this misery of blindness?

Such blind men have no room in the kingdom, because it belongs to the restored and the healthy and Jesus came to set these oppressed free in order that they may enter his kingdom.

On the other hand, the action of the scribes and the Pharisees which Jesus was attacking was the one in which they build the tombs of the prophets which their fathers had murdered.

What is more they apparently seemed truly repentant when they would say: “'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' (vs. 30)

Jesus exposes them in their statement; by making such a noble statement they were actually being a witness to a grave fact that their forefathers were murderers and thus they were sons of murderers.

It seemed like a noble intention on their part to protect the prophet in their day, as if they had learnt from the folly of their fathers.

If that was so; then anyone’s noble desire would remain a noble desire to the end, that too perfectly so, then surely they would not face the wrath of God.

But that is not so, even in our day there are the countless who begin well and carry such a desire in their hearts, of serving God, of protecting his prophets, and bringing glory to his name with a noble desire. 

Some have even achieved great heights of power and position and yet many ultimately end up like these scribes and Pharisees, as murderers who go on to crucify the Lord; if not in deeds then in at least words

Prayer:  Lord, purify those noble intentions and may your spirit constantly make us alive to walk in your ways.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Finger of God

Today’s Gospel Text:  but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple; all the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?" 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus looked up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again." John 8:1-11

Reflection: What may have preceded this plot of setting this woman, who was caught in the act of committing adultery, before Jesus?

I am sure they may have been culprits themselves who may have not got their pound of flesh. 

How can a woman alone commit an act of adultery? If she was caught in the act then where is the accomplice in such an act?

Jesus must have picked-up the wicked trap of these extra-smart Scribes and Pharisees?

What then did he write on the ground that spoke so loud and clear to their conscience?

The scripture tell us that Jesus wrote twice on the ground with his finger? Did not God write the Ten Commandments with his finger on two different tablets? Which means in two sittings at one time! 

  

"And he gave to Moses, when he had made an end of speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God." Ex 31:18 (Dt. 9:10)  

When God’s finger is at work, there is no room for hardening of hearts (cfr. Ex. 8:19)

Jesus action of bending down to write for the first time suggests that they had notoriously broken the first  part of the commandments and it was their blindness and  hardened hearts that persistently kept on prodding him for an answer to their loaded query.

When he bent down the second time, they knew that the second half of the 10 commandments spoke to them loud and clear, they heard what was being written; “And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. But when they heard it … (vss. 8-9a)

God’s finger spoke in the Old Testament and it can speak again too, it speaks to our hearts to set us free from the yoke of the evil one, who keeps oppressing us towards slavery to sin and wrongdoing. (cfr. Luke 11:20)

Prayer: All powerful God, raise thy finger against every power of evil that may be at work in this thy servant so that I may serve you in the freedom of heart.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Woe to You

Today’s Gospel Text: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity. 26 You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean. Matt 23:23-26

Reflection: The contradictions of life often make me marvel; we do or say one thing and in reality practice just the opposite.

If you thought that only a housewife could be spending on traveling long distance in order to avail of a sale offer and ultimately spend much more than what she would spend elsewhere, then you are mistaken.

You could call yourself a Christian and yet not live your Christianity in obedience to his voice, nor understand the tenets of the faith you claim to adhere to.

Or you could be well versed in theology and scripture and yet may not understand the basics of the faith.

In the light of the above, we can now read the woe that Jesus speaks to the Scribes and the Pharisees and reflect and see how it applies to us: “hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!”  (vs. 23, 24)

For example; we have may have thought of justice only from one single window, which has made us look at the horizontal angle and even in that we may have acted contradictory and confused.

We could participate at rallies and seminars on bringing about justice in society and yet practice injustice in our personal lives when dealing with others, especially those who are subordinate to us.

Thus in both respects we have practiced injustice by forgetting the priority of God.

The greatest injustice, which is the reason for all other injustices is that of not seeking the one true God  and Jesus Christ who proved himself as our savior by his passion, death and resurrection. 

To talk about Christian love and not to reach out with the gospel of Christ, and seeking to only proclaim gospel values, is nothing but a betrayal of Christ, which demands the ‘woe’ of Christ.  

Prayer: Lord, may I not come under your curse and instead mend my ways according to thy holy will, wisdom and purpose.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Jesus Teaches

Today’s Gospel Text: Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; 3 therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,h and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 6 They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7 and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students.i 9 And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father — the one in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah.j 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted. Matt 23:1-12 NRSV

Reflection:  Every family will have it; memories of a grandfathers chair or a fathers chair or a grandmothers or mothers favorite chair.

In certain families I can’t think of a person, in their own house without occupying their favorite chair, sitting in durbar, dispensing advice to those who come to them.

The chair then gets passed on from one generation to another, just like the throne that passes on to the next generation. They do hold sentimental value but some chairs hold the value of authority, like the chair of Moses or the Kings or rulers chair.

Who then would occupy the seat of Moses, If not the scribes and Pharisees?

What did Jesus mean, was it the real seat of Moses or was it the seat of authority? It seemed, in all probability, the seat of authority in dispensing justice or teaching the faith. The criterion was clear; “whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do.”

The emphasis of the statement is more on not doing what they do and hence the injunction to follow their teachings which was disjointed from what they taught; they taught correctly but acted falsely.

What would happen when the teaching itself would not be in accord with the faith? We see Jesus already at hand correcting many of their false interpretation of the Law of Moses.

In the new dispensation, the seat of Moses is abrogated and we have a new seat, established by Christ himself who is the primary teacher through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Hence this is a clear message to the Protestants who make heavy use of this text to hit out at the Catholics, that the primary teacher is not the word of God, but Christ himself who still lives to teach.

He then teaches through the Magisterium, the teaching authority instituted by him, which in turn, open to the Spirit of Christ, teaches the word faithfully in reference to tradition and sound doctrine.

Prayer: Teach me thy way, O Lord, that I may walk in thy truth; unite my heart to fear thy name. Ps 86:11

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us