Gospel MT 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.”
Reflection:
Jesus calls the Pharisees and Scribes, “blind guides” and “hypocrites,” and so they were.
There are many in our church today who are equally blind and hypocritical; their weaknesses, faults and sins are glaring and agonizing for us to behold.
Still, it is tempting to stare into their darkness and forget that today’s gospel was written for me as well as for them.
I cannot grow in holiness by examining the faults of others.
Jesus said, “Before you take the splinter from your brother’s eye, take the board from your own eye.” Matthew 7:5
Be it a church or an individual, the only path to spiritual growth is self examination.
The true value of today’s gospel lies in the extent of my ability to look within myself to discover where I have been blind, where I am hypocritical.
Rigorous, honest self-examination can be painful, but it is the one true path to knowing thyself.
“The journey into self-love and self-acceptance must begin with self-examination….until you take the journey of self-reflection it is almost impossible to grow or learn in life.” Iyanla Vanzant