Wednesday of the 21st week in ordinary time year A
1 Thes.2: 9-13 Mat. 23:27-32
Theme: You hypocrites!
In the gospel reading of today from Mathew, we see Jesus going hard on the scribes and pharisees because of their hypocritical lifestyle. This is because they are opposite to the impression that they present externally, that other people see. That is why we must be slow in making judgements about people, otherwise we will make mistakes. Sometimes the life some of us lead is just a show, to deceive other people about our identity. We paint a false picture that does not truly show who we are, but rather how we want people to see us.
In the gospel reading of today, this type of attitude is what gave rise to the anger of Jesus, and he called the scribes and pharisees hypocrites. Don’t be quick in joining Jesus to condemn them for their way of life, because you may also be living your life in a similar way. A very important question we all must answer today is, the picture we present externally that people see, is it authentic or deceptive? Your answer will go a long way in helping you to make an informed choice of what you truly want for yourself.
The deceptive life we sometimes present will not last forever, with time people will know who we truly are, it is only a matter of time. Jesus is admonishing us today to remove the mask we are wearing to deceive people and be our true self, if we truly want to be the best version of ourselves. It is never too late to embrace what is good and right in the sight of both God and humans, the time is now. The anger of Jesus against the hypocrisy of the scribes and pharisees is visible for all to see. It is always better to be yourself, whether in secret or in public. The choice is yours to make today.
It is also important to point out the fact that as ambassadors for Christ, we must make effort to ensure that the word of God that we preach to people is seen practically in our lives. There must be harmony between the word of God that we preach and our daily lives. We will be operating like the scribes and pharisees when we say one thing to other people and do another thing in our own life. This is a very hypocritical way of living, and this is one of the reasons why just is very angry today with the scribes and pharisees. We are called to be witnesses, with the way we lead our lives. As we continue to strive to live an authentic life, may almighty God bless you in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.