In the Theocracy of Israel, Pharisees are acknowledged
leaders. They are entrusted the authority to teach and interpret the Law of God
for the people. They are the so-called intellectual class in the time of Jesus.
And Jesus acknowledged their authority when he said to the crowds and his
disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ chair; therefore, do
what they teach you”.
But why would Jesus warn his disciples to avoid the ways
of the Pharisees, to be aware of their leaven? That is the important question
for us today. Jesus in the gospel of
today wants to point at the lack of integrity. “Beware of the leaven – that is
the hypocrisy - of the Pharisees.
The word “Hypocrite” refers to one who is acting, pretending
to be what he is not. The main point of these
verses is integrity. The Lord warns us of hypocrisy, and leads us to transparency, and
genuine simplicity. He says: Nothing can really be hidden that will not be made
known. This integrity is based on a total trust
in God who sees our hearts and knows our innermost thoughts. It is a main
teaching of genuine spirituality that we should control our thoughts and center
lives on the Lord.
This warning of Jesus is still relevant
for us today. We are called to love God “with our whole heart, with all our
soul and with all our mind,” Totality, integrity and wholeness should be the
characteristics of our lives dedicated to God. This is what we pray for today
as we celebrate these eight North American Martyrs who new that discipleship is
total, integral and whole consecration to God. May the Lord help us to follow
him in totality, integrity and wholeness. May he help us to express our faith in action.
No comments:
Post a Comment