THEY SAY BUT DO NOT DO!

Matthew 23, 1-12

The gospel of today presents to us the criticism of Jesus against the Scribes and the Pharisees of his time. They occupy the chair of Moses and teach the law of God, but they themselves do not observe what they teach. “You must, therefore, do and observe what they tell you, but do not do as they do, because they say but do not do!”

Before this mentality, Jesus calls the attention of the disciples concerning the contradiction in the scribes’ teaching and their practice: “they say but do not do!” Jesus insists on the practice of love which makes the observance of the law relevant and gives it its true significance.

In meditating on this, it is convenient to think about our own contradictions in life. Do our words couple with our practice? Jesus looks today at me and you, he looks at our religious practices. He sees my rosary hanging in the car but not so often in my hands. He sees my beautifully Bible in my home, most the pages still sticking together from the time of its printing. He sees me going to Mass, praying several novenas every week, touching the statue of the Virgin Marie in churches, but not touching my neighbor in need. What would He tell me? Would he have harsh words for me too, because I emphasize the faith which covers emptiness?

But the Good News in today’s liturgy is that Isaiah assures us of God’s readiness to forgive. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…”

That’s the chance the Lord offers us during this Lenten season: to admit what went wrong and bring back the Spirit, the soul to our faith and religion. This change must be as radical as ‘scarlet’ becoming ‘white as wool.’ It is a journey from self-centeredness and self-love towards self-giving and selfless love. It is a journey to true faith, a faith which is not demonstrated in mere faithfulness prayer; but a faith which is revealed in what we do. To see me with a cross or a rosary does not make me a true Christian; the important thing is what I do. People are not amazed of powerful teachings but of powerful deeds. Faith is not statement, it is witness.