Woe to you, Pharisees!

Jesus deplores the wrong focus taken by the Pharisees as regards their practice of faith. They are more concerned with the subordinate demands of God’s law and ignore the primary command to love God and neighbor. Their scrupulous observance of tithing, even on tiny herbs, is meant to win the approval of other people. It is the Pharisees’ way to build their self-image. God is taken out of the picture, and the people are being hoodwinked about the Pharisees’ superficial brand of holiness.

Jesus also rebukes the Pharisees on their desire for recognition each time they eye the front seats in synagogues and enjoy salutations in public places. They desire to win approval for themselves rather than to bring glory to God. Thus, with their posturing and image building, the Pharisees fail to inspire people and lead them to faith in God. Jesus refers to them as “unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.” Graves are filled with filth and bones. Physical contact with a grave, even unintended, renders a Jew ritually unclean.

Jesus calls us to a discipleship of sincerity and truth.

Gospel •

LUKE 11:42-46

The Lord said: “Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God. These you should have done, without overlooking the others. Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces. Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.”

Then one of the schoolars of the law said to Him in reply, “Teacher, by saying this You are insulting us too.” And He said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”

SOURCE: “366 Days with the Lord 2020,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.