DAILY HOMILIES #pharisees

Where are our watchmen today? Where are those prepared to die for speaking truth to power? Have we become carried away by the Gospel of prosperity or sold our conscience by collecting bribes from those in power? When will we realise that worshipping God goes beyond merely trying to make people feel good? It is easy to point fingers at priests and religious for not condemning the government in their sermons, but let us ask ourselves: what stops me from becoming a watchman for God?

As a Christian, if people get close to me, would they see something different from what I portray in public? Do I even believe the things I preach? Do I expect anyone to believe me if I am not convinced about right and wrong? How do I hope to convert a single soul if I am still an unbeliever? How long will I keep hiding, hoping my secrets will never be exposed?

Jesus did not condemn tithing; He said it is less important than justice, mercy, and faith. This means that on the last day, God will never ask why you refused to pay your tithes. Instead, He will ask you why you failed to practice justice, mercy and faith. We will be judged for failing to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick and the prisoners, etc. If you do not feel like tithing or you do not believe in it, you are not sinning.

We may lie to the world about who we are, but we can never lie to God. The worst kind of life (and the most miserable too) is living in pretence; projecting a false image of yourself like an actor on stage. Funny enough, the movie comes to an end too quickly, and the audience gets to know the true identity of the characters. As Jesus said: “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.” (Luke 12:2)

Jesus explained that it is not what one eats or how one eats that defiles him. Instead, it is the content of one’s heart that defiles a person. If we seek to be pure, the washing must first begin within our very heart. This is the kind of washing God promised the children of Israel in today’s first reading. “You shall (once again) be my people and I will be your God.”

Micah says: “Alas for those who devise wickedness and evil deeds on their beds!” (Micah 2:1a). You are a wicked person if you wish evil for or plan the destruction and downfall of others. Another characteristic of wicked people is arrogance; they are so power-drunk that they are not scared of anybody. They are not even scared of God. As today’s Psalm says: “For the wicked boast of the desires of their heart, those greedy for gain curse and renounce the Lord. In the pride of their countenance, the wicked say, ‘God will not seek it out’; all their thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 10:3-4).

Today’s Gospel passage shows us that Jesus was truly human, implying that God understands the meaning of hunger. God knows how it feels to be so hungry that you begin to chew paper (or anything that meets your eye). Whether we like it or not, there is hunger in our country today; people are ready to do anything to survive. We may want to judge them like the Pharisees who condemned Jesus and his disciples. However, before pointing fingers at anybody, ask yourself: “What have I done to help?” The story is about a boy who is brought to court for stealing bread. After listening critically to the case, the judge fined all who had arrested the boy. God desires mercy and not sacrifice

The worst kind of enemy is the one who comes to you as a friend. It is easier to avoid a known enemy than to hide from an enemy who pretends to love you. In today’s Gospel passage, the Pharisees and Herodians came to Jesus pretending to be his friends. They began by praising him. Who doesn’t like to be praised? Be careful of praise singers. Not all that glitters is gold.

When Paul stood before the tribunal, he immediately noticed a deep divide among those who brought him to trial. Applying the wisdom of a serpent and the innocence of a dove, Paul decided to take advantage of the division between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Paul introduced himself as a Pharisee on trial for the issue of the resurrection of the dead. The moment he said this, there was an uproar in the assembly.

The blindness of the Pharisees was caused by: 1. Envy. When you are envious of others, you are prepared to pull them down by any means, but no matter how hard you try, they remain above you. They couldn’t believe that Jesus was now doing what they themselves could not do. 2. Hatred. When you hate someone, there is nothing the person would do that would make sense. While others praised God, the Pharisees found fault: “He cannot be God because he did this on the Sabbath day.” Watch out when you become highly critical of others; it is a sign of hatred brewing in your heart.

Since our temptations come from our insatiable desires, the best way to weaken their power over us is to create new desires. After fasting for forty days, Jesus was hungry, so hungry that he felt like misusing His divine powers. Jesus resisted because His desire for our salvation outweighed His desire for food. How deep is your desire for sainthood? Whatever you hope to achieve, you must desire it passionately. You cannot fight sin unless you truly hate the object of that sin. For instance, we lie to ourselves, saying, “I will stop doing this” Meanwhile, whenever we see it, we secretly crave it.

In the words of St. Augustine: “God will never let his children suffer except if such suffering is ultimately for their good.” Every time you face trials, know you are on the verge of a breakthrough. Something great is coming your way; you only need to pass this test. Trials are like promotion exams we take before moving up. St. James says, “Count it all joy when you meet various trials.”