DAILY HOMILIES #pharisees

Jesus is unhappy with the Pharisees and lawyers because instead of leading people to God, they did the opposite. Jesus’ stern condemnation of these religious leaders calls for a serious examination of conscience on our part. Am I a light for the world or just part of the darkness? Is my life inspiring people to do good or to do evil? Am I a good leader?

Jesus calls them “unmarked graves, on which people walk over without realising it” (Luke 11:44). What makes a person an unmarked grave? St. Paul answers this question in today’s first reading by listing these characteristics: “fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like.” (Galatians 5:19-21).

Why did Jesus address the Pharisees as fools? The Pharisees thought they could deceive God by their external show of religiosity. They dressed well and prayed in the marketplaces to attract the praise of men, but their hearts were “full of extortion and wickedness.” It is better to be hated for who you are than loved for who you are not.

Are you struggling to accept Jesus’s teachings? Does the cross seem too heavy for you? Ask God to help you. Prayer is the key. Jesus says: “With men, it is impossible.” Relying on your strength alone (intelligence, money, self-discipline, connections, etc.), you cannot be Christian. You must be connected to God through daily prayers to gain the strength to live out your Christian call. Jesus said: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).

Jesus knew that the Pharisees were following him to find fault with him. He could have chosen the path of diplomacy, pretending he didn’t see the man with a withered hand. He could have signalled this man to meet him secretly, but Jesus chose to heal him publicly. Do not be afraid of what anyone would do to you. Only fear God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Cf. Matthew 10:28)

From Jesus’ response, we learn two important points. One, Jesus is God; He is the long-awaited bridegroom. He is the Lord of the Sabbath. Two, God wants us to worship Him in spirit and truth instead of merely observing rules (Cf. John 4:23). There is a difference between worshipping God and following the commandments. This is the difference between the new wineskins and the old wineskins.

In his admonition to the Corinthians, Paul made no negative statement about Apollos, who had been made a rival to him by the people. This is very instructive. It is the devil’s delight to see church leaders quarrel and fight over what they say. Avoid taking sides when people bring gossip; they may be plotting the stage for you to fight with your brother.

To avoid self-deception, Jesus says, “First, clean the inside of the cup.” In other words, the first step to becoming His true followers is to look honestly at ourselves, acknowledge the dirt within our hearts, and clean them up. The problem is that, like the scribes and Pharisees Jesus condemned, we always try to do the opposite; we clean the outside and abandon the inside.

No matter how good you think you are, be open to criticism. Do not surround yourself with sycophants. Cherish and appreciate those who have different opinions; there is always something to learn and something you can improve on. Only a true friend will tell you to your face that you are going the wrong way.

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, giving drinks to the thirsty, visiting the sick and the prisoners, etc. If you do not feel like tithing or you do not believe in it, you are not sinning.

Only a true friend will tell you the truth about yourself. Many preachers (pastors, priests, church leaders, etc.) wallow in darkness because they have surrounded themselves with praise singers. We, men of God, believe we are perfect because everyone respects us, and since no one is bold enough to correct us, we no longer see anything wrong with our sinful behaviours.

Aim for perfection. It is better to avoid offending others than insisting on your rights. Some wars are not worth fighting. You may be right, but sometimes, it is wiser to make peace than to stoke the fires of war. Jesus could have argued with the tax collectors or forced them to believe in His Divinity, but He chose the more convincing option: He worked a miracle to pay the tax. He did something only God could do: ask Peter to catch a fish with a coin.