1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Psalm 138(139):1-3,4-6
Matthew 23:23-26
WE ARE SINNERS, YET WE ARE DEEPLY LOVED BY GOD.
In today’s gospel, Jesus isn’t holding back! He boldly calls out the scribes and Pharisees: “Woe to you, hypocrites! You scrub the outside of your cups and dishes, but inside they’re brimming with plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, clean the inside first, so the outside can shine too!” It’s a powerful reminder that true faith ignites within our hearts—it’s not about flashy rituals or pious displays. Those acts should reflect what genuinely lives in our hearts!
Look around, and you’ll see plenty of self-proclaimed Christians behaving in ways that can only be described as “crude.” My father loved to use that word for actions that are both cruel and rude. It’s shocking to see someone flaunting a gold cross while hurling hurtful nicknames and calling others losers. Where’s the harmony between what’s inside and what’s outside? How does the incredible love that God reveals through the Passion of Christ translate into a genuine love for others, including those who stumble?
And don’t think we get off easy! Jesus is here to challenge all of us. Woe to you, politicians! Woe to you, church leaders! Woe to you…and yes, woe to me, the hypocrite! We must start by purifying our insides so that our care for others comes from a genuine place. We are sinners, yet we are deeply loved. We are broken, yet beautifully redeemed. In that transformative experience of love and redemption, let’s rise, love fiercely, and lift others along the way!
Fr Joseph Osho
