Daily Gospel Reflection for August 26, 2015

Today's Gospel: Matthew 23:27-32

Today, we continue yesterday’s “woes” as Jesus reminds the scribes and Pharisees not to be so busy in their condemnation of others that they forget to repent of their own sinful nature.

Woe number six (of seven in this gospel passage) warns against hypocrisy. When Jesus accuses them of being like “whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth,” his words sting at my heart. Too often, I keep up my “holy” exterior for the perception of others while I languish in unrepentant sin.

In the final “woe,” Jesus foreshadows the role that the teachers and leaders of his time will have in rejecting the Son of God and bringing about his death. In my part, how often do I drive the nails into Christ’s cross by merit of my own sinful behavior?

We read and ponder the gospel to learn, to grow, and to repent. As challenging as these passages are, they are a blessing for they call us away from the path of hypocrisy and into the light of what it truly means to be a follower of Christ.

Ponder:

Are you ever more concerned with the appearance of piety than with truly living it?

Pray:

Jesus, teacher and master, you see me fully and know me in my brokenness. Help me today to seek the healing light of your love, to repent of my own hypocrisies and to walk the path that leads me home to you.

We thank our friends at The Word Among Us for providing our gospel reflection team with copies of Abide In My Word 2015: Mass Readings at Your Fingertips. To pray the daily gospels with this wonderful resource, visit The Word Among Us.

Copyright 2015 Lisa Hendey