Daily Gospel Reflection for October 13, 2022

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Luke 11:47-54

We're in the process of helping my son, Zack, buy his first car. Our focus is on a car with all-wheel drive, good safety ratings, and reliability. But Zack is seventeen. He calls those "mom cars" and won't be caught dead in one. So, he's turning to his friend for support.

Zack’s friend may be quite versed in cars, but he lacks wisdom and experience. Regardless, Zack is holding him up as a car guru, taking his every word as gospel. Together, they’re advocating for a car with speed, rear-wheel drive, and a cool-looking exterior. Their emphasis is on how a car looks and performs, not on its reliability and safety. My husband and I feel like we're banging our heads against a wall.

It’s helping me relate to Jesus’ frustration with the Pharisees and scholars of the law. They were undermining Him at every turn, teaching the people without the wisdom and experience Jesus had. They were more about appearances and performance than they were about the state of their own hearts and souls. By burdening the people with rules and requirements, they hindered their understanding of Who Jesus really was.

I know Zack's friend doesn't mean to lead Zack astray. He's a good kid. I think he believes he's right, and his intention is to be helpful. But by digging his heels in, he's skewing Zack's understanding of what’s really important. Unfortunately, he's becoming an impediment to the whole car shopping process.

We know the scholars of the law and the Pharisees believed they were right, and they most likely began their vocations with right intention. But by digging their heels in, they skewed people's understanding of what's really important when building a relationship with God. They most assuredly became an impediment to the whole faith process.

Ponder:

Am I swayed by the interpretation of others, no matter the subject? Or do I look to God to help me understand the real truth in every matter?

Pray:

God of all Truth, remind me to lean into Your understanding on everything, so I don't make myself susceptible to the interpretations of others.

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By digging their heels in, the scholars of the law and the Pharisees skewed people's understanding of what's important. #dailygospel

Copyright 2022 Claire McGarry