“You hypocrites! You make fine tombs for the
prophets and decorate the monuments of those who lived good lives.” (Mt 23:29)
Today’s Passage: Mt 23:27-32
Meditation: I am thinking
today that why Jesus is behaving like this. See! The Pharisees and the teachers
of the law are spending the whole amount of money from their pockets for making
fine tombs; it is not for them or their people, but the prophets of God. If it
were today that it happened; what would have been people thinking of it? I hope
that people will surely whisper; ‘if at all Jesus couldn’t say anything good or
positive about them, he could have at least kept mum against them than scolding
and reproaching publically.’ But, we do find that on another occasion this Jesus
himself is doing positively within no time on others’ recommendation, ‘this
roman officer really deserves your help. He loves our people and he himself
built a synagogue for us’ (Lk 7:5). This makes us think that Jesus is provoked,
in a special way, here in this particular instance of the Pharisees and the
teachers of the law. Why is Jesus so offended here? It is because of their share
in the offences of their fathers who killed the prophets and the righteous
ones. Therefore, it is not that money that matters, but the sponsors’ heart and
life. The book of Ezekiel clearly teaches, “The person who sins shall die. A
child shall not suffer for the iniquity of the parent. Nor a parent suffer for
the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be his own,
and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own” (Ezk 18:20). Yes, it is the
widow’s two coins that caught the attention of Jesus than the gifts of the rich
(Lk 21:1-4).
Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for
your daily eternal bread. Let us be able to open our hearts before you. We are
giving portions of whatever we have, but fail to offer ourselves as a pleasing
oblation to you; ‘a living and holy sacrifice’ to you (Rom 12:1). Help us to
understand that you are not anyway pleased in our different gift offerings, but
deeply interested in offering ourselves, pure and holy. Amen!
Greetings: Take courage
God is with you! Have a nice and blissful Wednesday…
No comments:
Post a Comment