“You hypocrites! You clean the outside of your cup and plate, while the inside is full of .... ” (Mt 23: 25)

“You hypocrites! You clean the outside of your cup and plate, while the inside is full of what you have obtained by violence and selfishness. ” (Mt 23: 25)  

Today’s Passage: Mt 23:23-26

Meditation:     Jesus continues again his criticism against the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. No! He invites again review ourselves and be his witnesses in today’s world. In the first book of Samuel we find God saying Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (16:7). Since one can be judged by the other normally through his outward appearances, he is satisfied with his external behavior, beauty or external manifestation. We are, then, in a world where man cannot believe what he sees or hears. Even the smile that you received joyfully in the morning, the cry you heartily sympathized on during your office time, or even the heart breaking story that you heard in the evening, however,  makes you whisper later ‘people are not nowadays trustworthy.’ On the one hand, somewhere people have lost confidence in each other, on the other hand, people easily believes the other and are cheated over and over again. Jesus warns us today that if we are not sincere in our behavior we will mislead our people. If we do not lead our people properly, we will be responsible the fall of the people and shall be condemned and punished for the same. Let us try to be like Moses in the house of the Lord, faithful and truthful servant. He never misled the people even when he was punished by God for his single moment of his disbelief. Primarily we are not before men, but before the ever living God, “who have searched me and known me” (Ps 139:1).                      

Prayer:               Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. Mother Mary, who brought up child Jesus gaining favor with God and man, may also help us gain favor both with God and man. For this we need to lead a life of honesty and sincerity. May God help us by sending his Holy Spirit upon us that we may be always truthful and sincere in our lives! Amen!  

Greetings:       Take courage God is with you! Have a nice and blissful Tuesday…