TUESDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2024
TUESDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF LENT B
Isaiah 1:10.16-20
Matthew 23:1-12
LIVING ABOVE THE HYPOCRISY OF THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES
The Christian life has two dimensions. The first dimension is encounter with the sets of beliefs which calls for assent to the faith that involves the mental faculty and will. And the second dimension is practically showing and living such assent in ones daily lives and actions. This second stage is where the struggles to be a Christian begins. It is practicing that which one has assented to. This involves the very act of doing what the mental action has accepted and internalized. These two dimensions cannot be bridged but must be coordinated and carried out without which the Christian faith lacks and becomes null and void.
Jesus warns us against the tendency of consenting to the faith and not doing the actions required by the faith. Worse still is just enjoying the privileges and gains of the faith belief.
The scribes and the Pharisees represent this trend of hypocrisy and faithfulness. Jesus addressed this ill in today’s gospel. Jesus pointed on this errors of the scribes and Pharisees, who love to seat on the chair of Moses, wearing long phylacteries, being greeted ostentatiously, having to seat at the front roll and being recognized and greeted by others. All these are privileges that go with the life in Christ. Anyone who wants to experience such must also be ready and willing to abide by the practical life demanded by Christ.
Not being able to live the life but pretending to be such is much more than hypocrisy and irreligious. It is empty pride and blasphemy against God. A person who takes the position of God in the life of people and in the situations and circumstances of life is gravely distorting the mysteries of faith.
The ills of preaching one thing and doing another thing is a grave sin and we must never allow it in our lives. The idea of believing in thing and practicing another is yet another great evil we must disallow in our lives.
The tendency to become over bloated with pride, to fall into the errors of assuming the position of God and acting likewise must be avoided absolutely. And the only remedy is to conform our lives to the teachings of Christ. To live believing and living out our belief without contradictions.
The prophet Isaiah therefore implores us to put this wrong doing out of our lives. We must cease to do this evil and indeed all evil. The season of lent calls us to repent and begin doing the right thing. Here the right thing to be done is to allow our belief to inform our actions. Make our accent to the faith the struggle we wage in our practical life and the life we hope to live in Christ.
Heavenly Father, you called us to a life of glory in Christ, a life in which we forget ourselves and humble ourselves to do your will in all things. Help us to strive towards living out our faith, never pretending to be what we are not, but rather, making efforts to overcome vices in us and gaining the blessings reserved for us. May we never take advantage of your gift or allow pride to rule us. through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
