FRIDAY OCTOBER 20, 2023
FRIDAY OF THE TWENTY EIGHTH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME A
Romans 4:1-8
Luke 12:1-7
REASONS WHY WE SHOULD LIVE ABOVE HYPOCRISY
The human tendency to believe in one thing and live a different thing is very high. Man has so many things to content with. But most important are self preservation and protection, pride, ego preservation and even impression given to others, move man to seem to profess a different thing and live a completely different life.
The Pharisees and scribes were accused of this tendency because their lifestyle did not conform to their profession. They seemed to have two standards, one that they proclaimed and one that they lived. And these two standards never met or coincided. But what makes it sinful is their willful acceptance and living of this life.
Jesus condemns those who live with such double standard life. For hypocrisy means, “a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not : behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feels.”
Jesus offers us reasons why hypocrisy is bad and evil. And the fact that God sees all things and will reveal all things at the end of our lives. The judgement day will see all thing as they are. God takes note of every thing we do and knows them all. Even the hairs on our heads are counted and known, just as the sparrow is also known.
We must be careful not to live reckless, dishonest, and insincere lives. The best form of lives we can live is to strive towards honesty, transparency and sincerity. A life lived in these ways affirms ones good conscience and sincerity of purpose. But a life of hypocrisy is nonetheless a false life, lived as if there is no God.
Jesus urges us to be courageous to confront our limitations, to accept our culpability, to strive so that our lives may conform to our profession as we live in faith and trust in God.
Heavenly Father, we are battered on all sides of life and are tempted some times to question our faith. Lord, deliver us from faithlessness and double standard life. Grant us a spirit of total resignation of our lives into your hands. May our lives be transparent, sincere and honest in all ramifications as we match our faith with our actions through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
