How we are scribes and Pharisees

 

Being righteous gives lasting joy and peace.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Wednesday of 21st Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, August 30th, 2023
Texts: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13; Psalm 139:7-12; Matthew 23:27-32 

The message today is about how we are scribes and Pharisees in our daily lives. Some husbands are scribes and Pharisees to their wives and children. They live their lives daily, showing they are faithful when they are not. Some wives are also scribes and Pharisees in their ways of life. They live their lives deceiving their husbands that they are faithful when they are not. Religious leaders also lead the way in this bid of putting on mask.  

Why are we fake and deceptive. We are not worth what we show to others. We are unfaithful but pretending to be faithful, liars but pretending to be truthful, enemies but pretending to be friends, etc. Why do we decide to be worthless. Being put on the scale of faithfulness, we are worthless; on the scale of truthfulness, we are worthless; on the scale of friendship, we are worthless, etc. Let us weigh our images on the scale of valuation. If I put up the image of friend, I should weigh friend or else I will be worthless.  

Righteousness does not require more than discipline

Why do we prefer the burden of being hypocritical to being righteous. Perhaps, we see it as being smart. We rejoice in being smart and pay no attention to being worthless. We go through all the troubles to put on our masks daily, we ensure that we do not fail. It is not an easy task to do that, it requires discipline. That is exactly what righteousness requires – discipline. Righteousness does not require more than discipline. Nevertheless, we fail to be righteous. We spend the same time and energy for righteousness to be hypocritical.  

Let us be true to ourselves. Like St. Paul we should live a righteous life before God and man. He says, “You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our behaviour to you believers”. While being hypocritical makes us worthless, being righteous makes us invaluable. Being hypocritical is about vain glory, being righteous is about eternal glory. Being hypocritical gives momentary excitement, being righteous gives lasting joy and peace. While being hypocritical gives low self-esteem, being righteous gives self-confidence.   

The secret behind the righteous living of the people of Thessalonica

St. Paul reveals today the secret behind the righteous living of the people of Thessalonica. He puts it thus: “When you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” Righteous living is possible if we take the Scriptures as the word of God. Righteousness is possible if we accept the gospel as the words of God. Hence, the way we live our lives shows our understanding of the gospel. Anything other than righteous living shows we take it as men’s words.  

Prayer 

God our Father, we thank You for Your mercy, help us to give up life of hypocrisy; give us the Spirit of truth that we may see the gospel as the words of God and live according to its rules. Amen 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke