Reflection on the Gospel of the Thirty-First Sunday
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Matthew 23: 1-12 |
Walk the talk but in humility… Jesus appears to be criticizing the pharisees because they were poor shepherds. They were becoming obstacles between God and his people. They burdened the faithful with following the laws rather than encouraging them to develop a relationship with God. They were so used to being special that expected VIP treatment everywhere. The word Pharisee is an exclusive term which meant that they wouldn’t like to associate with ordinary folk and very often could be seen condemning people as sinners who were no good.
Jesus asks us to reflect on our own Pharisee like attitude. Do we live the faith? Or do we just sermonize the faith to others who we consider namesake lukewarm Christians? We are called to live the Gospel ourselves as examples in humility which is rooted in a deep relationship with God.
