Gospel
Mt 23:13-22
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,
or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple swears by it
and by him who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by him who is seated on it.”
Reflection
In this Gospel Jesus criticizes the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy and misguided priorities. Their focus on outward appearances overshadows the true essence of faith and worship. The scribes and Pharisees focused too much on the material aspects of worship (like the gold in the temple) rather than understanding that these things only gain their significance because of the relation to God. The quote, "You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?" stuck out to me. It made me wonder what gift it could be referring to and why the altar makes the gift sacred. I think the "gift" in the quote can symbolize anything we offer in worship, while the "altar" represents the divine source that sanctifies and gives meaning to that offering. I think overall it is refering to how we can value material things and outward appearances like the scribes and Pharisees and forget about the true meaning and importance lies in God not whatever in objects and superficial displays we might partake in.
Reading this Gospel gave me a reminder to avoid being lukewarm in our own faith. I think it challenges us to reflect on whether we are genuinely living out our beliefs or simply adhering to practices without deeper commitment.
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