Gospel: Matthew 23:23-26
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder
and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so
that the outside also may be clean.”
Do
we follow Him because we feel obliged by our faith, or do we follow Him because
of our deep love for Him? There is a profound difference between following
Jesus out of obligation and following Him out of love. When we follow Jesus
simply because we see it as an obligation, our faith can become something
external—something we do because we feel that we have to.
We
may attend Church, pray, serve, and fulfill our religious duties, yet remain
unchanged within. Our discipleship can become nothing more than an outward
expression that gives us a positive self-image, without bringing about genuine
interior cleansing and transformation.
But
when we follow Jesus because we truly love Him, something beautiful begins to
happen within us. His love touches the deepest corners of our hearts and
gradually transforms the way we think, speak, act, and relate to others.
When
we love Jesus, we become more willing to forgive those who have hurt us. We
learn not to harbor hatred and resentment in our hearts. We begin to turn away
from what is evil and contrary to God’s will because we desire to become more
like Jesus. True love for Jesus cannot remain hidden within our hearts. It must
bear fruit in the way we live.
Our
discipleship must always be rooted in our love for Jesus, not merely in an
obligation dictated by our faith. For true discipleship is not simply about
following religious practices or fulfilling our responsibilities. It is about
allowing Jesus to enter deeply into our hearts and transform us from within. It
is about surrendering our woundedness, pride, anger, resentment, and
selfishness to Him and allowing His grace to make us new.
Let
us therefore pause and examine our hearts. Why are we really following Jesus?
Are we following Him because we genuinely love Him, or are we simply doing so
because we feel obliged by our faith, our responsibilities, or even our
position in the Church and in our community?
If
our discipleship is only outward, we may unknowingly become like the Pharisees
and scribes whom Jesus rebuked for their hypocrisy. They appeared righteous
before others, but their hearts were not truly surrendered to God. May we never
allow our religious practices to become a substitute for a genuine relationship
with Jesus.
Perhaps
it is time for us to return to the heart of discipleship: love. Let us follow Jesus not merely because we are expected to, but
because we have come to know, love, and trust Him. And this love becomes real
when we forgive those who have hurt us, when we choose to build bridges rather
than walls, and when we humble ourselves before those whom we have hurt and
sincerely ask for their forgiveness.
Following
Jesus because we love Him means allowing His love to change us. It means
letting His mercy soften our hardened hearts, His forgiveness teach us to
forgive, His humility teach us to become humble, and His love teach us to love
even when it is difficult.
May
our faith never be merely something that we practice outwardly. May it become a
living relationship with Jesus that transforms our hearts and is reflected in
the way we live each day.
So,
as we look honestly into the depths of our hearts today, why are we really
following Jesus—because we feel that we have to, or because we truly love Him?
And if we say that we love Him, can others see His transforming love in the way
we forgive, humble ourselves, build bridges, and love one another?—Marino J.
Dasmarinas
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