Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay
tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of
the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done,
without neglecting the others. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and
swallow the camel!
“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.
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Reflection:
Which is more important to you? The outside appearance of a person (what
is seen) or the interior attitude of a person (what is not seen)? For Jesus it
is always the interior, the content of a person’s heart and thought.
What is seen doesn’t matter for what good it is to have a
handsome/beautiful face, to have nice houses and to have wealth. If the content
of our hearts and minds are filthy and toxic? What good it is to have all the
material wealth and power in this world if we have no God in our heart and if
we have no compassion and love?
What is seen is temporary but if we have God in our heart, if we have
compassion and love, we are forever
peaceful until the end.
The Pharisees in the gospel which were the ruling power during Jesus’
time were the recipient of Jesus woes. For they were always looking good and
pious on the outside but morally and spiritually lacking in the inside. Thus,
Jesus wanted them to change and to have an interior cleansing and renewal.
Let us reflect on these pronouncements of Jesus for He is speaking to us as
well. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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