103 posts 8/27/2007 10:01 pm
Last Read:
8/29/2007 3:15 am
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Neglect for Weightier Things... reflect
Neglect for Weightier Things... Reflect…
We might not recognize ourselves immediately in the description that Jesus makes of the legalist-hypocrites in today’s gospel reading. However, if we are a bit honest, we will admit that at least sometimes we have moments of hypocrisy, of legalism of our lives. These happen any time we seek to appear to be what we are not, especially in the area of personal worth. In fact, if we were very honest and not just a bit, we would probably admit that legalistic hypocrisy is almost always lurking at the back of our minds at least as a permanent temptation. Now, why is legalism so tempting.
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus provides the answer to that question; legalism is tempting because it present the easy way out of our moral obligations. This is made abundantly clear in the first example he gives. For it is obviously far easier to pay the tithes on mint and herbs and seed than to concern oneself about the more important areas of justice, mercy good faith. Legalism is for the lazy. It requires less effort. And it has the added advantage as a bonus that it gives the nice feeling of being obedient to God, since the legalist can boast of having indeed fulfilled the law down to its smallest details!
On the other hand, why is hypocrisy so tempting? Here Jesus does not answer this question. He merely describes the behavior of the hypocrites; they are concerned with looking good, without trying to be good. Again, though, we could say that this description implicitly answer the question as to why hypocrisy is so tempting. It is because trying to be good is far more demanding than merely looking good. What we are in the sight of other people is easy to fake; but we cannot fool God.
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365 Days with the Lord
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1312 posts 8/28/2007 7:20 am |
Amen and amen.
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4829 posts 8/28/2007 7:55 am |
so whats new, thats just being human  .. even ministers & priests are hypocrites & they should know better, right ? i'm just curious, aren't you, too
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