Be just; be merciful; and have faith in God!

Matthew 23:27-32

27 “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look fine on the outside but are full of bones and decaying corpses on the inside. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear good to everybody, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and sins. 29 “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You make fine tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of those who lived good lives; 30 and you claim that if you had lived during the time of your ancestors, you would not have done what they did and killed the prophets. 31 So you actually admit that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets! 32 Go on, then, and finish up what your ancestors started!

Food for thought!

Jesus continues to criticize the people of his day. "You are like whitewashed tombs, which look fine on the outside but are full of bones and decaying corpses on the inside. In the same way, on the outside you appear good to everybody, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and sins." These people's outward actions were the actions of intensely religious men; but their inward hearts were all but religious. Their outer actions did not march their inner actions; there was a mismatch between their ceremonies and their hearts. Are we any different? May be yes, may be no.

Does Jesus mean that we should abandon our religious acts and ceremonies? Are we to stop all our religiosity? Are we to stop praying or going to church, for example? Not at all. Yesterday, Jesus told us: "These you should have practised, without neglecting the others." (Matthew 23:23). In other words, religious ceremonies and acts can and sometimes must be done, but do not neglect the more important things. So what are these "more important things"?

Yesterday, Jesus told us these things (Matthew 23:23). He said, "you have neglected the more important matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith." These are the things we should labour to do in all we do. Psalm 4:5 reminds us: "Make justice your sacrifice, and trust in the Lord." And in Luke 6:36 Jesus tells us: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." And in Mark 11:22 Jesus recommends us: "Have faith in God."

Justice, Mercy and Faith are the important things that we need to practice everyday and everywhere even as we practice over religiosity. So don't compromise on them. Be just; be merciful; and have faith in God.