DAILY HOMILIES #pharisees

God instructed Hosea to marry a harlot to demonstrate the idolatrous practices of the Israelite nation. Just as a harlot leaves her husband for other men, we cheat on God when we break the first commandment. Hosea says: “Return to the Lord. Say to Him: ‘…Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses; we will say no more, ‘Our God’, to the work of our hands.’” (Hosea 14:2-3).

No matter what your past has been, as Micah says today, God will forgive your sin (Cf. Micah 7:18-20). The only time God will not forgive is when we refuse to ask for forgiveness. This is known as despair (the belief that God cannot forgive).

The scribes and Pharisees were more concerned about their appearance than their holiness. They invested heavily in looking good but remained ugly in God’s sight. They took seats of honour at banquets but remained unworthy of the eternal banquet. They sat in the front rows of the synagogue, but without oil in their lamps, they were destined to stay outside like the foolish virgins. (cf. Matthew 25:1-13). They enjoyed the respect of men but had no integrity in God’s sight; they didn’t deserve the titles they gave themselves.

Trust in God. Do not be distracted by your poverty and lack. Do not worry about your empty stomach or your empty store. Seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first; God will provide abundant bread when needed. (Cf. Matthew 6:33). Let it not be that you participated in evil because you were hungry. God will be so disappointed. Trust that God will provide your needs; pursue righteousness. Dare to be different like Noah.

We cannot hide our real identity from the devil and his agents. We cannot pretend to be mighty Christians when our lives are full of hidden sins. Satan laughs at us when we hide under the shadow of pretence. Human beings need signs and wonders to be displayed to believe, and they can be deceived. Satan does not need any of that. He is capable of recognising a true Christian from that who is not.

In today’s Gospel passage, we find the height of this wickedness when the Pharisees watched Jesus to see whether or not He would heal a man with a withered hand on a Sabbath day. Jesus asked them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or harm, to save life or kill?” But they were silent. They knew healing this man was not against the Sabbath Law but were too ashamed to admit the truth. Like these Pharisees, we could become blinded by hatred for certain persons and no longer understand the reasons for God’s laws.

The Pharisees strongly criticised Jesus for breaking the Sabbath law. These Pharisees were always with Jesus. Instead of discovering what made Jesus and his disciples hungry to eat grains from the farm, they were only concerned about the “breaking of the law.” Do not be discouraged by your critics. Hope in God, not in human applause.

The failure of the scribes and Pharisees to see that God was in their midst despite their familiarity with the scriptures goes to prove the point of today’s first reading: “For indeed the good news came to us just as to them; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.” (Hebrews 4:2).

Rather than withdraw from God’s presence because your conscience disturbs you, remember that God is more interested in healing your wounds (sin wounds us) than punishing you. There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Jesus is unhappy with the Pharisees and lawyers because instead of leading people to God, they did the opposite. Jesus’ stern condemnation of these religious leaders calls for a serious examination of conscience on our part. Am I a light for the world or just part of the darkness? Is my life inspiring people to do good or to do evil? Am I a good leader?

Jesus calls them “unmarked graves, on which people walk over without realising it” (Luke 11:44). What makes a person an unmarked grave? St. Paul answers this question in today’s first reading by listing these characteristics: “fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like.” (Galatians 5:19-21).

Why did Jesus address the Pharisees as fools? The Pharisees thought they could deceive God by their external show of religiosity. They dressed well and prayed in the marketplaces to attract the praise of men, but their hearts were “full of extortion and wickedness.” It is better to be hated for who you are than loved for who you are not.