Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“You pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.”

Gospel Reading: Luke 11:42-46

The Lord said: “Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God. These you should have done, without overlooking the others. Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces. Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.” Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply, “Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too.” And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”

Do you ever get the feeling that the Pharisees just didn’t get it? Jesus is deeply saddened by the actions and attitude of the Pharisees. So why does Christ chastise the Pharisees so much? They appeared to followed the Mosaic Law, they tithed as God asked them to do; even the most insignificant of kitchen herbs. So why was Jesus upset with their actions? The Pharisees only concerned themselves with their outward appearance. They only cared about what others thought about them. Their heart and soul were hidden from their fellow man, so their true intentions could not be seen. According to the law, anyone who touched a grave became unclean for seven days. Over time the grave markers would disappear and become unnoticeable. Therefore, a person could walk over the grave without even knowing. Jesus uses this example to unmask the hypocrisy of their ways. The Pharisees were so exact about even the most insignificant of things such as tithing rue, an insignificant kitchen herb that they missed what was really important. The Pharisees are so worried about tithing every little thing that they overlook the major items like God’s justice and love. He is saddened because they are more concerned about where they are sitting in church then about sitting with God. We are called by God to be just and to love, but the Pharisees hearts were filled with malice and hatred. The Pharisees were so focused on their outward image that they were neglecting their inner soul. Jesus was saddened because they completely missed the things that mattered most; the poor, the hungry and those in most need of their love. The rules became more of a reason not to associate with someone then as a reason to embrace all of God’s people. Today’s message tells us that the most important thing is love and justice. We must love everyone no matter what they have done and aide everyone who needs help no matter what their situation. God is love and God is supreme justice. We are made in God’s image; therefore, we should reflect this love and supreme justice for all.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, give me Wisdom to know your love and justice so that my love will be a beacon which guides others to your table and that my justice will be guided by your prudence.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon