DGeMs- Daily Gospel eMessage
Dear Friend in the Lord,
Faith – “Hypocrisy”: In today’s Gospel, Jesus reprimanded the Pharisees and scribes for being hypocrites. As such, their “reverence” for Him is worthless. Is our love for Jesus hypocritical: i.e. superficial and deceiving as our true motive is for our self-gain and glory? If so, our faith will not be fulfilling.
Fr Philip Heng, S.J.
Mark 7:1-2, 5-8
The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus, and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them.
So the Pharisees and scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders but eat their food with unclean hands?’ He answered, ‘It was of you hypocrites that Isaiah so rightly prophesied in the passage of scripture: This people honours me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless; the doctrines they teach are only human regulations. You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.’