Daily Word Of God
Matthew 23:27-32
Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of corruption. In just the same way, from the outside you look upright, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build the sepulchres of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the upright, saying, “We would never have joined in shedding the blood of the prophets, had we lived in our ancestors’ day.” So! Your own evidence tells against you! You are the children of those who murdered the prophets! Very well then, finish off the work that your ancestors began.’
Today's Pointers on God's Word
As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?
- In this Gospel of Matthew, Jesus rebuked the Jewish religious leaders for their hypocrisy; comparing them to whitewashed tombs.
- Hypocrites are like graves; no matter how opulent a grave may look on the outside, beneath each grave stone is decay. Hypocrisy brings about decay in our spiritual life and relationship with the Lord.
- Lord Jesus, Author and Giver of life, give us the graces we need to grow more fully in Your Love, Peace and Truth, and when temptations draw us away from You, give us your Spirit to always return to You.