13-Oct-15

Gospel LK 11:37-41
After Jesus had spoken,
a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.
He entered and reclined at table to eat.
The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.
The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees!
Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
inside you are filled with plunder and evil.
You fools!
Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?
But as to what is within, give alms,
and behold, everything will be clean for you.”
Reflection:
The Pharisee in today's gospel story was so consumed with observing the details of petty, man made rules that he was missing the importance of loving one another as the pathway to living a godly life.
But, before I am too quick to ridicule the Pharisee, I would be better served to examine my own behavior.
Sad to say, I remember a time some years ago when I was attending Mass with my four year old grandson who was misbehaving.
Refusing to sit and stand at the appropriate times he instead crawled on the pew and slid beneath the seat.
Whispering in his ear, I told him, "If you slide down on the floor once more, I am going to march you out of this church in front of everyone."
Well, of course, he slid and I marched him up the aisle, crying in shame.
When I examine the motivation for my behavior, I must, in truth, admit that I was more concerned about what others thought than I was about the child's behavior.
Like the Pharisee, I had allowed myself to be held captive by what convention dictated: I followed the man made rule of not making noise in church at the expense of allowing a child to be himself in the house of the Lord.
Today, I look back and ask myself, "What would Jesus have done?"
Of course, He would have said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” Matthew 19:14
"You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!" Matthew 23:24