Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing. Matthew 23:28 NABRE
Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees, denouncing them because they are failing to see what is most important among spiritual matters. Jesus calls them blind because they confuse lesser things with greater things and fail to see the bigger picture of religious observance. His criticism is aimed at their causal treatment of oaths and their neglect of fundamental obligations related to the moral and spiritual life. Jesus uses the purity ritual applied eating utensils; cups and dishes as an example. The attention paid to making cups clean on the outside is enormous while nothing is being done to clean the inside. In comparison the scribes and Pharisees are careful to maintain the ritual purity of the body even while their hearts are contaminated with desires of plunder and self-indulgence. They are charged with being blind to what is most important. Essentially they are doing what needs to be done to keep up appearances of ritual purity, but in fact they live with as much self-indulgence and selfishness as anyone, even nonbelievers, Jesus says they hypocrites and evil doers.
We should take heed of this criticism. It is hard to see a Christian today give up everything they have to help the poor. When do we take in someone who is homeless? How often do we give away what is in our cupboard to provide a meal for someone without cupboards. Christianity has become a Sunday thing, let’s get together, sing, worship and tell each other how wonderful we are as we give a small percentage of our earnings to help others. Jesus criticizes those who do so little calling them hypocrites and evil doers. Make Christianity a lifestyle not a place you visit.
What does it mean to be a Christian? How do you live what it means?
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