Commentary on the Gospel of
Today’s readings challenge us to beware of hypocrisy in our lives and to
avoid the trap of appearing ‘religious’ to impress others. Rather than
worry about externals and our status in the eyes of others we are called
to cultivate a humility that attempts to see ourselves as God sees us. It
is not power and status that brings salvation but rather a recognition of
the utter gratuity of God’s grace in our lives which is not something that
we can earn. Yet how easy it is to overcomplicate our relationship with
God, so like the Scribes and Pharisees the rules and religious practices
become obstacles to our awareness of God’s freely given love, rather than
a preparation for entering more deeply into an experience of God’s love.
