Gospel Commentary for August 26, 2025

Going to the Depths

Lies are like a thin layer of artificial shine covering poison. And poison has the strange power of boiling over until it bursts out, no matter how beautiful the surface looks. One lie leads to another, and then another, just to keep covering up the corruption. On the outside everything is made to look nice, sweet, and refined. For a while it may deceive, but eventually the falsehood gets tiring, suspicious, and finally uncovered. Hypocrisy always becomes transparent.

We see this lie around us all the time, in public life and in personal life. The poison keeps bubbling up like boiling water. On TV we constantly see faces telling us they are good and everyone else is bad, but they cannot hide the truth forever. The same happens in private life: one lie leads to another, and in the end the whole story blows up.

Again, the reading from Thessalonians today contrasts with the Gospel. Paul is not a false or self-seeking politician; he gives his soul, life, and heart—not for his own gain, but for the good of others. “Not to please people, but to please God,” Paul says sincerely. Without going to the depth, the poison will eventually boil over and destroy even the appearance of goodness. Jesus warns us not to polish only the outside of the cup. If the inside is clean, the outside will shine naturally. There will be no need to prove to anyone that we are good; sincere goodness always speaks for itself.

It is not, as Paul says, about winning people’s approval—that is just the outside of the cup. It is about seeking God’s approval, finding His favor and grace. And God’s grace will overflow for the good of others—not to flatter them, but for their true good. That is why Paul says: we want to give not only the Gospel, but our whole selves. Lies are heartless, no matter how loudly they claim to serve others. Truth always carries the heart and the whole person.