In yesterday’s readings we saw that the Pharisee who judged Our Lord for not performing the ritual washing of hands opened himself up to receiving judgment. In today’s First Reading Paul elaborates on the teaching of Our Lord to not judge other unless we too want to be judged, but he focuses more on warning hypocrites that they won’t fool God. Our Lord today describes contact with the Pharisees who do not practice what they preach as being like unwittingly walking over a tomb: a source of contamination and ritual impurity for the Jews of that period. The case of someone who judges others while not worried about their own actions is even more dangerous; it transmits the message that hypocrisy and a double life are okay. As Paul reminds us, the judgments of God cannot be swept under the rug and forgotten.
The scribes in today’s Gospel are also also offended by Our Lord’s accusations; they too consider themselves immune to scrutiny. Our Lord today teaches us two ways to make sure that those in charge of the pastoral care of others can stay on the right track: that love for God be the motivation for all they do, and that they keep in mind that they will be held accountable just as much, if not more, by God for their good works as well as their evil ones. When a teaching is difficult to follow, they are there to help people to be faithful to it. When they establish some secondary rule or observance, it is for the good of all, not just for their own benefit. That’s the difference between power brokering and pastoral concern.
Let’s pray today for our pastors and for all those with religious authority so that they serve us always out of love for God and concern for others.
Readings: Romans 2:1–11; Psalm 62:2–3, 6–7, 9; Luke 11:42–46.