INNER RIGHTEOUSNESS
1 Thessalonians 2:9-13; Psalm 138; Matthew 23:27-32
Jesus says, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of uncleanness.”
In many ways, we are not different from the Pharisees; we appear to be upright on the outside while harboring a culture of hypocrisy and lawlessness on the inside.
Jesus calls us to both outer righteousness and inner righteousness. The interior must come first. Inner righteousness must precede external righteousness. Nobody will be able to discredit us if we are morally upright on the inside.
In the first reading, the people sought to undermine Paul, but he emphasized how he worked hard to spread the good news to them. He was a tent maker, so he was not a burden to anyone. Paul used this to silence those who were trying to discredit him by saying that he preached solely for money.
LET US PRAY
We pray for clarity in our hearts, forgiveness for hypocrisies, and for those suffering due to our weaknesses and bad examples. Lord Jesus, help us and save us. Amen.
Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
