and decorate the monuments of the righteous. You say: Had we lived in the time of our ancestors,
we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets. So, you, yourselves,
confess to be the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
And now, finish off what your ancestors began!
REFLECTION:
The Jewish scribes and Pharisees have to be credited for making a career out of promoting righteousness.
They are like a lighthouse. The lost people of Israel need them as they lead in the ways pleasing to God—being righteous as God is righteous.
It is unfortunate, however, that their righteousness turned into self-righteousness. The standards of pleasing God are drawn to themselves.
They have become the standards. At that, such a self-drawn religious attitude is used to judge, condemn, and persecute others.
And it becomes more unfortunate when I exempt myself from my self-righteousness.
I become above the standard I set and I can be excused if I do not follow it.
The self-righteous is a lighthouse swaying away from its own light.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2020