enter it, nor do you allow others to do so. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You devour widows’ property; and as a show, you pray long prayers! Therefore,
you shall receive greater condemnation. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees,
you hypocrites! You travel by sea and land to make a single convert; yet, once he is
converted, you make him twice as fit for hell as yourselves! Woe to you, blind guides! You
say: To swear by the temple is not binding; but, to swear by the gold of the temple is binding.
Foolish men! Blind men! Which is of more worth: the gold in the temple, or the temple which
makes the gold a sacred treasure? You say: To swear by the altar is not binding, but to swear
by the offering on the altar is binding. How blind you are! Which is of more value: the offering
on the altar, or the altar which makes the offering sacred? Whoever swears by the altar, is
swearing by the altar and by everything on it. Whoever swears by the temple, is swearing by
the temple, and by God, who dwells in the temple. Whoever swears by heaven, is swearing
by the throne of God, and by him, who is seated on it.

Reflect

“Freedom from hypocrisy.” Today’s Gospel narrates Jesus’ confrontation with the scribes and
the Pharisees, with the sharp Greek word ouai, an interjection of denunciation that is commonly
translated in English as “Woe!” We need to understand that this interjection is not
merely expressing a dislike or antagonistic attitude against an enemy but rather it appropriately
indicates an expression of grief. Jesus was expressing his grief against the stubbornness of the
teachers of the law and the Pharisees. Jesus was trying to challenge them to a change of heart
but their hearts were hardened. They could not even see themselves since their hypocrisy had
already blinded them. They pretended to be leading the people while not really knowing where
to go because their eyes focused on themselves alone. Jesus tried to unmask their hypocrisy
but they resisted. Unmasking a person’s hypocrisy could be painful to the one being unmasked
because it exposes the truth. The truth can be painful but it sets one free. However, the scribes
and the Pharisees preferred hypocrisy to freedom. Thus, we can now understand Jesus’ use
of interjection of grief. Do we want freedom from hypocrisy?

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