bones and uncleanness. In the same way, you appear religious to others, but you are full
of hypocrisy and wickedness within. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets, 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!

Reflect

“Hiding the truth.” Prophecy and hypocrisy do not go together. The prophets speak the
truth. The hypocrites hide the truth by fabricating lies, and cover up their lies by making
them appear as if they are truthful. Today’s Gospel continues Jesus’ ouai, his grief,
over the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. Jesus pointed out how the teachers of
the law and the Pharisees would build tombs for the righteous prophets and decorate
them as a way to wash their hands of the guilt or, at least, pretend that they had no
participation in the killing of the prophets done by their ancestors. They are like
whitewashed tombs. They appear good but their hearts are full of wickedness. Jesus’
challenge to the scribes and Pharisees, toward having cleaner hearts, is also a challenge
to all of us who have embarked on this journey of faith. As we take the path of
righteousness, we need to be always mindful that we, too, may fall into the spiritual pitfall
of self-righteousness. When we fall into this trap, we do everything to cover up rather
than admit our faults because the temptation to protect our masked image, which protect
the wickedness within us, becomes very strong.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2024