Walk your talk

 In today’s gospel Jesus chides the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy.  As Jesus said they preach the law but do not practice it. 

We must understand that we preach more by our actions than our words. 

In the Pharisees misguided zeal for religion they sought respect and honor for themselves rather than for God. 

They made the practice of their faith a burden rather than a joy for the people they were supposed to serve.  Jesus was clear in his teaching that we should never use our faith to become superior in any way to those around us.  We must be careful not to judge others from where we sit, we must find ways of understanding them from where they sit. 

During this time of Lent it is good to reflect how we live the Gospel of Christ.  Are we the Pharisees judging others as people who do not measure up to our standards?  Or are we trying to find ways of measuring up to the standards of Christ. 

Do we worry more about the speck in our brother or sister’s eye rather than removing the plank in our own.   

The word of God today proclaims that we must change our ways.

Our conversion must come from inside of us, not on outward appearances. Our focus should be on serving those in need, for all the lost and helpless of our  world.  And our prayer should echo the ending today’s gospel.  

The greatest among you will be the one who serves the rest.