YOU CLEAN THE OUTSIDE

PRAYER MOMENT

Tuesday 15 October 2013

YOU CLEAN THE OUTSIDE

Pause.  Take time to be still in the presence of God

Reading. “Oh, you Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are full of extortion and wickedness” (Luke 11: 37-41)

Reflection. Jesus storms at the Pharisees because they want to appear virtuous in public and so win respect among the people. But their way of living, and how they deal with people, is another story. So they bring religion into disrepute. They make a mockery of the real intention of the ancient laws of Israel. Jesus is angry because their attitude blocks the way for the ordinary people who love God’s law and want to really learn the compassion of his Father. We may not deserve such a strong rebuke, we tell ourselves. Yet the challenge remains; how to nourish our inner self so that it flows into our outer self – the one people meet – and shows a clear witness that the reign of God has come.

Prayer. Lord, teach me to live so that there is a harmony between what I believe and what I say and do.  Amen