Daily Readings - Tue Aug 23 2022

¹Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers,²not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.³Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,¹⁴To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.¹⁵So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.¹⁶Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,¹⁷comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

Matthew

Chapter 23

²³"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.²⁴You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!²⁵"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.²⁶You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the balance between outward practices and inward faith. In the second reading from 2 Thessalonians, St. Paul warns the early Christians not to be deceived by false claims about the Lord’s return. He encourages them to stand firm in the traditions they have received and to trust in God’s grace, which strengthens them in every good word and deed. This passage emphasizes the importance of remaining grounded in faith, even when faced with confusion or uncertainty. In the Gospel, Jesus critiques the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. They meticulously observe minor details of the law, such as tithing on mint and dill, but neglect the weightier matters like judgment, mercy, and faith. Jesus points out the absurdity of their focus on outward appearances—cleaning the outside of the cup while leaving the inside filled with greed and impurity. His words remind us that true righteousness begins within. Our actions and practices should flow from a heart that is pure and aligned with God’s will. Both readings call us to examine our own lives. Are we more concerned with appearances or with living out our faith authentically? Do we focus on the “small stuff” while neglecting the deeper demands of love, mercy, and justice? Let us ask for the grace to stand firm in our faith, to trust in God’s guidance, and to cultivate a purity of heart that shines outward in all we do. May we not be blind guides, straining out gnats while swallowing camels, but rather may we be people of integrity, whose actions reflect the truth of our inner devotion.