Day 23, Matthew 23 -
Good Day Everyone!
We are in our final countdown with only ONE day until LENT begins and we will be on our 40 day journey with Jesus in the desert!
Guess what?
In the desert we can hear better and we learn to listen to every sound because we are not distracted by other noises —- those in our heads and those in our world!
That is if we make the time and allow God to speak to us — HE WANTS TO!
You know when my son was in 4th grade his teacher had him do an assignment during springtime. He had to sit outside in silence in our backyard and write down all the sounds he heard!
Of course I did the assignment with him because I wanted to see where she was going with it — well also because I had to push to get this assignment done —– as usual!
I was amazed at all the sounds that I heard just by tuning in and really trying to listen! It was absolutely fascinating! That is what we are going to do this LENT!
We are going to make a commitment to listening — and we can’t do so if we don’t schedule some set times to do this!
When we make a spiritual plan it is not meant to be a burden! It is meant to free your mind so that you know when you will spend time with the LORD!
Do you know how many Catholics feel guilty when the 40 days come and go and the opportunity for grace is lost? Guilt is not of God! So who do you think is behind that?
The church under the leadership of Jesus Christ has set this time for a reason! This is a grace filled time and God is right here, very close at this time to us. But He wants us to turn off all the noise! Clear out all the clutter — even on counter tops and desk tops — clear your view –
Now for many of us the noise is all the sounds and voices in our head that tell us —
“YOU DON’T have TIME FOR THIS”
“YOU Have a real job and YOU have to put food on your table”
“YOU won’t change anyway” “YOU have too many other responsibilities”
I ask you…
What could be more important than JESUS RIGHT NOW?
It is 40 days!!!
We’ve got a disciplined 30 days ahead of us and then we have HOLY WEEK — there is so much to pray about and so much good fruit waiting for us!
THE ENEMY hates LENT! His goal is to distract you and confuse you!
SO Keep it simple but do something!
Frequent the sacraments!!! Sacrifice some things you love -GIVE UP something — and offer YOUR SUFFERINGS!!
Unite them with JESUS and know that GOD cannot be outdone!
Draw close to God and the devil has to flee!!! That is from James 4. Hey – James is the scripture reading at today’s Mass! Right on James!
OK now there is still time to follow along with us in the 30 Day Spiritual Cleanse!
Just click on the menu bar and then subscribe to my newsletter –I’ll be sending out Lenten reflections and this will be helpful to keep LENT and Jesus on your mind!
OK so on with Chapter 23! Now do you realize that we only have five more chapters in Matthew and you will have completed one full account of the Gospel according to Matthew!!!!! THIS IS AMAZING!!!
And in such a short time — 23 days — we are receiving reports of Transformation!! SO I am fired up!
So in the last chapter we saw Jesus getting closer to the heart of Jerusalem! WELL today we see JESUS cutting right to the chase! Cutting right to the root of the tree!
Now we see the crowds are back — and we see JESUS calling the Pharisees and Scribes on the carpet!
JESUS delivers in this chapter the SEVEN Woes!!!!!!! I read somewhere that there are eight? I only see seven and that to me is cool — because 7 makes sense and the number of completion… but let me know if you see 8!
And then the great LAMENTATION!
WOE is not a word to be taken lightly — It was an exclamation of grief…meaning “How terrible it will be for you!” “How horrible it will be for you!”
This Chapter outlines all the WOES –
I will put it together in three wake up calls!!!!!!!!
So listen up!
- WOE to BLIND GUIDES
- WOE to CLEANSING THE OUTSIDE AND NOT THE INSIDE
- JESUS laments for Jerusalem
1- WOE to Blind Guides – First let’s just make it clear that all the Woes are routed in HYPOCRISY! Jesus starts each WOE with WOE to you scribes and Pharisees – YOU HYPOCRITES…!
I have to say first of all that hypocrisy is one of the main things and many times excuses I hear for why someone either left the Church or doesn’t return!
Think about this for a minute… doesn’t hypocrisy sting and ring like a loud gong! I mean it burns sometimes! Right to the heart!
Have you ever known someone and they talk all about Jesus and how much they love Him and all that they know about Him and the church and then…
…they do or act in a way that contradicts the Gospel and it just burns you up!
Maybe they even have confronted you about your sin and how you should change and be… and then they do exactly what they told you not to do?
We welcome to our children’s world! I mean don’t we do that as parents all the time! Well maybe just me!
Anyway — we have a Father in Heaven who is perfect and there is no HYPOCRISY in HIM!
I think hypocrisy is so absolutely damaging –and it is a clear representation of the fact that faith has remained in the mind and never traveled down into the heart!
This is what is meant by blind guides because they can’t see — but they lead the blind to destruction!
Now Jesus was talking to the leaders of Israel at the time in charge of faith formation! Not leaders of government!
So today that would be parents, teachers, Priests, leaders of ministries… basically anyone who has a leadership position in passing down the faith — and even those who give their testimony to Christ everyday!
People are watching you! Especially your children — no matter what age they are —10 -30 -50 — they will always look to you!
So let’s put the focus in the right place… don’t look out… look in!
My kids point out my hypocrisy at all times! FUN TIMES!! Peace be with you!
They constantly remind me not only of God’s laws but of the rules that I have set that I am breaking — and they don’t wait — they tell me right away!
Jesus tells the people to do and observe all that they tell you, because they are in authority, but do not follow their example!
I think it is key here that Jesus still maintains order — still calls for obedience!
We can look at that when we don’t like what our parent is doing or saying that we still honor them — and are obedient when they are in authority over us –
- but especially in the church today when we are led by the priests and bishops — they shows us that even if we have a Father who is acting as a blind guide — we don’t follow the example but we still follow under the authority.
God sees all and knows all — there is nothing outside the will of God!
THIS CALLS FOR TRUE HUMILITY!
Being under the authority of someone is good humility training — I mean even Jesus was under the authority of HIS FATHER!
God is a God of order! And HE SAYS…
verse 12 “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
He tells them that they “lock the kingdom of heaven before human beings! ”
YIKES!
That whole part really makes me want to get on my knees for priests today because they really — in communion with the successor of Peter — the POPE — through the ministry of the church — have a special grace and share in the powerful ministry of Jesus Christ –
- where Jesus draws all men and women into right relationship with Him — this cannot be taken lightly and so we have to pray for them that they don’t fall into the WOES as many of them have!!!
Then we have to do as Jesus says — not follow the wrong example — and so not to lose faith over this bad example!
When He says call no one Rabbi — you have one teacher — call no one on earth your Father — you have but one Father in heaven…
This sometimes is used by some Christians as a way to say that we should not have priests — and we are committing an offense against the WORD of God and Jesus -
- but you see this did not mean we couldn’t simply call our earthly father – father — or a priest father — of course not — Jesus meant in your heart — GIVE importance to the fact that YOU have ONE FATHER — and then an earthly one — everything in order!
Jesus teaches us here too — that the Pharisees made everything in the faith about external things — even when it came to what was sacred!
Now this does not mean that we don’t have to put anything into making beautiful places to worship God in —- but to keep it all in balance and check that JESUS IS LORD and HE is who we worship -
– the commandments are not just rules not to break!
They are for OUR GOOD — a GIFT from GOD to point the way to HIM — a holy life HERE — ETERNAL LIFE FOREVER!
WE have to want this more than we do want our own way on earth! Remember our way here… or THE WAY for ETERNAL LIFE!
2- WOE to CLEANSING THE OUTSIDE AND NOT THE INSIDE-
- OK YOU know that I love that Jesus brought this up! I mean speaking of cleansing! For these guys everything was external! Their hearts were stony hearts — hard as rock –
Going back as far as Moses I can remember him saying…. these people are a ”stiff -necked” people!
And remember they had seen many miracles — the parting of the red sea — the sea turning red — and how about all the miracles in the desert?
The manna that God provided when they had no food! I mean if you feel desperate all you have to do is read that experience after the Exodus and you will know that God provides for HIS people.
Jesus says…you cleanse the outside but your inside is full of plunder and “SELF – INDULGENCE” —
- ok so we could do a whole week of blogging on self indulgence!!! Look at all the ways that we put ourselves first before God –
I heard a priest say — regarding sin and confession — he says – start with the First Commandment –
- ask yourself… did you pray today?
If the answer is no… ok… well did you eat?
OK then you love food more than God!
Did you watch TV today?
YES?
OH two hours?
Great…DID YOU PRAY? -
- if not — ok then you love TV more than GOD!
Then Jesus calls them white washed tombs!!! Looking good on the outside but the inside is full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth!!!
They should be cleansing the inside!!!!
I’ll have to send them an email…
and tell them to sign up for the 30 day cleanse!!!
By the time you get through all the WOES –
- make sure you read this as if you were the Pharisee — do a heart check?
In what ways can you see yourself there — acting the same way?
If you don’t see yourself there at all… then stop and Pray to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to hold up the mirror for you –
- these are the men who initiate the crucifixion– all our sin and every sin we will ever commit is responsible for Jesus’ death — it is why He died for us —– so read it again — if you have to!
I mean Jesus even predicts that they will kill the next generation of prophets signifying that there will be martyrs including Himself -
- Just imagine Jesus standing there knowing that they will kill him and all those He loves in the near future!
If that doesn’t move you to tears — then think about all the leaders and people you know who fit into these categories and how JESUS is saying WOE to them…
…especially those who Jesus has placed in spiritual authority — to much is given much is expected!!!
…and weep for them…. this has to move you to feel bad for them —blind guides — filthy inside — responsible for souls — whether a parent or a religious — we are all responsible…
this should make you moved to lament over them — JESUS DID!
3- JESUS laments for Jerusalem- Key here is that even though Jesus WOES — He never stops loving and calling them home!
He also laments what Jerusalem did and how Jerusalem had turned away from HIM so many times!
You know Jerusalem prefigures the bride of Christ! Over the many years of the Old testament we see an adulterous Jerusalem -
- a bride that did not listen — did not seek Him out — a murderous bride –
Jesus laments because He knows that the bride will suffer as He will have to suffer to enter into the Kingdom and for the transformation into the
NEW CITY OF JERUSALEM to be ready to be HIS BRIDE-
- there will be a price and JESUS will pay it on Calvary!
I remember one of my professors in Theology said that Jesus will return when the bride is fully ready and prepared to meet HER LORD!
What part do you play in this transformation, preparation and the coming of the KINGDOM?
WE are all THE ONE BRIDE — BODY – CHURCH – JERUSALEM —–
JESUS ends by saying to His dear Jerusalem…
“You will not see me again until you say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”
We say this in the Holy Mass together with the Hosanna in the Highest — Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!
I started praying this every time I greet Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in our adoration chapel and every time I say good bye — in my heart — and I didn’t know why — WOW!
The HOLY SPIRIT really knows how to teach us how to pray as we ought!
Even if we don’t know why — we just have to surrender in prayer!! Our minds and hearts!!!
“Metanoia” means transformation in Greek— and it happens to us at every Mass if we allow the Holy Spirit into our hearts!
The literal translation is Meta = change —- noia = mind –
– so really it is changing our minds!
Let this Lent be a time where God changes our minds so we might understand HIS WILL for us!
P.S. MAKE IT a HAPPY FESTIVE FAT TUESDAY!!! No More shouting Alleluia until Easter! WE bury the Alleluia — and so eat drink and be MERRY -JUST Stay away from the WOES!
– For tomorrow we enter the desert! Be prepared!
What do you think?
