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Gospel Reading for October 16, 2026 – Luke 12: 1-7
MODERN-DAY PHARISEES
At that time: So many people were crowding together that they were trampling one another underfoot. Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples, “Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees. “There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops. I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more. I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one. Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.”
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Perhaps there are very few people in the world who would not fear murderers or members of groups operating in the underworld or engaged in criminal activities. For Jesus, however, this fear is secondary to the fear of those who can lead us astray—those who have managed to convince others that what has always been morally right is wrong, and what is wrong is now morally right.
Jesus is not merely speaking about the Pharisees. We have MODERN-DAY PHARISEES who manipulate the Word of God to serve their personal interests or promote their advocacies that run counter to the teachings of Jesus and Sacred Scripture.
If we are to be true Christians who wish to enjoy eternal life with God someday, we have to be wary of these people. They are the ones we must avoid because, although they cannot kill us physically, they can kill us spiritually.
Lord Jesus, help us to always seek the truth in Sacred Scripture and in the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament.
