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Gospel Reading for August 25, 2025 – Matthew 23: 13-22
WASTE OF SPACE
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves. “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’ Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’ You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it.”
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Jesus sounded very angry against the Pharisees, calling them hypocrites. Being Jesus, he was not really against the Pharisees but against what they were doing. The Pharisees were a STUMBLING BLOCK to his work of salvation. They gave a wrong description of God to the people – a God who gave so much importance to rubrics, who was vindictive and quick to punish, etc., and not LOVING at all. The Pharisees were also a STUMBLING BLOCK to their own salvation. How can one save a person who thinks he is so holy and does not sin?
Jesus tells us that hypocrisy is simply A WASTE OF TIME in one’s life. One cannot profit at all from being a hypocrite because life upholds only the truth. How tragic it would be if we would be described as a WASTE OF SPACE because we are hypocrites!
Yes, Lord Jesus, you are the way, the truth and the life, and nothing in between!
