Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Daily Office Reflection: On Justice and Mercy and Faith

SW, DC, 2010, jfd+
Psalm 5, 6 * 10, 11; Numbers 35:1-3,9-15,30-34; Romans 8:31-39; Matthew 23:13-26

Jesus is taking a big verbal swing at the scribes and Pharisees in our Gospel selection from Matthew today. He calls them hypocrites, and children of hell, and blind guides, and blind fools. Strong words - but deserved in Jesus' mind because of their innate refusal to listen...to change.


They (the scribes and Pharisees) were more interested in the world they created than looking at the world around them and focusing on "the weightier matters...justice and mercy and faith." They were more interested in how they looked, than what they actually did.


The triennial General Convention of The Episcopal Church is past its mid-mark as this is written. Delegations from every diocese are present and working hard on rules and laws and word-smithing. Concerns about money and structure abound in blog postings. My hope and prayer is that the forest is not lost because of the focus on trees. My hope and prayer is that we are not straining out gnats and being forced to swallow a camel. My hope and prayer is that the focus will remain on Jesus and on his directions to all of us to live the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. To not worry so much about "how" we look (for making sausage is never pretty), but be shiny and clean and Jesus-centered on the "inside" allowing our work to shine all on its own.
jfd+


Copyright 2012, The Rev. John F. Dwyer. All Rights Reserved.

No comments:

Post a Comment