Certain things in the Word of God are easy to measure, control, and even accomplish. Paying a tithe of a certain product is rather easy. All we do is weigh our harvest and then pay the percentage. We even get a receipt for our payment to prove that we are doing things in the correct form. Then we can go about showing others our receipt and boasting of our pious life.
Jesus points out to the scribes and pharisees that they consistently choose the easy external forms to make themselves seem pious and important. It is hard to argue with someone who keeps up with all the external forms of saintliness. There are many people who live out deeply pious lives externally and internally. Those are the real saints. In Jesus’ time, the pharisees and scribes were highly educated in Israel’s religious laws and obligations. But they separated the external pious practices from their everyday lifestyle. Today, Jesus points out that the external forms and pious practices are meant to move us towards a deeper, internal, and personal conversion. As examples of internal values, Jesus specifically cites judgement, mercy and fidelity. Without that union of pious practices and lifestyle we quickly degenerate into hypocrisy for which the pharisees and scribes were well know. They had a polished exterior that covered an unclean interior and an unclean lifestyle – that is to say an unclean heart and an unclean relationship with God and others. Jesus says they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.
Plunder means living at the expense of others, taking things away from others by force for your own benefit. In this case the force were all the religious laws in Israel at the time – laws from the Word of God and additional laws and traditions imposed by the people by interpretations. The pharisees were a highly educated sector in Israel who could have used their education and knowledge of the Word of God to help and inform others – for example, as Jesus mentions, through justice, mercy and fidelity. Instead, they chose to solidify their own importance and privilege at the expense of others painting themselves as good, holy, and pious.
Today’s Gospel calls us to serve others and to let the Word of God permeate all aspects of our lives – internal and external.
Cleanse first the inside of the cup
Image: https://catholicjules.net/2018/08/28/on-todays-gospel-1770/