Word to the Wise
Tuesday, August 26, 2025 - Tuesday in the 21th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Thess 2:1-8 and Matt 23:23-26]"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean." [Matthew]
One of the big concerns one hears about in any situation nowadays is "the optics!" This refers to how things "look" to those who are observing. Jesus' criticism of the Pharisees and scribes points to their ways of seeming to be perfect observers of the Mosaic Law but were inwardly plotting to benefit themselves. He calls them "hypocrites!" Even if the term "optics" (as used now) may be new, "hypocrites" is not. No one likes to be called a "hypocrite."
Hypocrisy is not about our all too human failures to live up to the demands of the gospel. It is about claiming to be perfect observers when we are not. Furthermore, Jesus touches on the question of inner integrity - the psychological side of the gospel. The inner thoughts and motivations cannot be seen by others, but they are a part of our behavior. Jesus says that it is not simply a matter of WHAT we do, but also WHY we do it. The version of Jesus' statement in the Gospel According to Luke 11:40, puts it this way: "Did not the one who made the outside also made the inside?" A bright and shiny outside without a bright and shiny inside is an occasion of hypocrisy. Thoughts can be just as important as actions. The connection between the two dimensions is a matter of "integrity" and the effort to narrow the gap is what "conversion" is all about. Every disciple of Jesus Christ is called to this continual challenge. AMEN