Good morning good people,
May the Lord give you peace, health, and happiness in the Holy Spirit. It is 26th August 2024. We reflect on 2 Thess 1:1-5, 11-12 and Matthew 23:13-22
Are we genuine or hypocritical?
A spiritual tension, a tug-of-war and deep quest to be genuine or hypocritical is constantly fought right within each one of us.
The encouraging letter from St. Paul to the community in Thessalonica when they demonstrated their life of witness in loving and helping those in need even amidst the pain and persecution. We become mature and faithful in loving another person as they are not as we want them to be. It is proven in the capacity to be consistent even in an odd situation of life.
Dr. Victor Frankle describes, “To be sure, man’s search for meaning may arouse inner tension rather than inner equilibrium. However, precisely such tension is an indispensable prerequisite of mental health. There is much wisdom in the words of Nietzsche: “He who has a why to live for, can bear almost any how.”
Jesus is so hard in His words in pointing out the attitudes of those who were in the helm of the affairs.
At times, we over-stretch the legalistic tendencies, and leave the importance of persons next to us. Legalism is a light to lighten the darkness not to burden the human hearts.
Jesus points out the Pharisee and Scribes that the legalism that they uphold make them more self-righteous than self-sacrificial. We tend to become arrogant not altruistic. We protect the laws over safe-guarding rights of a human person.
The most nauseating tendency we adopt being legalistic is we become manipulative and macerating.
That is why St. Paul so convincingly taught, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” (Rom 13:8).
As we journey together, may we be genuine in loving and supporting others and common good. May God bless you.