In commentary on this Gospel, Dr. John Bergsma summarizes the meaning of this gospel concisely: “There are three topics addressed in our Gospel: the importance of a teacher as a model, the danger of hypocrisy, and the mark of a good person.” These three things are made abundantly clear when you read the gospel from this perspective.
Jesus’ is the greatest of all teachers, and He is the perfect role model. The early christians said that following Jesus was called “the way.” and that is completely true. If you model your life after Jesus, and follow His teachings you will be less likely fall into the pit of temptation and sin. Everything that Jesus taught was meant to lift our souls up to God, and to rightly order our lives to be in full communion with Him. And everything he did in His life on earth was to show us the proper response to all temptation and sinful things that happens in a Human life. His response was always virtue, and humility, and righteousness. and that is how we are to live our lives as well.
But alas we are humans and we fall all of the time. Sin is a part of our existence. But Jesus tells us today that hypocrisy is especially dangerous. It is one of those things that we don’t need to be taught, because we all instinctively understand what it is. Hypocrisy is one of those things that we humans are hyper-aware of. It is almost lke a super-power we have to be completely oblivious about our own faults, and hyper critical of everyone elses. Hypocrisy dwells in pride. It comes from that same serpent that tells you you are better than, and that you don’t need anyone else, and so you start to think less of your own faults, and become hyper aware of everyone else’s.
The only antidote to hypocrisy is introspection. We need to take time to sit and reflect. But even leisure time is in short supply these days. We are all constantly on our phones, and screens, and some are on social networks endlessly, which is another constant source of attack and threat. Humans are becoming more and more reactive, and less and less reflective. And as a result we are becoming a much more callous and hard generation. There was a reason that God made one day a week a mandatory day of reflection, because we cannot be constantly on defense, we need time to be introspective, and to be at rest from the onslaught.
And thus, the mark of a good person, is the fruits that come from following the example of the good teacher, resisting the temptation of hypocrisy and pride, and ordering your life toward righteousness, and goodness. We do that by never forgetting to take time, every day, to pray and to reflect on our lives, and our families, and on our relationship with God. And we must take one day a week (Sunday), to not work at all, to be with family and God, and to take time to reflect on things bigger than ourselves, and upon our relationship with Him and all of the people in our lives that we love. And we must always resist the temptation to judge others, without first reflecting on our own sins first. This is crucial to the balance and happiness that God wants for all of us. Make the time in your own life and you will see the fruits.
