26 August, Tuesday — A True Heart for God

Tuesday of Week 21 in Ordinary Time

1 Ths 2:1-8
Mt 23:23-26

…we are not trying to please men but God…

I used to serve in a few different ministries in a parish in Singapore. For the most part, people were genuine and kind towards one another, putting aside personal differences for the sake of being united in Christ and in community. There were, however, a few individuals whose disordered desires for power and control led them to appalling actions (ranging from rude and demeaning emails to actual physical violence). It can be difficult to reconcile such behaviour with the expectations of Christian fellowship and leadership.

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus berates the scribes and Pharisees for their false religiosity, spending their time and effort on keeping up appearances of piety, while their hearts were actually stone cold and indifferent to the plight of those around them. Having true love and charity towards one’s neighbour is completely unrelated to ritual handwashing or tithing on garden herbs. A modern-day parallel would be churchgoers who assume the posture of a prayerful Christian for only that one hour every Sunday. The moment that they exit the church, they shed that veneer and return to their usual selves. In their daily lives, they behave in ways contrary to moral norms, causing others to gossip behind their backs, expressing disbelief that these people call themselves Christians.

Faith is not about putting on a show; it is about finding the courage to say “Yes” to God. To say ‘yes’ to the call to keep going, even when every fibre of your being wants to give up and sink into defeat. To say ‘yes’ to showing love and compassion, even when the other party has behaved in a such an abhorrent manner towards you and others. To say ‘yes’ to taking the high road when you are sorely tempted to hit back at your opponent in equal measure. When we acquiesce to God, be it in the context of work, family or church ministries, we do not need to be concerned with appearances at all. The strength of our faith will speak for itself.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)

Prayer: Dearest Father, grant us the strength to abide by your holy will, especially when times get tough and the temptation towards sin becomes strong.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for the times when we managed to hold ourselves back from sinful actions and behaviour.