Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside,
but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.
An age that cannot love reality as it is cannot enjoy ontology. They prefer image of the way things might be, should be, would be, and could be -- if only....
They insist that impressions and appearances are more real than reality; even as they invoke "Truth," which Christians know as one of God's names.
Power in this world must keep up appearances, even when its contradictions blind us like snow flakes in the headlights. One of those statements, avowals, and declarations might be true, but which one could it be? When salesmen become politicians we can expect heavy snowstorms. When we support their every action, suggestion, and opinion we agree there is no truth. They endorse John Lennon's song Strawberry Fields -- "Nothing is real."
“You certainly will not die! God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil.”
The Wisdom Psalm 119 teaches us to hate hypocrisy and love God's teaching. Jesus used hypocrisy freely to describe his opponents. Unwilling to see the truth he lived and spelled out to them, they could only insist on their alternate facts and artificial wisdom.
You can tell hypocrites by watching their lips: "If they're moving they are lying." Hypocrites tell you what they want you to hear; or what they think you want to hear; or what they hope might be true; or what might persuade you that it's okay to repeat such nonsense to others. Having neither interest nor investment in truth, and confident that no one believes that truth exists, they fabricate and prevaricate, and hope to get away with it for as long as possible.
Only those who love the truth and are willing to make enormous sacrifices to the truth can speak the truth. Where the hypocrite hopes to die before the truth appears, lovers of truth know that "the Word of the Lord endures forever." They pray daily "Thy Kingdom come!" They will live forever in the truth and are willing to invest everything in it.
I like to remember the old woman who gave everything she had to the Temple, although it was only a few copper coins. She gave her all. It didn't appear to be much, but the Lord saw it. He insists that we give our all, even if it seems our lives are worth little. We give it all, and God decides what it's worth.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.