With Opened Bible
Hypocrisy
“Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?
Through today's gospel, Jesus touches on hypocrisy, which goes unnoticed in our relationships and even in our spirituality.
The Greek word "Hupokrisis" means one who "plays a role that is not truly his own." It was formerly used in theaters to identify actors.
On many occasions, Jesus uses this word to express his disagreement with the religion of the Temple, the Pharisees who claimed to be better than others but deep down did themselves what they criticized in others. (Cf. Mark 7:6) Saint Paul defines them in his letter to Titus: "They claim to know God, but by their deeds they deny him." (Titus 1:16)
In the Gospel of Mathew, Jesus warns against their so-called faith and religiosity: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them." (Mathew 7:15-16) And again, he declares: "Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice." (Mathew 23:3)
These verses show us how much Jesus was aware of his time and the people around him. He knew the dangers of hypocrisy (especially in religion) and its harmful consequences.
Today, it is the turn of the Gospel of Saint Luke to remind us that hypocrisy pushes us to adopt an attitude of compassion and service that has nothing to do with love (since it is based on lies) "Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? It is easier to see the faults and mistakes of others and what is missing in their lives. While our own faults make us blind, we cannot see them.
It would be much more effective if each of us could take a moment to reflect on our own shortcomings and correct them before we start pointing out those of our neighbor, the world, our family, our religion, and our politics.
Jesus doesn't just point out the problem of hypocrisy, he also provides a solution. He invites us to be the change we want to see in others, starting here and now.
