Hinder no one! (HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II (AUGUST 26, 2024)

HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II (AUGUST 26, 2024)

2Thess.1:1-5.11-12; Ps.96; Matthew 23:13-22

Hinder no one!

Jesus reprimanded the Scribes and the Pharisees in today’s gospel reading for constituting a barrier to the people from authentic worship. They did this by drifting the attention of the people from what really matters to ephemeral things. This is the exact effect of every false teaching or bad advice. So, today, Jesus spells out the fate of those who cause others to do what is wrong.

There seem to be this discomfort that one experiences when he/she sees someone else doing rightly what he/she does wrongly. This discomfort can be utilized in a positive way by learning from the other person how to act rightly. On the other hand, one may be tempted to lure the other person into embracing his/her misdeeds. By so doing, the deceived person will no longer be a source of discomfort since he/she has been brought to wrong too.

In as much as Jesus speaks woe to those who deceive others, we on our part need to be very cautious about how we consider the feelings of others towards what we do and say. The worthy paradigm for ascertaining the ethical standard of our actions and words is the Word of God not the feelings of men. A bad man will complain about good deeds. A bad woman will not support what is right. Sometimes, people’s impression and opinion about things is borne out of selfish interest.

Therefore, if we must guide against the misguided helpfulness of those who seek to promote their selfish interests, we must grow in our knowledge of God’s Word. The Psalmist tells us that the Lord takes delight in his people. These are the people who, owing to their firmness in the Word of God, are not shifted away by false doctrines.