20211013 SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS
13 October, 2021, Wednesday, 28th Week, Ordinary Time
First reading | Romans 2:1-11 © |
Do you think you will escape God's judgement?
No matter who you are, if you pass judgement you have no excuse. In judging others you condemn yourself, since you behave no differently from those you judge. We know that God condemns that sort of behaviour impartially: and when you judge those who behave like this while you are doing exactly the same, do you think you will escape God’s judgement? Or are you abusing his abundant goodness, patience and toleration, not realising that this goodness of God is meant to lead you to repentance? Your stubborn refusal to repent is only adding to the anger God will have towards you on that day of anger when his just judgements will be made known. He will repay each one as his works deserve. For those who sought renown and honour and immortality by always doing good there will be eternal life; for the unsubmissive who refused to take truth for their guide and took depravity instead, there will be anger and fury. Pain and suffering will come to every human being who employs himself in evil – Jews first, but Greeks as well; renown, honour and peace will come to everyone who does good – Jews first, but Greeks as well. God has no favourites.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 61(62):2-3,6-7,9 © |
Lord, you repay each man according to his deeds.
In God alone is my soul at rest;
my help comes from him.
He alone is my rock, my stronghold,
my fortress: I stand firm.
Lord, you repay each man according to his deeds.
In God alone be at rest, my soul;
for my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock, my stronghold,
my fortress: I stand firm.
Lord, you repay each man according to his deeds.
Take refuge in God, all you people.
Trust him at all times.
Pour out your hearts before him
for God is our refuge.
Lord, you repay each man according to his deeds.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Ps26:11 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Instruct me, Lord, in your way;
on an even path lead me.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn10:27 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 11:42-46 © |
You overlook justice and the love of God
The Lord said to the Pharisees: ‘Alas for you Pharisees! You who pay your tithe of mint and rue and all sorts of garden herbs and overlook justice and the love of God! These you should have practised, without leaving the others undone. Alas for you Pharisees who like taking the seats of honour in the synagogues and being greeted obsequiously in the market squares! Alas for you, because you are like the unmarked tombs that men walk on without knowing it!
A lawyer then spoke up. ‘Master,’ he said ‘when you speak like this you insult us too.’
‘Alas for you lawyers also,’ he replied ‘because you load on men burdens that are unendurable, burdens that you yourselves do not move a finger to lift.’
SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Rom 2:1-11; Ps 62:2-3,6-7,9; Lk 11:42-46]
Yesterday, we read how St Paul spoke about the consequences for rejecting God. Those who deliberately reject God would fall into depravity and idolatry, worshipping creatures instead of the creator. “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done. They were filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, rebellious toward parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.” (Rom 1:28-31)
Lest we who are believers become complacent and think that we are saved, St Paul conscientizes us about the reality of ourselves. Addressing his fellow Jews who were feeling smug and superior about themselves, St Paul warned them that they were no better than the unbelievers. Not only do unbelievers need conversion, but believers too, because we might be only nominal believers in the Lord or worse still, live a self-righteous life. Either way, we will suffer the same fate as the unbelievers. In fact, those of us who have been given the grace to have faith in God or in our Lord, more would be expected of us because we have been graced. St Paul asked, “Are you abusing his abundant goodness, patience and toleration, not, realising that this goodness of God is meant to lead you to repentance?”
When do we fall into a self-righteous life? Firstly, when we become legalists. There is a great temptation for those of us who are supposedly good Catholics and are active in Church to take upon ourselves to police the behaviour and conduct of our fellow Catholics. We are ever ready to pass judgment on them even though St Paul warns the Christians, “No matter who you are, if you pass judgement you have no excuse. In judging others you condemn yourself, since you behave no differently from those you judge.” We behave like the scribes and the Pharisees who were experts on the laws. They were always watching others, including Jesus and His disciples, as to whether they kept the laws of the elders. They made life so difficult and burdensome for the common people as the Lord remarked, “you load on men burdens that are unendurable, burdens that you yourselves do not move a finger to lift.” However, they being experts on the laws were able to find loopholes to evade the laws. Those who are familiar with the laws know how to circumvent the laws.
Secondly, self-righteous people do not understand the nature and extent of their own sins. Most of them sincerely believe that they did not commit any serious or mortal sins. They did not commit adultery, they did not kill and they did not steal. This could be true. But they forget that the seriousness of sins is more than just the act itself but the intention and the extent of the hurt. We might not steal but when we are calculative and stingy towards those who are poor, we have sinned against the Lord and His people. Like the so-called religious Jews, they would invoke the Corban law so that they did not have to look after their loved ones. We might not kill, but when we use harmful words to hurt people, we are as good as murdering them slowly and sometimes driving them to depression and suicide. The Lord said, “If you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Mt 5:22) This was what the Lord also said to the Pharisees in today’s gospel, “You who pay your tithe of mint and rue and all sorts of garden herbs and overlook justice and the love of God! These you should have practised, without leaving the others undone.” Indeed, we can be so focused on observing the rituals and laws of the Church that we fail to practice charity and exercise justice towards our elderly, workers and our fellow Church members. We lose our sense of proportion, focussing on the external observance of the laws and forget the intention, the Spirit of the Laws, which is to love God and neighbours.
Thirdly, self-righteous people are blind to their own sins. They do not see their own sins because they are busy looking at others’ sins. They are blind to their own faults, failing to realize that what they condemn in others is what they are doing themselves. They get angry when people are proud, insensitive, lacking generosity and graciousness, rude and impatient when they also behave in this manner towards others. This reminds us of how King David was incensed by the story of a wealthy man who took a poor’s man ewe to prepare food for his guests when he himself was guilty of a greater sin in first committing adultery with Bathsheba and then murdering her husband by sending him to the front line of the battle to be killed. (2 Sm 11) This was what St Paul was telling the Jews, “We know that God condemns that sort of behaviour impartially: and when you judge those who behave like this while you are doing exactly the same, do you think you will escape God’s judgement?” This was what the Lord had to say to the Pharisees, “Alas for you, because you are like the unmarked tombs that men walk on without knowing it!” Externally, they look good but inside they are full of filth and sins.
Fourthly, they are not only blind to their own sins but they lack mercy and compassion for those who sinned. They have this censorious and self-righteous attitude. Indeed, we see this so often especially in social media, with citizens condemning and shaming publicly those who have made mistakes or are selfish in their behaviour. We act like judges pronouncing sentence without hearing the circumstantial events that could have led to such apparently uncharitable or sinful actions. We give them no hearing but simply condemn them, disgrace them, using nasty words that are even more uncharitable. We give them no chance, as if we are perfect ourselves and we have never been selfish in our own ways, maybe to our loved ones and our colleagues. The Lord cautions us, “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour’s eye.” (Mt 7:1-5)
Finally, the self-righteous believers often have an over exaggerated and one-sided view of God’s mercy. When it comes to their own sins, they presume that God would always be merciful and forgiving. He takes for granted the mercy and forgiveness of God. Whilst it is true that God is always ever ready to forgive, we must not forget that forgiveness is to lead us to repentance and a change of heart. When we abuse His love and mercy for us, we fall into greater sin. The Lutheran theologian, Bonhoeffer warned his fellow Lutherans about the danger of falling into cheap grace. It is true that we are saved and justified by the grace of God in Christ, but after justification, we must continue to live the forgiven life and not go back to the old way of life. We cannot take the grace of God for granted. St Paul told the Romans, “What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?”‘ (Rom 6:1f) In another place, St Paul wrote, “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” (Gal 6:7f)
Indeed, contrary to what we think, God “has no favourites.” His judgment on believers and unbelievers will always be fair, impartial, without discrimination and perfect. “He will repay each one as his works deserve. For those who sought renown and honour and immortality by always doing good there will be eternal life; for the unsubmissive who refused to take truth for their guide and took depravity instead, there will be anger and fury. Pain and suffering will come to every human being who employs himself in evil – Jews first, but Greeks as well; renown, honour and peace will come to everyone who does good – Jews first, but Greeks as well.” For unbelievers, they will be judged according to their conscience and for believers according to the gospel. Jesus told His disciples, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” (Mt 13:12)
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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