20251015 GOD REPAYS EACH ONE AS HIS WORKS DESERVE
15 October 2025, Wednesday, 28th Week in 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.’
GOD REPAYS EACH ONE AS HIS WORKS DESERVE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Rom 2:1-11; Ps 62:2-3,6-7,9; Lk 11:42-46]
In Chapter 1 of Romans, St Paul condemned the Gentiles for rejecting God, and as a consequence, they were led into all kinds of sins.“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) They ended up worshipping false gods, serving creatures, and falling into the sin of lust.
But lest we think that only the Gentiles and non-believers are judged and condemned, St Paul reminds us that we who are believers are not spared from God’s judgment either. In today’s first reading, he warned his fellow Jews against using a double standard when judging themselves and those who were non-Jews. The truth was that they too were not living according to the Mosaic Law. By so doing, their behaviour was no better than that of the Gentiles. “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.” The privileges of being God’s chosen people come with greater responsibility.
The truth is that God’s judgment on all is the same — perfect, fair, and just. “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 is because “He will repay each one as his works deserve. God has no favourites.” Indeed, what we sow is what we reap. In another letter to the Galatians, 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) Hence, “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 commits evil — Jews first, but Greeks as well; renown, honour and peace will come to everyone who does good — Jews first, but Greeks as well.”
This is an important warning to us Christians who take sin lightly in our lives. As Christians, enlightened by the truth, we have a greater responsibility to live righteously. As the Lord said in the parable of the Unfaithful Servant, “But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.” (Lk 12:48) Indeed, judgment will be heavier upon us because we know what is right, yet disregard the commandments of the Lord.
This is why the Lord was hard on the religious leaders of His day for being hypocritical. The first woe condemned them for neglecting justice and the love of God while insisting that others observe the laws scrupulously. Secondly, they sought places of honour and respect instead of serving with humility. Thirdly, although externally they appeared righteous, but like unmarked graves their lives were filled with impurity and contaminated by sin. Above all, Jesus said, “You load on men burdens that are unendurable, burdens that you yourselves do not move a finger to lift.” Jesus exposed them as heartless and legalistic, laying down burdens on others while doing nothing to help them grow in holiness. They were quick to judge others for doing wrong when they themselves were far from perfect. They lacked charity, sincerity, and humility. In fact, our judgment will be even more severe.
When Christians take sin lightly, it is often driven by a false sense of security that God is merciful and will always forgive us. Some even argue that because mercy and compassion are essential attributes of God, He is morally obliged to forgive whenever we sin. Consequently, they continue sinning, believing that He will always forgive. But St Paul warns that this is false reasoning, as it means taking God for granted. He asks, “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.”
The truth is that God’s patience and abundant forgiveness are given so that we might be moved to repentance out of love His love for us.The mercy of God is not an invitation to sin more; rather, it is a call to repentance — not out of fear, but out of love. When we take His grace for granted or abuse His mercy, it leads to our own self-destruction. To use our faith in God’s grace as an excuse to continue sinning is the worst form of self-deception. This is what St Paul meant when he spoke of the wrath of God against those who fail to acknowledge Him and live in truth and charity. God’s wrath is not that He is angry and takes revenge on us, but that His truth and love expose our selfishness and pride, revealing the consequences of our sins.
However, how does God’s judgment of us, based on our works, differ from that of one who is not a Christian? Does it mean that we are saved by our works and not by faith in Christ? All will indeed be judged by their works. What then is the role of faith? There is no contradiction between faith and good works. For St Paul, faith in Christ’s love will always result in good works. Indeed, if faith does not issue in good works, it is a travesty of faith. Faith without good works is not faith at all. For if we truly believe that Christ saves us and gave His life for us — that He is the sacrifice of God for our salvation — we would live our lives with gratitude. Rightly, St James wrote, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.” (Jas 2:14, 17-18)
Consequently, we must come to an awareness that sin is a serious matter and not to be taken lightly. We must recognise God’s holiness, which is incompatible with sin. If our minds are dull, as St Paul said of the Gentiles earlier, it is because we have refused to acknowledge God as Lord of our lives, trusting instead in our own intelligence. This explains why only in the context of God’s love for us in Christ are our sins fully exposed. When we are numb to our sins, it is because we are numb to the holiness of God. Those who come closer to God become more aware of their sinfulness, for they judge themselves not in comparison to others but in comparison to God. When the holiness of God is revealed, as in the case of Isaiah, he exclaimed, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isa 6:5) Or St Peter, who “fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!'” (Lk 5:8) How true it is that saints recognise themselves as sinners, while sinners think themselves sinless and saintly!
While it is true that we are all under the power of sin, it is equally true that the grace and mercy of God have been revealed in Christ. Faith in Him helps us to overcome sin and walk in love and truth. As Christians, that grace has been given to us; unlike non-believers, we do not have to rely on our own strength alone to overcome sin. By embracing His love and mercy, we receive the grace to do what is right and good. Let us therefore avoid self-righteousness — condemning others for their sins while being blind to our own — and avoid complacency, thinking that because God is all-merciful, we can continue sinning since He always forgives us.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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