Sacred Scripture
Woe to you! for you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. So you are witnesses and consent to the deeds of your fathers; for they killed them, and you build their tombs. Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, `I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it shall be required of this generation. Woe to you lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.” As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard, and to provoke him to speak of many things, lying in wait for him, to catch at something he might say. (Luke 11:47-54)
Reflection
In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues to chastise the Pharisees and the scholars of the law. He chastises them because they “have taken away the key of knowledge” and have actively tried to keep others from the knowledge God wants them to have. This is a strong accusation and reveals that the Pharisees and scholars of the law were actively hurting the faith of God’s people.
The key of knowledge?The religious lawyers and scribes held the “office of the keys” since they were the official interpreters of the Scriptures. Unfortunately, their interpretation of the Scriptures became so distorted and difficult to understand that others were “shut off” to the Scriptures.
The key of knowledge is faith, and faith can come only by listening to the voice of God. The key to knowledge is to let God speak to you and reveal His deepest and most beautiful truths. These truths can only be received and believed through prayer and through communication with God.
Faith is an intensely personal and living relationship with God. It is not, and never should be, made into an ideology. When it becomes an ideology, it is no longer faith. When it becomes an ideology, people become judgmental. There is an absolute tendency to develop the “we” and “they” way of thinking. Jesus Christ did not come for “we” and “they.” He came for each one of us, EACH ONE of us. Any “we” and “they” thinking is contra to all that Jesus Christ taught.
If you accept that then you understand that faith not only must be lived but it must be shared.
Each time we share our faith, each time we live our faith, each time we share our love of God with others, that’s helping spread the love of God. It’s not only about words on paper, it’s about your relationship with Christ. A living relationship that grows in you and those around you. The more we talk to God, the more alive he becomes in our life. The more we talk about God in our lives, the more we make a statement about how important our faith is. It need not be perfect words or fiery language, its letting others see how faith restoreth our soul.
There should only be one motivation for you and for me . . . to please Jesus Christ. It is people in love with Him that should prevail in all of our relationships and that is where our hearts should be focused. If we do that then we are going about His business of building His kingdom on earth.
Prayer of The Day
““Lord Jesus, may your word take root in my heart and transform my thoughts and actions. Give me wisdom and understanding so that I may know your will for my life and have the courage to live according to it.”
Daily Note
These very sobering words from our Lord remind us that we must not only pay attention to our own salvation, but we must be concerned about the salvation of others. For it is not God’s will to save us as individuals, but in communion as the Body of Christ. Consequently, our efforts to shine the light of Christ for others matters greatly for both their salvation and ours.
