09.04.2025
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

As I worked on today's Gospel, just like on the Gospel of Wednesday of the Fifth week of Lent, I could not help, but wonder, what sort of sin(s) Our LORD was confronting. In regular terms or statements, sin is that which offends God. The Jews of this time, who were being challenged frequently by Our LORD, seemed 'to be living' in line with the required 'laws of Moses' (the same laws Jesus Christ of Nazareth said He had not come to abolish). If it were, like in the earlier times of the earlier prophets when the Jews seemed to fall prey to the worship style of their earlier conquerors (Egyptians, Babylonians, Philistines etc.), it would have made sense.

What is sin, then?
Sin is seemingly self-righteousness! A sense of the need to judge others as well as their situations based on one's perspective and opinion. The inability to understand the weakness of a mortal soul and that we are all frail. It is true that some of us have mastered how to bi-pass conditions that directly damage our moral being, and which defile our flesh when entertained, but for some reason, we have no compassion for many who are weak, and yet, whose conditions may be circumstantial.

Perhaps sin is also the awareness that a neighbour is in need and you have the means to help, but you are indifferent to the situation, and yet again sin is, most likely, the public display of one's 'good deeds'. Jesus says these have had their reward (perhaps the instant applause received from their observers). Sin, is selfishly and intentionally taking advantage of your neighbour's situation to fulfil your own wants. Today, similar contexts repeat and just like the Pharisees (or Jews), we believe that we'd never do what the Jews did (to Jesus). In fact, we speak bitterly about the actions of the Jews, stating that they behaved so badly since they killed Jesus of Nazareth.

Basically, it does not matter what one does seemingly 'right': following all 10 commandments, all synagogue or Church laws, or how much of God's laws are kept, if you do not have love in you, then all is useless: sin is definitive.

God bless you!