Gift of Jesus – Reflection on Matthew 23:13-22
What do you think of when you think of a hypocrite relative to faith? Has your faith attracted a hypocrite to your circle of friends? Learning to discern if someone you meet is genuine and, if not, willing, to change gracefully can be difficult. Removing yourself from these situations when you can tell they will continue to be a disruption is another challenge. To be a vessel for Divinity requires effort on our part. In these tough situations, you can reflect on Scripture or something that brings you peace, awe, or wonder. In that moment, aren’t you in a sacred sanctuary for you to be with God? In effect, isn’t where you are in thought or prayer a symbolic altar for prayer? Doing so can bring you clarity. During this time, doesn’t heaven feel within reach? The gift of Jesus is blessing you. He has risen from his throne to embrace you and wants you to embrace Him back so you can remember that this feeling is possible throughout your day.
Woe unto You Scribes and Pharisees by James Tissot (full resolution painting)
More details are available on the Brooklyn Museum website.
Additional Ordinary Time Reflections
Matthew 23:13-22 – Scripture*
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the sanctuary is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by the oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar is bound by the oath.’ 19 How blind you are! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it; 21 and whoever swears by the sanctuary, swears by it and by the one who dwells in it; 22 and whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it.
Additional Thoughts
Thank you for meditating on this Gospel and reading this Lectio Divina on Matthew 23:13-22 Reflection – The Gift of Jesus.
Would you like to contribute related thoughts to these Lectio reflections of the Gospel readings or other contemplative material to this Web-based ministry? Do you see God’s grandeur everywhere and unconditionally enjoy sharing the love of Christ that you have inside? Are you willing to be anonymous in what you would share? If so, email me.
Prayer for young families:
Lord, let the young families of our communities get to know your joy, peace, comfort, and love despite the world’s distractions.
Attributions
This site has written permission to use the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) Bible Matthew 23 Bible passage.
The Immersive Prayer website follows the guidelines for image web use at the Brooklyn Museum and the Jewish Museum websites.
This Lectio Divina on Matthew 23:13-22 Reflection – Gift of Jesus is in the Lectionary season of Ordinary Time.
Additional Lectio Divina Scripture reflections are available by season.
Affiliations
Sheltering Tree: Jerry’s book publisher, Sheltering Tree Earth Publishing, specializes in uplifting, inspirational, and positive adult, juvenile, and young adult fiction and nonfiction, including poetry, native histories, ancient spiritual paths, sermons, Lectio Divina, and pastoral and rabbinical resources in English, French, Spanish, and Indigenous languages. Authors meet regularly with the publisher to learn about all facets of skill development, publishing, and marketing.
Sheltering Tree has been extremely helpful in helping me change one of my books intended for friends and family to be used as a source for a faith-based organization. More of my books are going through the same process. Sheltering Tree has just released my book For the Good of the Order, and it has just been made available on Amazon in Kindle and soft and hard copies.
Artisans of Jesus – I have recently joined Artisans of Jesus, who concretely help each other online to express Jesus’ Vision. Artisans of Jesus use our God-given talents of expression and making that we have nurtured through practice and education, and our creativity, in participation with The Creator, to express God in all media. Specifically, we strive to speak of Jesus and His Vision in accurate yet creative ways to our world’s particular challenges and to the classic issues that have persisted through time.