“From Exterior to Interior: The Righteousness That Saves.”
Today, the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Church places before us the wisdom of Sirach, the profound depths of St. Paul, and the piercing words of our Lord in the Gospel.
My dear brothers and sisters, I want you to picture in your mind, and imagine for a moment, a man standing before a great mirror. He sees his reflection, but instead of admiring the image, he begins to polish the glass furiously, thinking that by making the surface shine, he can change the man within. Oh, how foolish this can be!
The above scenario, however, has been the situation of many Christians today. They scrub at the externals—the rules, the rituals—while the heart remains untouched, stained by the shadows of sin.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, in a bid to address this, told His disciples that unless their righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, they will never enter the kingdom of God. These words fall upon the soul like a surgeon’s scalpel plunged straight into the heart—not to kill us, but to lay bare the mortal wound we pretend to call only a scratch. It may wound us as an arrow wounds the proud stag, bringing it down not to destroy, but to make it lie still long enough for the Hunter to bind up the hurt and carry it home.
These words are no longer being addressed only to the disciples of Christ, but to us today. The Pharisees were masters of the external while neglecting what is most important: interior purity. They prayed and fasted, they gave tithes, they were masters of public righteousness and visible shows of compliance. Yet, Jesus declares it insufficient. In other words, Jesus is telling us that it is not all about doing more, but about becoming more like Christ, whose heart was pure, whose love was total, and whose obedience was perfect—even unto the Cross.
Again, here comes the message for us: Is my life a mere polishing of the exterior? We are aware of them—our occasional Sunday Masses, my occasional prayers, my occasional visits to Jesus in the Eucharist (if I have ever truly adored Him), and the many devotions we carry out only when we feel we have the chance to.
In light of the above, here comes the second question for the heart that wants to become like Christ: “What can I do so that my righteousness can exceed that of the Pharisees?” It is no longer news that we live in a world decorated with glittering screens that flash endless entertainment. They look good and Pharisaic in nature. We also live in a generation that measures righteousness based on what people see. To this end, a Christian believer must understand that Jesus is calling us to a deep-rooted intimacy with Him. He is the heavenly Physician who does not leave us hemorrhaging in despair and sin. He therefore invites us to cultivate purity of heart, to replace anger with reconciliation, to speak the truth with simplicity, and to seek the hidden wisdom of God presented by St. Paul in the second reading today—a wisdom that is not of this age. I call it a whisper from above.
Our Lord Jesus Christ does not drag us; He does not coerce. Rather, He invites. How many of us are ready for that great invitation by the Divine Master? The same invitation we saw in the first reading. This invitation leaves us with a choice: “…if you desire, you will keep the commandments; and I have placed before you fire and water; stretch out your hand for whichever you choose.” What a stark reality of human freedom! Who am I that our Lord Jesus Christ stretches forth His hand in invitation—not compulsion?
Additionally, the commandments are seen as burdensome by many today, made heavier by added traditions that seem to strip away our enjoyment of life. No, they are not. Rather, they are paths to life—but they must be chosen freely. Yet how often do we make choices that do not align with what Christ wants? Choices that lead to spiritual starvation and death—choices that lead to envy, malice, anger, lust, judging others harshly while excusing our own faults.
Today, this 6th Sunday is another opportunity for us to choose anew, especially as we are about to begin our season of Lent next week, so that we do not remain trapped by the wrong choices we made yesterday and years ago. Remember the piercing words of Christ, which are still echoing today: “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of God.”
HAPPY SUNDAY & BE SURE OF MY PRAYERS
Fr Emmanuel Igwe, HFFBY
(Assisting Priest, St Ambrose Barlow, Swinton).