False Righteousness . . . and Jesus Will Say . . . I DO NOT Know You!

Fr. Hugh Gillespie, SMM

False Righteousness . . . and Jesus Will Say . . . I DO NOT Know You!

He taught them as one having authority, and not like a scribe.

Authority demands a response. If there is no response, there is no authority!

Authority makes a claim. Something happens to the people who listen to Jesus! As He speaks, He is NOT giving them information or advice! His words make a claim on the people! The claim then, demands a choice.

When the scribes or others teach the people, there does not need to make a response. Yet, when the Lord speaks, He cuts through all of that. His words demand a response! The people must say Yes … or No! Hear more in the Homily!

In the Homily, we hear briefly that the readings of the last few days center upon the law. Two days ago, we hear the law was found, and the people did not know how much they sinned, because they did not know the law. But alas, we hear the people who were given the law, lost the law, found the law, read the law, then abandon the law with their unfaithfulness . . . again. People took the mercy of God for granted.

The tribes in Israel come to an end. Consequences. Hear why this is important!

This lurks behind the powerful Gospel reading for today! Jesus first addresses a false sense that everything is OK with the individual person . . . within me! There are many of you who will say Lord . . . Lord! But Jesus says, I do not know you! You will come before the Lord and tell of all you have done in your name! Jesus will say . . . I do not know you!

False Goodness

The person Jesus is talking about is not an evil doer, as we would envision. It is a person who surrounds themselves with false goodness. False goodness! Doing good things . . . but not for the Lord. False Goodness! False assertion that WE are OK … WE are OK. Jesus will tell them; He does not know them!

Understand the impact of this lesson for our own spirituality!

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