DO NOT BE A WHITEWASHED TOMB

Homily for Wednesday of the 21^st Week, Year B.

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke (Schoenstatt Fathers)

 

Our today’s gospel reading continues but at the same time, concludes the seven woe-statements of Jesus that we started reading on Monday. These seven woe-statements are directed against the spiritual leaders of Jesus’ time- the scribes and Pharisees. The ones we read today are the last-two of the seven. In today’s reading, Jesus describes the scribes and Pharisees as beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, they are nothing more than rotting, decaying bones and filled with all manner of filths (Matthew 23:27). Like whitewashed tombs, they painted a picture of righteousness for everyone to see, but their hearts were full of pride, hypocrisy, and sin. Jesus qualified them as hypocrites because they displayed one thing while in reality, they were something altogether different.

In our time, people like them are said to be double-faced and duplicitous. Most of us do not like people like that but sometimes, we are just as guilty. Truly, to some extent, we are all hypocrites. Sorry if that sounds as harsh as the way Jesus himself said it to the scribes and Pharisees. But it is what it is. In most cases, the image we present externally, or the mask we wear, does not always represent what is within ourselves. We are like the whitewashed tombs, neat on the outside but filthy on the inside.

Therefore, let us avoid vain-righteousness. Let us not live a life of contradiction. Let us not be stage actors under an assumed character. Let us not claim to be who we are not. The inside of the tomb may be likened to our character while the outside may be said to be our reputation- outward appearance. The former is who we truly are while the latter is how others see us. In most cases, we pay greater attention to building our reputation while neglecting the formation of our character. We forget that if we are able to form an imputable character, the character we have formed will in turn influence our reputation.

Lastly, when the masks fall off; when the lid is let open, and the cover or the shield removed, will we still appear elegant or unappealing? Today, let us ask God for the grace to be authentic, true and sincere, and may the Lord grant us the grace to be honest with ourselves, with others and with God.