THE QUEENSHIP OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (MEMORIAL)

Woe to you. 

Jesus’ exclamation “Woe to you!” can sound like a threat or a scathing denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees who opposed him. The truth is, Jesus loved these Jewish leaders as much as he loves you. It was their hypocrisy he decried. The phrase “Woe to you” is not the same as “Shame on you.” It’s an expression of grief, dismay, or exasperation similar to the way the Old Testament prophets called ancient Israel back to the Lord. Jesus was releasing what was in his heart—his desire for these men to receive the love that God has for them. He wanted them to understand it and share it with the people of Israel.

We’re not all that different from these misguided scribes and Pharisees. Although we might not think that the disapproval Jesus delivered here applies to us, we too can focus on outward observances while not paying enough attention to what’s in our hearts. But Jesus reminds us that there’s more to faith than performing acts that people can see. There’s a deeper, fuller relationship that God wants to have with us, a relationship based on God’s holiness and his love for all people.

Jesus wants us to live out our faith fully, and that means loving our God and our neighbor as he does. He wants us to know that there’s more to it than checking items off a list. Behind every rebuke stands the God who loves us, who wants to free us, and who can change us from the inside out. As we experience his love more deeply, our daily devotions become a humble response to his love. And that love can displace our hypocrisy and selfishness and affect how we treat each other.

Jesus is extending an invitation to you today. He’s calling out, “Come to me! Don’t reduce the gospel to a checklist. Don’t miss out on the greatness of my love!” So come to the One who loves you. You are the apple of his eye. If you need correction, he will take care of you. He will speak in a way you can hear. Maybe he will warn, “Woe to you!” But more likely, he will gently nudge you in the right direction.

“Jesus, search my heart. Show me today how to enter into your love.”

2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12
Psalm 96:1-5
Matthew 23:13-22