Jesus continues his Matthew teaching by holding up the behavior of the Pharisees as self-centered and misguided. Not, he says, centered in God's love (yesterday's discussion). We also are being introduced to the seven churches in the Revelation--today's church, Ephesus. Like the Pharisees, the church at Ephesus is doing most things right, but they have "abandoned the love they had at first."
Repentance is required of both groups in order to serve God and shine as God's light in the world. The theme is the same. You are doing many of the right things; you are doing them without love.
It fascinates me that "the right things" were so involved with looking at others and judging their behaviors. But then, when asked to look at their own behaviors, the people fail to trust God.
I have this suspicion that if God gave us a 20 x 20 mirror with a pinhole of "window" to look through to work on the behavior of others (like determining false prophets and helping others grow in faith), we'd spend all our time working on finding the pinhole instead of studying our own needs.
Love is the corrective...though a difficult corrective. When we are doing all things grounded firmly in working for the welfare of others, we have a better chance of being in God's will.
We also must pay attention to the truth that most of Jesus condemnation was directed toward those already identified as the people of God. "Sinners and tax-collectors" were accepted, loved, included. God's people were flat out judged.
Looking for the coming of God, the in-breaking of God into our world, may happen first in the mirror, especially if we are brave enough to admit our failures, even as we do good.
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