Scenting our temples

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I remember my professor in my New Testament class who told us that the scribes and pharisees in Jesus’ time were really not bad guys, as they are being portrayed today in the gospel. They were highly educated and studied their religion very well. They had a sense of responsibility to the Levites, the temple or synagogue keepers, by sharing a 10th of their income called tithe. Today tithing is a common practice in many protestant churches and even in some Catholic circles. In Mathew 23:23-26, the Pharisees gave tithes, took care of the temple by perfuming it with all kinds of herbs to praise God. What got the ire of Jesus was the sense of inconsistencies the scribes and pharisees showed –too much focus on the external, and too little concern about the internal. The external refers to what people see in the outside like decorating the temple and scenting it, but totally forgetting the more important one, that is, the care of the poor, the marginalized and the abandoned. The lack of the sense of justice made the Lord critical to the scribes and the pharisees. I am more convinced that the Lord has really nothing against the care of the external aspect of Church life, as we also need to take care of our present day “temples”, referring to our places of prayers and worship. Equally important is also our sense of responsibility to our neighbor, especially those who have less in life. Pope Francis used to say to the effect that those who have less in life should have more in law. Photo credit: pixabay [em]cool[/