Tuesday 25 August

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 14-17; Psalm 96; Matthew 23:23-26

Included in the woes

Jesus the prophet, like Amos and Isaiah, uses the classic 'woe' form to deliver seven woes to denounce the wrong doing of a group of his own people. His intention is to turn them from evil and towards right relationship with God. What can I learn? When do I, too, focus on minor things and miss the big picture of God’s will to show mercy and justice? In my spiritual life, do I seek to cleanse the inside of the cup – my heart and inner attitudes – or do I focus mainly on the exterior?