Psalm 98: 1.2-3ab.3cd-4.5-6 (R. 2a),
Consequences of Rejecting God's Love
In today's Gospel, Jesus gives the Pharisees other two woes; those who build tombs for the prophets, meaning those who kill the prophets and another woe to those who have taken the key of knowledge and didn't enter themselves, but as well as stopping others from entering in. Jesus chastises them with a great warning that they will have to be answerable for this.
This warning brethren is also for us today. The Jews had everything at hand to accept the love of God and be saved but they misused all the chances by killing the prophets, misinterpreting the law and putting much burden on others, while they themselves never laid a finger on those burdens. For us, we might not have reached the extent of killing the prophets but in many ways, we reject the love of God which he offers to us daily in our lives. Won't we also be answerable for this?
The love of God comes to us through many ways; in his word, through our religious leaders, through our friends, through our parents and when we resist the word of God, when we don't heed to the message of our religious leaders, when we don't obey and receive love from our parents and friends, we are indeed rejecting God's love for us of which we are answerable. When we harden our hearts, we are more less like the Jews who killed and never heeded to the wisdom of God which came out f their mouths. Therefore, brethren, we need to have a positive response towards the love that God offers, and our duty is that when we receive this love, we have to show it to others too.
Jesus is the key of knowledge that opens God's kingdom for us. What does Jesus mean when he says they have taken away the key of knowledge? The religious lawyers and scribes held the "office of the keys" since they were the official interpreters of the scriptures. unfortunately, their interpretation of the scriptures became so distorted and difficult to understand that others were "shut off" to the scriptures. they not only shut themselves to heaven - they also hindered others from understanding god's word. Through pride and envy, they rejected not only the prophets of old, but God's final prophet and son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the "key of David" (see Isaiah 22:22; revelations 3:7) who opens heaven for those who accept him as lord and savior. He is the "wisdom of God" and source of everlasting life.
Today, there are many cases of the abuse of the Scripture and even the law. Many people have used the scripture for their own benefit gains, others use specific verses to manipulate people. Others know what should be done but leave it and do what pleases them but not pleasing to God. In this way we become like Pharisees and scribes who had the key to knowledge but didn't enter in and also hindered others from entering.
Today let us examine and evaluate our lives and see whether we have responded to the love of God appropriately and also to see whether we are using scripture for our selfish gains or for its real purpose.
Let us Pray
Lord Jesus, help me always to respond to the love of God with much zeal and enthusiasm and may your love also be shown to others through me. Amen
Be blessed.
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