INTEGRITY AS A MARK OF DISCIPLESHIP
          In the gospel today, Jesus again had a confrontation with the scribes and the Pharisees, who were considered to be the elite, the powerful, the learned and the
intellectuals of the Jewish society of his time. Ordinary Jews of that time saw them as the most qualified interpreters of the Law of Moses. If the Law of Moses is the central guiding principle of a devout Jew on how to lead a lifestyle that is pleasing to God, then the scribes and the Pharisees, as interpreters of the law, truly had a huge influence in their society and in the Jewish way of life.  Jesus respected their office and the authority to teach the people about the Law of Moses but, at the same time, he warned the people not to imitate their way of life because what they preached and taught didn’t conform to how they lived and related to other people.  One of the most important characteristics of Christian discipleship is consistency/integrity, that is, putting into practice what we actually profess and believe. In the encounters of Jesus with the Pharisees, his constant complain about them was their hypocrisy. He could not stand their double lifestyle. They appeared to be the best, the holiest from the outside but, in their hearts, they cursed and judged others unjustly. Here are the words of Jesus again in describing the scribes and the Pharisees, “do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people's shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen.”
          As what Jesus wants to point out in the Gospel today, outside appearance of holiness doesn’t always translate to a sincere and honest pursuit for God; just like what he said about the Pharisees and scribes who wear phylacteries. Phylacteries are containers affixed to arms and/or foreheads possessing important verses of the Law. These will impress the people who see these and judge that those who wear them are as holy as the verses themselves. Jesus is reminding His listeners that it is not what one wears outside that makes a person a follower of God’s ways. It is not the name “teacher” or “father” which make a person a reflection of God’s holiness. The question is not about, “Do I wear a cross?” but, rather “Do I bear the cross?” – Fr. Cary