Message of Abbot Paul - Wednesday 12th October 2022
Abbot Paul • October 12, 2022
Yesterday I was blessed in having to take a trip into Breconshire. It was a beautiful day and the countryside was quite spectacular. Going, I stopped briefly at the church of St Faith at Dorstone, whilst returning, I stopped at St Bartholomew’s, Vowchurch, one of my absolute favourites, such a light and airy church in an outstanding position near the bank of the river Dore. I stopped there for over half an hour simply to pray in silence. There’s so much going on in the world at the moment, so much to pray for, especially the horrific situation in Ukraine, not to mention the many uncertainties in our own country, I needed that time and space to be alone. I pray every day that God will intervene and stop the war in Ukraine, but I know that’s not how God works: he does not remove our responsibility to bring that war to an end. At times I despair at what appears to be a certain inertia, perhaps fear, that prevents Ukraine’s allies from a more committed and determined quest for peace.
In today’s Gospel from Luke, (Lk 11: 42-4), Jesus continues his attack on the Pharisees. Yesterday it was just one Pharisee, who, poor man, had invited Jesus to his house for a meal. Today it’s a more general attack on the Pharisees as a powerful and influential group in society. He says:
‘Alas for you Pharisees! You who pay your tithe of mint and rue and all sorts of garden herbs and overlook justice and the love of God! These you should have practised, without leaving the others undone. Alas for you Pharisees who like taking the seats of honour in the synagogues and being greeted obsequiously in the market squares! Alas for you, because you are like the unmarked tombs that men walk on without knowing it!’”
Sadly, their fundamental sin is to place so much emphasis on a ritualistic observance of the minutiae of the Law, that they forget the important fundamentals, justice and the love of God. Again, he criticises this obsession of theirs with appearance and position in society, all rather futile, to say the least.
Then a lawyer or scribe stands up, feeling insulted but Jesus has something to say to them as well.
“A lawyer then spoke up. ‘Master,’ he said ‘when you speak like this you insult us too.’
‘Alas for you lawyers also,’ he replied ‘because you load on men burdens that are unendurable, burdens that you yourselves do not move a finger to lift.’”
Here his criticism is that instead of helping people to keep the Law and discovering the gift of faith in God, they turn people away with the exaggerated interpretation of the Law that only serves to drive people away in despair, rather than encouraging them to seek the love of God.
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