First Reading: Eph 1:1-10; Psalm: 98. R. v. 2a; Gospel: Lk 11 47-54

BEWARE OF FAITH DESTROYERS

BY FR VALENTINE NNAMDI EGBUONU, MSP

“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.” (Lk 11:52).

Jesus continues his tirade against the scribes and Pharisees. Today, he brought three charges against them. On the third accusation Jesus said; “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.” What exactly does Jesus mean by the key of knowledge? And how can we explain Jesus’ accusation that the lawyers did not enter and have also hindered others from entering?

There is no other way to come to the knowledge of God except through faith. So when Jesus spoke of the key of knowledge, he was referring to faith. Although faith is a supernatural gift of God; we know that human actions can hinder the faith of people especially by false teachings and misinterpretation of the scriptures. These set of lawyers complicated the scriptures by their explanations thereby misinterpreting it and making it difficult for the people to understand. They have refused to listen to Jesus and as well hindered the people from knowing God.  

One of the crises of Christianity is the rise of several Churches and pastors. This has left the interpretation of the scriptures to the whims and caprices of several misguided preachers who are after their selfish gain than the salvation of souls. We still have a lot of religious teachers and Christians today who deceive people by their false interpretation of God’s word. This has led to conflicting understanding of God’s word that people do not know what to believe anymore. When it comes to our faith life; we need to be careful who we listen to and what we absorb. These can destroy our faith and hinder our salvation.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Lord Jesus, give us the gift of discernment to know your true teachings. Amen.