In today's Gospel Jesus starts on a serious rant against the scribes (sometimes translated as "teachers of the law") and Pharisees, calling them "hypocrites." (Mt 23: 13-22). He will accuse them of being hypocrites a total of six times in this section of Matthew's Gospel which has come to be called "the seven woes" because Jesus uses the "woe to you" phrase seven times. He only uses the word "hypocrites" six times because in one of the sections He calls the scribes and Pharisees "blind guides," not hypocrites. We'll read the rest of this broadside against the scribes and Pharisees tomorrow and Wednesday. Needless-to-say, Jesus pulls no punches in His attacks on them. Perhaps that word, "hypocrites," deserves special consideration, since Jesus uses it so often and with such force. It seems like for Him that characterization of someone is about as bad as it can get. Beyond these six times, Jesus uses "hypocrites" seven other times in Matthew's Gospel alone as a word of condemnation. We all know what a hypocrite is. The word means someone who pretends to be one thing-- often one who pretends to a certain morality-- but is actually something quite different. The derivation of the word is from Greek, where it referred to actors on stage, who wore masks to cover their faces and thus hide their true identities. Everyone hates hypocracy, whether it is politicians who claim to care about the poor but are really promoting the interests of the rich (and getting wealthy in the process) or Church leaders, who preach a strict set of moral values and then turn a blind eye (or worse) to immorality in the Church. It is as a result of the revulsion we all feel at hypocrisy that the Church finds itself in the spot it is in today. OK, that's the easy part. It is real easy to point fingers at others, and to see hypocracy. But what about ourselves? By saying we are followers of Christ, we are saying that we aspire to a set of values and behaviors articulated by Christ. Do we live that way, or do we pick and choose (which is one definition of hypocracy)? My struggle today is with forgiveness. Jesus tells us to forgive 77 times (in other words, always) not just 7 times. I'm a hypocrite if I don't do that, I have to remind myself. Read Matthew 25: 31-46 and let Jesus stern words about how we treat strangers (refugees/migrants), or the poor, or the hungry, thirsty, sick, poorly clothed or imprisoned sit with you a bit. Hypocracy?