Does a Christian understand himself to be a religious leader? If so, he would take immediate recourse to the works of mercy since he would understand that his entrance into bliss will be determined both by his fulfillment of them and his instructing others in the same.
Anything short of this is poisonous to the people—leaven to beware of.
The hypocrisy of the Pharisees prevents it.
Hypocrisy is play-acting, a falsehood. That defect can surface in several ways. But in the end—it’s a falsehood, a deception. This lie will send the Christian’s endeavor into a tailspin very quickly.
To promote an act of religion while committing an act of irreligion is corrosive of the soul in the highest degree.
It will be good to understand why Our Lord is so adamantly opposed to this sin in the pharisees. Why does it draw his unflinching wrath?
Sure, there’s “fake it till you make it.” That’s not the problem. The problem is connected with scandal. It’s also connected with the role the Church is to play in shining the light of Christ to the nations. He’s counting on the Church’s fidelity to that all the members of the body can enter in. The role of the Church in the world is a corollary to the role of the hierarchy in the Church, as well as that of the apostles in the hierarchy and of Christ among the apostles and of the Father in sending the Son.
Let’s develop this.
