Gospel: Luke 11:37-41
As Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to have a meal with him. So he went and sat at table. The Pharisee then wondered why Jesus did not first wash his hands before dinner. But the Lord said to him, “So then, you Pharisees, you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside yourselves you are full of greed and evil. Fools! He who made the outside, also made the inside. But according to you, by the mere giving of alms everything is made clean.

Reflections
“He who made the outside, also made the inside.”
Especially during my high school years, I used to scold my younger siblings. And I must ad- mit that there were times that I hit them too. I was the eldest and thought it was my responsibility to discipline them. I was not brutal though and I am sure my disciplinary measures were not excessive. But I cannot for- get one occasion when after scolding one of my sisters she said, “You don’t love me.”
Love is a heavy word. Many people would imagine that what constitutes it are all positive attributes and good vibes; any- thing negative or adverse can- not be love. Well, this is not love. While love appreciates, it does not tolerate. Love desires the best and will therefore correct and admonish when needed. Reprimands and punishments can also be expressions of love. Every act aimed at making people realize the bad and the wrong are expressions of love. So, did I not love my sister? I did, and I still do. But my love for her cannot allow that she grows without discipline.
The love of God for us is pretty much the same. It demands perfection (cf. Mt. 5:48) so that when we wander from time to time, we need scolding and discipline.

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