Jesus wants to free you from the confusion of sin

They watched Jesus carefully to see if he would treat him on Saturday so he could accuse him. Mark 3: 2

The Pharisees did not take long to allow envy to cloud their thinking about Jesus. The Pharisees wanted all the attention. They wanted to be respected and honored as authentic law teachers. So when Jesus showed up and many were amazed by the authority with which he taught, the Pharisees immediately began to criticize him.

The sad reality we witness in their actions is that they seem blind to their malice. The envy that fills them prevents them from realizing that they are actually acting with extreme irrationality. This is an important and very difficult lesson to learn.

Sin confuses us, especially spiritual sin as pride, envy and anger. Therefore, when someone is consumed by one of these sins, that person most likely does not even realize how irrational he becomes. Take the example of the Pharisees.

Jesus finds himself in a situation where he chooses to heal someone on a Saturday. This is an act of mercy. It is made for the sake of this man to relieve him of his suffering. Although this is an incredible miracle, the troubled minds of the Pharisees seek only one way to transform this act of mercy into something sinful. What a frightening scene.

Although this may not initially inspire a thought to reflect on, it is necessary to reflect on it. Because? Because we all struggle, in one way or another, with sins like this. We all struggle to bring envy and anger in and distort the way we relate to others. So too often we justify our actions just as the Pharisees did.

Reflect today on this unfortunate scene. But think about it with the hope that the poor example of the Pharisees will help you identify any of the same tendencies in your heart. Seeing these tendencies they struggle with should help you get rid of the irrational thinking that results from sin.

Lord Jesus, please forgive me for all my sins. I'm sorry and I pray to be able to see everything that obscures my thought and my acting. Free me and help me to love you and others with the pure love that I am called to have. Jesus I believe in you.