Have you ever heard the saying, “You should practice what you preach,” or, “If you are going to talk the talk, you should walk the walk”?

In our Gospel reading today, Jesus is in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.  Jesus is now issuing the final indictment of Israel’s religious leaders, right in the middle of their own seat of power.  Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus has taken His teaching directly into the territory of His enemies, and He has constantly silenced them publically.  His enemies have not been able to answer the profound and penetrating questions that Jesus has asked.   Neither have they understood the parables He has taught.

Jesus now turns to His disciples and the gathering multitude and powerfully delivers one of the most scathing indictments in all of recorded Sacred Scriptures.  The enemies of Jesus stand before Him as He addresses them exposing their hypocrisy.  In order to realize his sin and be converted, a hypocrite must see himself as he truly is before God.

In order not to fall into the same pit, the people must recognize that the blind guides, who are blind to Spiritual Truths and the actions that follow, are trying to lead them in the wrong direction.