Tombs

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. 28 Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing. 29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ 31 Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; 32 now fill up what your ancestors measured out!” (Matt 23:27-32)

TOMBS Among the most astounding views in Jerusalem is that from the Mount of Olives looking across the Temple Mount, with the prominent Dome of the Rock that crowns the rest of the walls and buildings of the Old City. The view of the opposite landscape is not less inspiring, that of the Mount of Olives, with the lush slopes covered with olive tree and spotted with some sacred churches. But from either side one would see the beautiful Kidron Valley that holds the most important cemetery of Jerusalem. Here we find the tombs of some of the prophets, like Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. From afar, we find other tombs, sloping into the Kidron Valley. In Zech 14:4 we read about the coming of the Messiah: “His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives.” It is believed that those who are buried there will be the first in line to receive his blessings. When Jerusalem experienced snowfall in 2013, I was present and went around the city. The valley was a sight to behold and with it, the tombs that lined it were covered with about three inches of snow. In summer, the sun-kissed tombs gleamed like pearls. Was this the view of Jesus at the Temple when he spoke against the scribes and the Pharisees? Why does he speak about “whitewashed tombs”? Why does refer to the “tombs of the prophet”? This was a valuable lesson for the audience of Jesus. The tombs were a beautiful sight from outside but hid human bones and putrefying flesh; the memorials to the prophets and the righteous stood for honor, but the blood of these people were shed unjustly. The images reflected the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees who should have lived to be authentic and righteous. This is a call to all of us who follow Jesus: to live in truth. REFLECTION QUESTIONS 1. Do the words of Jesus resonate in our times? Do we find ourselves in situations where we would have done better in terms of authenticity? 2. Jesus spoke about shedding the prophets’ blood. Are we complicit in the sufferings of the just? Lord, may I always be authentic and true.