“What” you do matters, but “Why, you do it” matters more. 

In today’s first reading, Moses tells the people about the commandments given to them by God. They are the rules by which they should live in order to please God. Rules are good. Without them, we would live in chaos. 

St. James, in the second reading, reminds the people that hearing God’s word isn’t enough. They must act on what they hear. Actions are good. They bring our beliefs to life.

Now we get to the gospel reading. As often happens, humans have taken good things and gone a bit too far. The number of rules had been expanded tremendously. The Pharisees were so concerned with the “letter of the law” that they forgot the reasons for the laws in the first place. And all those people encouraged to act on the word of God? Many used their deeds to promote their own interests. God was often left out of the picture. 

So what is Jesus telling us today? We need to temper the rules with love. In other words, we must do the right things for the right reasons. When we embrace God’s word and live according to His teachings, the rest will fall into place.