When Religious People Are Actually the Worst
First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:16-19
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8
Gospel: Matthew 5:43-48
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There is something deeply disturbing about encountering a person who outwardly appears devout but inwardly embodies the opposite of holiness. It is one thing for an unbeliever to act immorally, but when a religious person – one who claims to know God’s laws, to pray, to fast, and to worship – becomes corrupt, arrogant, or merciless, it strikes a deeper chord. This is because religion is expected to transform a person for the better, yet history and personal experience often reveal that some of the most ruthless, judgmental, and hypocritical people are found within religious circles. People flee churches, not because of doctrine, but because of the cruelty, gossip, and sanctimonious attitudes of the very people who claim to be righteous. Many who abandon the faith do not reject God but rather the so-called “devout” who make religion unbearable. Jesus Himself saw this reality firsthand and reserved His harshest words – not for sinners or pagans – but for the religious leaders of His time who were obsessed with outward piety while inwardly full of pride and deceit. The readings of the day challenge us to reflect deeply: Can someone be religious and still be an enemy of God?
In the first reading, Moses reminds the Israelites that their special status as God’s chosen people comes with a condition: obedience. Their identity as “treasured” and “holy” is not a privilege to boast about but a responsibility to live up to. The problem arises when religious people take their “chosen” status and twist it into superiority. It is easy to think that because one belongs to a faith, prays daily, and follows rituals, they are inherently better than others. But Moses makes it clear – God’s favour is dependent not on religious identity but on faithfulness to His commandments. Throughout history, however, the temptation for religious pride has remained strong. Many wear their faith as a badge of honour while secretly indulging in sins far worse than those they condemn. The most damaging wounds inflicted on the Church often come from within, from those who claim to represent God but act with cruelty, indifference, and selfish ambition.
In consonance, The Responsorial Psalm (119) speaks of the joy and blessing of following God’s law, yet the irony is that many who claim to uphold His commands use them as weapons rather than as a path to holiness. Some religious people read Scripture not to be transformed but to find ammunition against others. Instead of being humbled by the weight of God’s word, they become emboldened to sit in judgement, looking down upon those who struggle differently than they do. The psalmist declares, “Blessed are those who walk in the law of the Lord,” but Jesus would later clarify that true righteousness is not in outward observance but in a transformed heart. When religion becomes merely external – when laws are followed without love, when prayers are said without humility – it loses its essence. This is why Jesus constantly rebuked the Pharisees. They knew the law, they fasted, they tithed, they prayed in public – yet their hearts were hardened, and their religion became a source of condemnation rather than conversion.
In the Gospel, Jesus delivers what is perhaps the most challenging commandment: to love not only those who love us but also our enemies. This is where many religious people fail. It is easy to love those who agree with us, who believe as we do, who live according to the same moral framework. But love becomes difficult when it is demanded for those outside our circle – those we deem as sinners, those who challenge our beliefs, those who have hurt us. Some of the most devout people are the most unforgiving. They can quote Scripture fluently but refuse to forgive a sibling or colleague. They pray the rosary daily but look down upon the struggling sinner. They preach morality but lack mercy. Jesus knew that religion, when corrupted by pride, can create a false sense of righteousness – one that makes a person feel justified in hating others while believing they are still holy. This is why He calls for a love that surpasses mere obligation. “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” He commands, not in the sense of legalistic perfection but in the capacity to love beyond measure.
This teaching is radical because it exposes how many religious people fail at the most fundamental aspect of faith. Holiness is not about superiority but about humility. True righteousness is not in how loudly one prays but in how deeply one loves. Jesus does not reject religious observance, but He makes it clear that without love, it is meaningless. A person who fasts but lacks kindness is worse than one who never fasts but is compassionate. A priest who preaches beautifully but abuses power is far worse than a nonbeliever who treats others with dignity. A devout Catholic who goes to Mass but treats their workers with cruelty is more spiritually bankrupt than an atheist who shows generosity.
Three key lessons emerge from today’s readings.
First, being religious does not automatically make one righteous. Faith is not a status but a journey, one that requires continual conversion. The Israelites were chosen not because they were better but because they were called to be different. The failure to live up to that call led to their downfall. Similarly, religious identity today is not a guarantee of holiness – what matters is how we live.
Second, Scripture warns against the danger of external righteousness. The psalmist praises God’s law, but Jesus reminds us that the law without love is empty. Many use their faith to control, manipulate, or judge others while ignoring their own faults. This is why Jesus warned that prostitutes and tax collectors were entering the Kingdom of God before the Pharisees – they had no illusions of their own righteousness, and so they were open to God’s mercy.
Third, true religion is measured by love. The ultimate proof of holiness is not in how many prayers one says, how many rules one follows, or how well one argues theology. It is in how one treats others, especially the undeserving. Jesus’ command to love our enemies is not a suggestion – it is the heart of the Gospel. A religious person who refuses to love is worse than an unbeliever, because they know the truth but reject its demands.
The tragedy of religious hypocrisy is that it not only pushes people away from faith but also blinds the hypocrite from seeing their own need for God. The Pharisees were so sure of their holiness that they failed to recognize the Messiah standing before them. Many today are so caught up in religious pride that they do not realize how far they have drifted from the heart of the Gospel. It is a dangerous thing to be devout in practice but lost in spirit. Jesus’ warning is clear: it is not enough to be religious – one must be truly transformed.
O that today you would listen to his VOICE, harden not your hearts! (Ps. 95:7)
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Shalom!
© Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Seminário Padre Pedro Magnone, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com
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Have you prayed your rosary today?
