Paul decided to sweep away the claims of all religions by putting humanity on trial. He insisted that God could be seen in creation – with the proper openness of heart and mind anyone should be able to believe in God. But pagans had made the fatal mistake of worshipping the created things instead of the Creator. They lost their awareness of God and drifted into idolatry. Paul went on to condemn Jews, and Christians too, for basically the same mistake. We must always be very clear about what we worship. Since all are guilty, God decided to offer salvation to all through faith.

Jesus' words pierce the surface: "You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness." This is not condemnation-it is invitation. An invitation to authenticity, to a holiness that begins within. Jesus does not shame us-He awakens us. He longs for our hearts to be vessels of grace, not just symbols of it. One way in which many go astray is making an idol out of rules while ignoring things like justice and mercy. Again, all beliefs are guilty to some degree of rigidity. It is important to remember that mercy is another name for God and that the supreme law is the salvation and well-being of souls. Let us not turn our faith into a forest of rules or an obstacle course or hold people to standards that we ourselves are unable to meet.