Universal Utterings

for October 15, 2025

A Godcast

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10-15-2025 Luke 11 v4246 You Love The Seat of Honor

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The Gospel of Luke Chapter 11 Verse 42 thru 46

42 Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God. These you should have done, without overlooking the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.” 45 Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply, “Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too.”46 And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.

In Luke 11:42-46, Jesus addresses the religious leaders of His time, specifically the Pharisees, with a stern rebuke concerning their hypocrisy and legalism. He begins by acknowledging their commitment to tithing even the smallest garden herbs, which reflects their meticulous adherence to the law. However, He emphasizes that their focus on outward observance is misguided, as they neglect the more significant aspects of the law: justice, mercy, and the love of God. This critique reveals a deeper spiritual truth; genuine faith is not merely about ritual practices but about the heart and its alignment with God's will.

Jesus' words challenge the Pharisees to reconsider their priorities. By highlighting their failure to embody the core values of compassion and justice, He indicates that true righteousness encompasses both action and attitude. Tithing, while important, cannot replace the heartfelt pursuit of God’s kingdom values. This confrontation is a call to authenticity, urging them to integrate their external practices with internal transformation.

In verses 43-46, Jesus intensifies His critique by pointing out their love for honor and status, which leads to spiritual blindness. He condemns them for burdening others with heavy loads of rules while neglecting to lift a finger to help. This insight into Jesus’ teaching helps contemporary readers to reflect on their own spiritual practices. Are we, like the Pharisees, caught in a cycle of religiosity that overlooks the essence of faith? This passage serves as a reminder that our obedience to God must spring from a heart shaped by His love and compassion, challenging believers to seek a holistic relationship with God that transcends mere compliance to rules. Amen.

Join me as we pray our daily prayer of forgiveness. The Lord’s Prayer.

At the Savior's command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever.

I am sorry Lord. I believe You died and rose for me. Please forgive me as I forgive others. I share You as my Lord and Savior seeking to live your Will in all things. Prayers for wife Toni and my mother Betty pray for our children especially our two oldest Alexandra & Allen Son in Law Mark Stern; Julian, Gabriel and Jeffrey and our grandchildren Oliver, Julian and Elliott. We pray for those we’ve said we’d pray for and those who’ve asked us to pray for them. We pray for the dying as we do each day Lord give them peace in their last breath. We pray for Holy Mother Church. Our prayers for our niece Brittany. In Jesus Precious Blood by His Name we pray. Amen.

I am a poet obedient to Christ,

Catholic Evangelist Thomas Cruz†Wiggins

†Spirit led God inspired Christ fed†®

Ephesians 6:17-20

10-15-2025 Luke 11 v4246

**You Love The Seat of Honor**

In shadows cast by law’s embrace,

Where hearts were lost, they dared not face,

The weight of mercy left unseen,

In rituals pure but love between.

The mint and rue, their tithed delight,

Yet justice, faith, had taken flight,

“O weary scribes, with burdens sore,

You’ve missed the heart and sought the score.”

With hollow words and empty guise,

The truth concealed beneath their lies,

To cleanse the cup, yet leave it bare,

While inner chaos claims the air.

So heed the call to deeper sight,

Embrace the weak, and share your light,

For in the sum of love's decree,

The simple heart hold Him for free. Amen.

© Thomas Joe Cruz†Wiggins

October 15, 2025 @ 04:49 AM EST

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