Examining Our Hearts

Daily Office Readings:
Psalm 75
Sirach 46:1-10
2 Corinthians 13:1-14
Luke 20:1-8

One of the most challenging verses in today’s Daily Office readings comes from Paul’s closing words to the Corinthians:

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?” (2 Corinthians 13:5)

We live in a world that constantly encourages us to examine everyone else. Social media, politics, and even religion often tempt us to focus on the faults of others while overlooking the condition of our own hearts. Yet Paul points us in a different direction. The journey of faith begins not with judging others but with honestly examining ourselves.

What would we discover if we paused long enough to ask: Am I becoming more loving? More compassionate? More forgiving? More Christlike?

The encounter between Jesus and the religious leaders in Luke’s Gospel illustrates why this self-examination is so important. The chief priests and scribes confront Jesus with a question:

“By what authority are you doing these things?”

On the surface, it seems like a reasonable question. Yet beneath it lies a deeper problem. They were so concerned with protecting their position and authority that they failed to recognize God’s presence standing before them.

How often do we do the same?

We can become attached to our opinions, traditions, institutions, or beliefs and miss the fresh movement of God in our midst. The religious leaders were looking for answers while standing face-to-face with the Answer.

Sirach offers a different example through Joshua and Caleb. When others saw giants, obstacles, and reasons to give up, they saw possibilities because they trusted God. They remind us that faith is not the absence of fear but the courage to move forward despite fear.

Every generation faces its own giants. For some, they are health challenges. For others, loneliness, grief, uncertainty, division, or anxiety about the future. Joshua and Caleb encourage us to keep moving forward, trusting that God is present even when the path is difficult.

Psalm 75 reminds us of another truth we desperately need today:

“It is God who judges.”

That truth is both humbling and comforting. It humbles us because we are not called to be the final judges of others. It comforts us because injustice, cruelty, and evil do not have the last word. Human systems may fail. Leaders may fail. Churches may fail. We may fail. But God remains faithful.

As these readings come together, they paint a beautiful picture of the life of faith.

Examine your own heart.

Trust God with the courage of Joshua and Caleb.

Recognize God’s authority rather than clinging to your own.

Leave ultimate judgment in God’s hands.

And live in peace with others.

Paul’s final blessing may be the central message of today’s readings:

“Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

Notice that Paul does not speak of the God of power or control. He speaks of the God of love and peace.

Perhaps that is the true test of whether Christ lives within us. Not whether we win arguments. Not whether we are always right. Not whether we have all the answers.

The true test is whether we are becoming people of love, peace, humility, courage, and grace.

As I reflect on these readings today, I hear one question echoing in my heart:

If Christ truly lives within me, what evidence would others see today?

That is a question worth asking every day.

Prayer

Lord, help me to examine my own heart before judging others. Give me the courage of Joshua and Caleb to trust You when the path ahead seems uncertain. Teach me to recognize Your presence and authority in my life. Help me to leave judgment in Your hands and become a person of love and peace. May Christ who lives within me be seen in my words, actions, and relationships. Amen.