In the first reading, we are encouraged to persevere in our calling as Christians. Nowadays we are not very good at persevering. Couples easily break up, priests leave their ministry, people in business cheat one another, etc. Perseverance is closely linked to faithfulness. We are called to persevere in our faithfulness to God. We have been enlightened by many events in our lives which have proven to us how much God loves us. So why do we not persevere in the faith? Because the devil constantly tempts us to think the opposite, to tell us that money is more important than family, that carnal pleasures are desirable and to escape from the cross. A Christian perseveres because he firmly believes that Jesus is the Lord and he wants to please him with all his being. But without the Holy Spirit he often falls to the temptations of the world. So he needs to live by the Spirit and nurture the love he has for God in his heart. He must say no to the devil every day and fight the daily battle of faith. If he keeps in mind that Jesus will come again, he will strive to persevere in his Christian life while eagerly awaiting His Second Coming.
The gospel tells us to clean and remove the dirt inside us. We are told not to be scrupulous but to mind the weightier matters of the Law which are justice, mercy and good faith. To be a follower of Christ means to understand the central point of Christianity, which is to love as Jesus loved us, till the point of death. So we know that we will have to be vigilant always and not fall into Pharisaic hypocrisy. Let us not be found among the goats at the Last Judgment but among the sheep that have been faithful to the teachings of the Lord.