Moment of Meditation: If I Were There (Matthew 23:29-31)

''Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets (Matthew 23:29-31).''

Many people, when they hear the Scriptures being read, shake their head at the unbelief documented in its pages. They say, "If I were there, I would have believed. If I were there, I wouldn't have denied knowing Jesus. If I were there, I would have proclaimed Him the Savior from the very beginning."

Hindsight is always twenty-twenty. The Pharisees and scribes suffered from this affliction as well. They said the same thing about the times of the Old Testament prophets. If they would have been alive at that time, they would have believed the words and maybe even stopped them from being killed. But they were seeking to kill the One to whom the prophets pointed. The Pharisees and scribes wanted to honor the headstones of the prophets, but they wanted the Son of God dead.

Their thoughts and future actions lead them to witness against themselves that they were "sons of those who murdered the prophets." They were of the "same cloth" as those who had persecuted God's messengers in the Old Testament. They talked out of both sides of their mouths. They would not accept the truth.

The truth is: If you were there in Bible times, you'd act and behave the same way everyone else did. Why? You're a sinner just like them. Whether you'd fall into the category of the Pharisees and scribes seeking Jesus' death or St. Peter denying knowing Jesus or the rest of the Apostles fleeing when Jesus was arrested. But Jesus offers forgiveness for those who repent of their sins. Not worrying about "If I were there" but "When I get there." Amen.