I m going to take this story and speak very briefly to what I think is another dimension of the story and something that Jesus touches on more than once in his teachings as they are recorded in the Gospels. True religion is a matter of the heart . True religion cannot be measured by exterior actions, but true religion is an interior matter. However , it will issue forth in a way of life, in good deeds. True religion cannot be measured by what people give, or by what people do, or by how people dress, or by how people are judged in the marketplace.
True religion is a matter of the heart.
The outward forms of religion are very easy to come by, you know, and anyone, sincere or not, can observe them. I think we Episcopalians are particularly vulnerable here because our expressions in worship are so exterior. But that s not true at all. I ask that specifically about the Episcopal Church these days. As I told you, as I get older, I get more suspicious.