Readings
I - Rom. 9: 1-5
II - Lk. 14: 1-6
LET HUMANESS SURPASS ALL THINGS
In today’s Gospel passage Jesus takes the bull by the horns. Jesus uses the invitation of the leader of the Pharisee to dine with him, as an opportunity to confront the unnecessary rules that weighed down the common people. By curing the man suffering from dropsy on the Sabbath, Jesus insists on the precedence of life and the supremacy of accomplishing good goes beyond time, rules and regulations. The healing is an exhortation to everyone to be more reasonable and humane.
Laws, rules and regulations are for people and not people for the same as Jesus would say, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for Sabbath” (Mk. 2:27). The purpose of Sabbath was to dedicate the day for the Lord abstaining from major works like rest of the six days in order to spend the time during the Sabbath in prayer, praise and worship. The day of Sabbath therefore is supposed to be kept holy. But the Scribes and the Pharisees threw the baby with the bathwater by making stringent rules for the Sabbath day. Humanness ought to streamline and surpasses all laws, rules and regulations. Let us not be bound by unscrupulous rules, regulations and rituals but allow and flaunt humanness in all that we seek and accomplish. May our mind and heart resonate with the prayer: “Jesus Lord, make me like you”.
