Gospel Reading: MARK 3:1-6
JESUS entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched him closely to see if he would cure him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” Then he said to the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.
DO GOOD ON THE SABBATH
Here is another instance when Jesus exposes himself to criticism, healing a man with a withered hand on a Sabbath.
But he faces his accusers by declaring that the Sabbath is not blasphemed or violated by a good act – on the contrary! And so he proceeds to heal the man and restore him to health. Instead of glorifying God for such a marvel, however, the Pharisees can only see a reason for plotting to have Jesus arrested.
Laws are a very tricky thing, and legalistic people fall into the trap of glorifying the observance of the laws at the expense of neglecting the good of people or of saving them from harm. We, therefore, have to ask for the grace to see with Jesus’ eyes and to recognize the relative, not absolute, importance of laws. It is very difficult to understand how a good deed, especially a life-saving act, can be against God’s will. God is for life, not death.
Do we value people more than laws?
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2017,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.