The Cure on a Sabbath

January 20, 2016 Wednesday, 2nd Week in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: 1 Sm 17: 32-33. 37. 40-51 Gospel: Mk3:1–6

Jesus entered the synagogue. A man who had a paralyzed hand was there and some people watched Jesus: Would he heal the man on the Sabbath? If he did they could accuse him. Jesus said to the man with the paralyzed hand, “Stand here in the center.” Then he asked them, “What does the Law allow us to do on the Sabbath? To do good or to do harm? To save life or to kill?” But they were silent.

Then Jesus looked around at them with anger and deep sadness because they had closed their minds. And he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was healed. But as soon as the Pharisees left, they met with Herod’s supporters, looking for a way to destroy Jesus.

D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE (Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)

Those who do not believe in love will never understand the ways of God. Consider how angry the Pharisees were when Jesus cured a man with a paralyzed hand on a Sabbath. They were angry because they interpreted healing the sick as too much work already. Work was prohibited every seventh day of the week to honor God who rested seven days after He created the world. The Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law expanded the concept of work to cover even menial tasks like picking grains (Mk2:23–28). They also covered the healings that Jesus performed when in fact miraculous activities did not entail so much effort from Jesus.

If indeed Jesus violated the Sabbath Law, it was a consequence of his compassion for his people. To Jesus, healing the sick couldn’t wait another day. His love blazed like a powerful conflagration that no amount of water could put out. The Pharisees tried to stop him by citing the Sabbath Law. But Jesus gave a devastating rebuttal by way of this question: “What does the Law allow us to do on the Sabbath? To do good or to do harm? To save life or to kill?” They fell silent. But their silence was not indicative of conversion but aversion. If they only believed in love, they would have appreciated the ways of Jesus and rejoiced over the cure of a fellow Jew.

The Pharisees were present at every miraculous performance of Jesus. But they were there not to learn but to condemn. They were almost always around when Jesus was preaching. But they were there not to absorb his teaching but to look for ways to entrap him. They saw Jesus perform miracles and they heard his wise and authoritative preaching. But they were always angry about what they saw and heard. The key to understanding God’s ways is to have love in our hearts. After all, God is love.— Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com. Website: www.frdan.org.

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