Wednesday,
January 17, 2018
2nd Week in Ordinary Time
1st Reading:
1 Sam 17:32-33.37.40-51
Gospel: Mark 3:1-6
Again 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)
Possibilities vary according to the hands taking control. A basketball in my hands may be worth a few hundred pesos, but a basketball in Michael Jordan’s hands could cost about $33 million. It depends whose hands it’s in. A baseball in my hands may be worth less than a thousand pesos, but a baseball in Mark McGuire’s hands is worth $19 million. It depends whose hands it’s in.
A rod in my hands may push aside a nasty dog. A rod in Moses’ hands pushes aside the waters of a mighty sea. It depends whose hands it’s in. A slingshot in my hands is a kid’s toy. A slingshot in David’s hands is a mighty weapon. It depends whose hands it’s in. Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of sandwich. Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God’s hands feed thousands in a deserted place. It depends whose hands it’s in. Nails in my hands might save a beam from falling. Nails in the hands of Jesus save the world from falling unto damnation. It depends on whose hands it’s in.
What did the Law allow the Jews to do on a Sabbath, to save life or to kill?” People fell silent. They could have replied with “It depends on whose hands the Law is in”. In the hands of the Pharisees nobody gets cured on a Sabbath. In the hands of Jesus the Sabbath was an occasion to restore life to a man with a withered hand. The vigilance of the fundamentalist crowd failed to scare Jesus from curing the man with a withered hand on a forbidden day.
No one is seeking the destruction of Michael Jordan for a ball behaving differently in his hands, or of Mark McGuire for the value that he adds to a baseball he handles. But for using the Law to restore life, people sought the destruction of Jesus. How were they able to destroy him with impunity? Does the law not protect one from conviction without crime? It all depends on whose hands the law is in. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.
***
May comment ka ba sa column ni Father Dan? May tanong ka ba sa kanya?
I-type ang BANDERA REACT
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Bandera. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.