Word to the Wise
Monday, October 27, 2014 - Monday in the 30th Week in Ordinary Time
[Eph 4:32-5:8 and Luke 13:10-17]Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, "Woman, you are set free of your infirmity." He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.....[Luke]
Have you ever seen someone afflicted with severe scoliosis - curvature of the spine? It is a very difficult condition to endure for the one who suffers from it. Jesus does a very merciful act in healing the woman. The reaction in the synagogue to Jesus' action in healing the woman was two-fold. The crowd "glorified God," but the synagogue leader was "indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath." Jesus points out to him and those who shared his indignation that they would take care of their farm animal on the Sabbath. Is that lady of less importance?
The keeping of the Sabbath was and is a sacred thing for Jew and for Christian. However, Jesus points out elsewhere that the Sabbath was made for humans and not humans for the Sabbath. Mercy, however, does not stop working on the Sabbath!
I think this tension is at the root of some of the reports on the Extraordinary Synod on the Family that has recently concluded in Rome. Some are citing sacred laws and others are citing mercy in applying them. It seems clear that Pope Francis is closer to the mercy end of the spectrum than to the law end. But there is yet another synod to take place that will be broader in its membership. The Holy Spirit will have to work overtime to help us deal with this tension. AMEN
config
view
logs
3840.0 KB
89 ms
4
