Word to the Wise
Friday, July 21, 2017 - Friday in the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
[Exod 11:10—12:14 and Matt 12:1-8]"I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath." [Matthew]
The continuing story of Moses in Exodus in the first daily scripture and the story of Jesus' ministry in the gospel scripture may seem far apart, but they are related and today's gospel scene is an example. The opposition of the Pharisees is based on what they considered to be God's Law given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. When the disciples pick grain to chew on as they were traveling on the sabbath, the Pharisees protested. Jesus' reply is basically that the Pharisees are too rigid in their interpretation and he cites two examples from King David's time and from the very practice of the priests in the temple. There is also an underlying current in what Jesus says when he proclaims himself, "Lord of the sabbath"! The opposition to his ministry seems, also, to fulfill what he has just warned the disciples about in chapter ten.
The whole great saga of Moses is a silent background in the Gospel According to Matthew because it was written primarily for a Jewish audience. What were they to do about the Law of Moses and their faith in Jesus? It took a long time to adjust to this. In the meantime, the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed (70 AD) and a second rebellion in 135 AD resulted in most of Jerusalem being destroyed and replaced by the Romans with a new city! The demands of discipleship seemed in tension with the great Tradition of Moses.
I think we face some of this in our own Catholic tradition. Centuries of devotion and ways of expressing faith, especially when this was stated in a particular way at the Council of Trent (1545-1563), were challenged by the Second Vatican Council. Should everything be read in the light of that council or should everything be read (including the Council of Trent) in the light of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)? Certain traditional liturgical practices are becoming popular again and occasionally there are "Pharisees" on both sides. If nothing else, today's gospel passage warns us about condemning anyone, and keeping the focus on Christ, who is Lord of all our past, present and future. AMEN
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