RBWords

     Jesus' words are spoken after Pharisees criticized his disciples for picking grain to eat on the sabbath.  In the eyes of the Pharisees, this constituted "work" on the sabbath, which was prohibited in the Law of Moses.  Earlier, in chapter nine of Matthew, Jesus made a similar reply to the same critics who objected to him eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners.  Mercy has a higher value than legal observance when it is a matter of fundamental human need: healing and food are examples.  This conflict of values is resolved by Jesus n the level of mercy.

     We see the same conflict of values in the current political turmoil over immigration at our southern border.  For some folks,those who enter the country "illegally" are to be treated as criminals because the law is written that way, and we have to protect our borders.  For others, whatever decision is made about residence, these same people are to be treated with mercy above all.  The whole issue takes on different colors if it is treated strictly in terms of policy and law and not as an issue of Christian values of mercy and human dignity.  The Pharisees were well-intentioned, but misguided when it came to higher values in the Mosaic law, which Jesus points out to them.  Remembering fundamental Christian values could help us deal with this challenge a lot more humanely.  AMEN