JESUS THE MASTER OF THE SABBATH

20150905 JESUS THE MASTER OF THE SABBATH

Readings at Mass

First reading

Colossians 1:21-23 ©

Not long ago, you were foreigners and enemies, in the way that you used to think and the evil things that you did; but now he has reconciled you, by his death and in that mortal body. Now you are able to appear before him holy, pure and blameless – as long as you persevere and stand firm on the solid base of the faith, never letting yourselves drift away from the hope promised by the Good News, which you have heard, which has been preached to the whole human race, and of which I, Paul, have become the servant.

Psalm

Psalm 53:3-4,6,8 ©

I have God for my help.

O God, save me by your name;

  by your power, uphold my cause.

O God, hear my prayer;

  listen to the words of my mouth.

I have God for my help.

But I have God for my help.

  The Lord upholds my life.

I will sacrifice to you with willing heart

  and praise your name for it is good:

I have God for my help.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ps26:11

Alleluia, alleluia!

Instruct me, Lord, in your way;

on an even path lead me.

Alleluia!

Or

Jn14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;

No one can come to the Father except through me.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 6:1-5 ©

One sabbath Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples were picking ears of corn, rubbing them in their hands and eating them. Some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing something that is forbidden on the sabbath day?’ Jesus answered them, ‘So you have not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry how he went into the house of God, took the loaves of offering and ate them and gave them to his followers, loaves which only the priests are allowed to eat?’ And he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is master of the sabbath.’

JESUS THE MASTER OF THE SABBATH

SCRIPTURE READINGS: COL 1:21-23; LK 6:1-5

When we read today’s scripture readings, we cannot but envy the freedom of Jesus in the way He lived his life.  Although, supposedly a Rabbi, He was not tied down to the laws of Judaism that could kill His spontaneity and joy. This was certainly the case of St Paul as well.  He too was convinced that he was preaching the Good News.  His faith in Christ him a liberating joy.

In contrast, many of us who are believers do at times, some more than others, feel the burden of the institutionalization of religion.  We feel obliged to fulfill all the laws of our religion.  Indeed, in the Catholic Church for the Latin Rite itself, we have more than 1750 laws!  And if we were to include the rules such as liturgical rules etc we would have a few hundred more.  In trying to fulfill these laws perfectly, we either are reduced to a nervous wretch or a self-righteous person.

But more than these, instead of us becoming the enemies of God as Paul tells us in the first reading, we will regard God as our enemy and a foreigner to us.  This is so because we feel that we are obeying all these laws simply to appease Him and to please Him.  We do so because we fear His wrath.  In such a situation, God becomes our competitor; and fulfillment of the laws becomes our utility to win Him over.  Consequently, religion becomes Bad News.

But true religion is good news.  True religion reconciles man with God; man with man and with himself.  This is what Paul tells us in the first reading.  Jesus is our reconciler through death to Himself.  Hence true religion is called Faith because it enhances our relationship with God, others and with self.  Such a faith relationship makes us live a holy, pure and blameless life.

Within this context, we can now understand why Jesus could bend or rather perfect the observance of the Sabbath law.  For the purpose of the Sabbath Law was to help man to rest from his work so that he would have some time for God, for himself and for his fellow human beings.  For cut off from God, from himself and from his fellow human beings, man would lose his connection with the whole and with life.  So the Sabbath law was meant for the good and the well-being of man.  It was never meant to be an end in itself, not even for God Himself because He does not need our worship.  For this reason, when His disciples were hungry, as was the case also of David’s men, even sacred laws might have to be broken for the greater good and needs of man.  Certainly, God does not want to make our lives miserable.  He comes to bring us life.  The miseries of religion are due to the narrow, blind and legalistic understanding and application of the laws of religion.

The implication for us therefore is that in all that we do, especially in our observance of the laws of religion, we must never forget the motives and reasons for what we do.  Unless we observe the laws in such a way that brings about the greater love and unity of humankind, and our relationship with God and a greater self-integration, the fulfillment of such laws would further alienate us from God and others.  Only when we behave thus, can we then really be like Jesus, the master of the Sabbath.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore

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