20211025 DELIVERED FROM SLAVERY FOR SONSHIP
25 October, 2021, Monday, 30th Week, Ordinary Time
First reading | Romans 8:12-17 © |
The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God
My brothers, there is no necessity for us to obey our unspiritual selves or to live unspiritual lives. If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live.
Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God. And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 67(68):2,4,6-7,20-21 © |
This God of ours is a God who saves.
Let God arise, let his foes be scattered.
Let those who hate him flee before him.
But the just shall rejoice at the presence of God,
they shall exult and dance for joy.
This God of ours is a God who saves.
Father of the orphan, defender of the widow,
such is God in his holy place.
God gives the lonely a home to live in;
he leads the prisoners forth into freedom.
This God of ours is a God who saves.
May the Lord be blessed day after day.
He bears our burdens, God our saviour.
This God of ours is a God who saves.
The Lord our God holds the keys of death.
This God of ours is a God who saves.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn17:17 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your word is truth, O Lord:
consecrate us in the truth.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 13:10-17 © |
Was it not right to untie this woman's bonds on the sabbath day?
One sabbath day Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who for eighteen years had been possessed by a spirit that left her enfeebled; she was bent double and quite unable to stand upright. When Jesus saw her he called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are rid of your infirmity’ and he laid his hands on her. And at once she straightened up, and she glorified God.
But the synagogue official was indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, and he addressed the people present. ‘There are six days’ he said ‘when work is to be done. Come and be healed on one of those days and not on the sabbath.’ But the Lord answered him. ‘Hypocrites!’ he said ‘Is there one of you who does not untie his ox or his donkey from the manger on the sabbath and take it out for watering? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has held bound these eighteen years – was it not right to untie her bonds on the sabbath day?’ When he said this, all his adversaries were covered with confusion, and all the people were overjoyed at all the wonders he worked.
DELIVERED FROM SLAVERY FOR SONSHIP
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Rom 8:12-17; Ps 68:2,4,6-7,20-21; Lk 13:10-17 ]
The healing of the bent-over woman is significant for St Luke as it would be the last time Jesus would be featured teaching in a synagogue. Since the Beelzebub controversy with the religious leaders, no miracles were narrated. This was because Jesus was facing an increasingly hostile audience who were bent on destroying Him. The healing of the bent woman would again result in a confrontation with the Jewish leaders. This miracle brings out the ironical contrast between the woman seeking deliverance from her sickness and the evil spirit, and the Jewish leaders under the bondage of the laws and the institution.
Jesus came to deliver us from the bondage of the evil one and also the bondage of the laws. He took the initiative to reach out to a woman possessed by a spirit that caused her to bend double. The mention of the spirit underscores the fact that the cause of her illness was not just part of the process of aging and human frailty but actually the work of a spiritual force. She was really in bad shape and suffering much for the last 18 years. Unable to stand straight, the woman graphically symbolizes the paralyzing effect that evil can affect us. However, Jesus demonstrated His power over evil when He told the woman, “‘Woman, you are rid of your infirmity’ and he laid his hands on her. And at once she straightened up, and she glorified God.” Indeed, without much drama, she was healed after 18 years. That she was more than physically healed but spiritually as well is seen by the fact that upon straightening up, and released from the bondage, she gave praise and glory to God. She was healed, body and spirit. When a person is liberated from fear, anxiety, depression and the burden of sin and evil, a tangible sign of being delivered is when we can stand up straight to praise God for His miracles in us.
What is even more important is that Jesus has not come only to deliver us from sin and evil. He has come to redeem our dignity as the sons and daughters of God. In the gospel, Jesus called the woman, a daughter of Abraham. She was not just any other creature, certainly not comparable to an animal, an ox or a donkey. She was a child of God. St Paul tells us in the first reading that “everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God.” Indeed, Christ has given us the Holy Spirit so that we can have access to the Father and Himself. The Holy Spirit, being the common possession of the Father and the Son, is what makes us united with them. And that is why we are called the adopted sons and daughters of God in Christ Jesus.
As children of God, St Paul says, “we are heirs as well: heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory.” The sufferings we share is not due to our sins and folly but in the process of doing good and being true to the gospel. But like Jesus, that kind of suffering will not oppress us. On the contrary, like St Paul, we rejoice in being able to “complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.” (Col 1:24) But because we share in His suffering for the sake of the Church and the glory of God, we are assured of sharing in His glory as well, in His resurrection.
However, there is another form of slavery as insidious as being slave to sin. It is our slavery to the establishment, the system and the traditions that we receive. In the gospel, we must not imagine that most of the religious leaders were evil people. They were not. They are just like many of our pious, devoted and good Catholics who take their faith seriously and seek to fulfil the requirements of the laws of the Church and the practices. However, like them, we are under the bondage of the laws. In order to be good, we are afraid of breaking the laws or going against the traditions laid down by the institution. We want to feel that we are good Catholics and our conduct is commended by the Church. We even police other Catholics and condemn them for breaking the commandments. Others even go beyond criticizing and take it upon themselves to police this person and that priest for breaking the liturgical laws so that they can expose their negligence and mistakes. We are more concerned about the implementation of the laws and regulations than about the person’s dignity, feelings and needs at that particular point of time. The truth is that rules and regulations are objectively formulated as basic principles, which of course cannot take into consideration the particular and existential situation. We might not be bent double but we will not bend the rules for the greater good of those people. There is a danger that we might love the laws more than we love God and His people.
This was why the synagogue official was indignant when he saw Jesus healing on the Sabbath. He was more concerned with the observance of the Sabbath Law than in rejoicing with the woman who had been liberated from her illness after almost two decades. Instead of seeing the power of God being released by the Lord, he was incensed that the woman was healed on the sabbath. For the official, the sabbath law must be strictly observed. It did not matter whether the human person was suffering and in pain. He was oblivious to the person. And he dared not even speak to Jesus directly about his objection. Instead, he addressed the assembly. “‘There are six days’ he said ‘when work is to be done. Come and be healed on one of those days and not on the Sabbath.’ But the Lord answered him. ‘Hypocrites!’ he said ‘Is there one of you who does not untie his ox or his donkey from the manger on the Sabbath and take it out for watering?” Even when it comes to our animals, the Lord permits them to bring them out to drink water, how much more, the Lord remarked, “And this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has held bound these eighteen years – was it not right to untie her bonds on the Sabbath day?”
The truth, as the Lord said, is that there is only one law. It is whether we are doing it out of love. For Jesus, which better day to be healed than on the Sabbath, since the Sabbath celebrates the gift of creation and recreation; and most of all, that God is the giver of life and love. When the Lord seeks to eliminate sin and evil, it means that the Kingdom of God has arrived. Jesus was concerned about expressing the love of God for them. Whilst we should generally respect the laws for the sake of unity and propriety, yet there are certain circumstances that for a greater good, we might have to dispense with the laws in place on some occasions. This calls for sensitivity, prudence and always for a greater good.
Indeed, we read that “when he said this, all his adversaries were covered with confusion, and all the people were overjoyed at all the wonders he worked.” Truly, Jesus has come to set us free from our sicknesses, our sins, the Evil One, and from being self-righteous. They are all different forms of slavery. Regardless, such people, whether under the bondage of sin or the law, will not find peace or happiness. Sinners and self-righteous people are equally unhappy and burdened by the laws, the former from breaking, the latter from observing. This is why we are called to make our choice today. Will we take refuge under the yoke of the laws, or will we come under the bondage of sin, or will we choose to be under the rule of Christ, which is that of freedom, joy and peace, in the love of the Spirit?
Indeed, the only way to allow Christ to rule our lives is to let His Spirit dwell in us. St Paul wrote, “My brothers, there is no necessity for us to obey our unspiritual selves or to live unspiritual lives. If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live.” Only the Spirit of love can keep us from sinning and hurting others by our selfishness. Only the Spirit of love can help us to know when to apply the laws in such a way that it truly manifests the love and compassion of God. Whatever we do, as the Lord asks of us, we must ask whether it gives life or not.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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