Gospel:
Matthew 12:1-8
Jesus was
going through a field of grain on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry and
began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this,
they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the
sabbath.” He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his
companions were hungry, how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of
offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could
lawfully eat? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests
serving in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent? 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.”
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Reflection:
Do you
judge quickly?
When Pope
Francis was asked about homosexuals he said this: "Who am I to judge them if they're seeking the Lord in good faith? They shouldn't be marginalized. This
comment by the Pope evoked countless positive comments all over the world. Why?
Because it broke barriers, it erased the usual stigma that homosexuals are
sinful.
When the
disciples eat during the Sabbath the Pharisees told Jesus, “See, your disciples
are doing what is unlawful to do on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:2).” But Jesus
justly defended HIS disciples by saying: “Have you not read what David did when
he and his companions were hungry, how he went into the house of God and ate
the bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests
could lawfully eat? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the
priests serving in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent (Matthew
12:3-5)?
Like the
Pharisees, it’s so easy for us to judge based only on what we see but what we
see is often a false representation a person’s identity. Unlike us who easily
judge, HE doesn't, what is important for Jesus is mercy, what is important for
Jesus is the goodness of a person’s heart.
How are
we going to spread the goodness of Jesus if we are overly strict and judgmental
and if we are not gentle and understanding? The Pharisees in our gospel were
judgmental they want their laws to be strictly followed. But the irony of it
all is they were also the silent violators of the laws that they have
self-servingly created. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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