A Reflection for Saturday of the Twenty-second Week in Extraordinary Time
“Why are you doing what’s illegal on the sabbath?” (Lk 6:2)
I’m an outstanding rule follower, almost to a fault.
I’ve been this manner for so long as I can remember. I lean on structure, believing that following a path clearly set out before me will keep me from stepping into trouble or upsetting the people around me.
Lots of people imagine that religion, and Catholicism in its own particular way, is all about rules. Since that charge isn’t often much of a compliment, today’s Gospel has some excellent news for individuals who feel stifled by the strict regulations of organized religion. For those of who find comfort and safety in a rulebook, though, Jesus is offering the gentle challenge we want.
Within the Gospel, Jesus and his disciples attract attention because they’re picking grain to eat; in the method, they’re breaking the foundations for observing the sabbath. When some Pharisees press them on the matter, Jesus’ response is wealthy and nuanced.
“Have you ever not read what David did
when he and people who were with him were hungry?
How he went into the home of God, took the bread of offering,
which only the priests could lawfully eat,
ate of it, and shared it along with his companions?”
Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
A simplistic reading of this statement could seem like Jesus is saying we will forget in regards to the old rules. Nevertheless it’s far more than that.
For those of who find comfort and safety in a rulebook, Jesus is offering the gentle challenge we want.
To begin with, Jesus himself will not be forgetting in regards to the law, the Jewish tradition he and his disciples have been steeped in all their lives. The primary indicate of his mouth is a recollection of King David, calling upon David’s example. David, like Jesus, is less concerned with the strict letter of the law than he’s with its spirit. While the bread of offering was traditionally only eaten by the priests, David is motivated by a clear-eyed approach to human need. He and his companions are hungry and in need. Due to this fact, they need to have the option to eat. Their neediness trumps any long-held strictures. The approach is strikingly straightforward.
Finally, Jesus declares himself “lord of the Sabbath.” What he says in regards to the sabbath and the way it must be observed is what matters; he’s the authority now.
While Jesus is actually lightening up on an ancient interpretation of the law here, he’s not abandoning it; he’s developing it. Those of us who lean on the foundations for our own protection and peace of mind are being challenged by this Gospel to prioritize the human needs of our neighbors as a substitute. The excellent news, though, is that we’re not being thrown to the wolves with none guidelines.
There may be a recent rule to follow, a recent law to light the best way. Nevertheless it’s not one written down on an ancient scroll. It’s an individual, the person of Christ.
