Jessel Pradeep Cutinha csc –
Readings: Ex 11: 10-12: 14 Mt 12: 1-8
Today Jesus tells us that mercy should be the center of our Christian faith. Our encounter with Jesus should not merely be based on laws and regulations but it should be an encounter of our day-to-day life experience. This encounter should be a joyful encounter. If we see the way the Pharisees encounter Jesus, one can say that they always found faults with Him.
Like the Pharoah in the first reading, they were hard-hearted people. After witnessing many wonders performed by Moses in Yahweh’s name and after receiving many signs, he still chose to persecute the people of Israel. He was stubborn and unwilling to let go his sinful ways and failed to recognize the true kingship and authority of Yahweh.
Similarly, the pharisees to failed to understand the teachings of Jesus. For Jews sabbath is holy but Jesus is above the sabbath. When disciples broke the sabbath, the pharisees attacked the credibility of Jesus. They called Him as fraud or poor rabbi because they considered that Jesus as failure who could not discipline His disciples about sabbath. How often do I question the credibility of other people? Instead of understanding the situation of the person or of the event, we immediately find faults and prove ourselves righteous.
Jesus warns us today that following these laws at the cost of human being is dangerous and it can be going away from God. Let us then examine about our attitude when we find fault of others.