Following the Law

Gospel: Jn 5:1-16
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031224.cfm

The Sabbath was a sacred day of rest. With the strict interpretation of how the law should be followed, any form of work was unacceptable even carrying a mat. Following religious tradition, including the strict following of the law, was of utmost importance to the people. Seeing the man carrying the mat was a violation and so was Jesus performing a miracle on the Sabbath.

We can look at stories like this and see the shortsightedness of the people. Having spiritual discipline is a good thing, but when it is taken to an extreme, we can lose sight of the spirit behind the law. This reverence for the Sabbath is a benign example as compared to the atrocities that have been done throughout history in the name of human advancement and religion. People have done a lot of evil things. We as a society have accepted different evils as if they are just the way the world works. We have justified slavery and the persecution of others. We have killed for ideology and resources. We then use our belief systems to justify our actions

It’s easy to see these fallacies in hindsight, but it’s much more challenging to see our present faults. We too are complicit in the transgressions of our time. What beliefs do we hold today that history will condemn? The gospel Jesus shared gives us a way to see what we might be overlooking. Jesus challenges us to love our neighbors; not just our friends and families, but our enemies and those we ostracize as well.

Who are we keeping on the fringe of society? What beliefs do we hold that limit us from fully loving our neighbors? Take today’s gospel as a challenge to go beyond our societal norms and follow God’s call to grow in love for each other.