Arulvakku

20.01.10 GOODNESS AND LIFE

Posted under Reflections on January 19th, 2010 by

Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?”  Mk 3,4

Sabbath is an important practice at the time of Jesus. In fact, sabbath controlled all the activities of that day. Sabbath was considered to be holy and hence it was observed with minute details. Not only it was observed by a pious religious persons, but it was also, made to be observed by all, by these religious persons.
Jesus as a GOD MAN enters into the scene and gives a different  look at the situation. He is not there to deny/abolish the sabbath. He gives a different look at the problem.
There are certain things in life which cannot be controlled even by sabbath. Goodness and life are the essence of God and they are gifts of God shared with humanity.
So when a man practices goodness and respect for life, he is like God himself because he practices God’s characteristics. And God is not controlled by any law. Goodness and life also cannot be controlled by law.
And that is why Jesus raises these questions about sabbath and its relationship with goodness and life.
Mark 2, 23-28 said that person is above the law. Man was not for the sabbath. Today the same Jesus tells us that goodness and life are above the law.
So we can say that a person is above the law.
A person with goodness is also above the law.
A person with goodness and life is certainly above the law (St.Paul)
Are there persons around with goodness and life?
But we find, sad to say, too many laws.

19.01.10 SABBATH

Posted under Reflections on January 18th, 2010 by
Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?" Mk 2,24
We read in the creation story as follows:
Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing,
 he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.
So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, 
because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation. Gen 2,2-3
Because God rested on the Sabbath day and made it holy
the people also rested on that day.
God rested from works of creation.
So people also were obliged to rest from works that 
were mainly of creative nature.
People could not light a lamp. That was similar to creating light.
They could not stitch clothes. That was similar to making a new dress.
So also they could not prepare food.
Here in this passage the disciples were making food by talking the corns
and preparing them to eat. It is as good as preparing food.
It is a creative work and it is forbidden.
The Pharisees were correct in questioning them.
But What Jesus presents is not just the practice of the law.
It is the practice of the law over against the person.
Between the person and the law, the person takes precedence. 
Person is in the image and likeness of God.
 

 

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