Saturday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time Year 1 2023

Peter H. Davids

Ordinary Time • Sermon • Submitted 8 months ago • Presented 8 months ago

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Jesus in Luke's incident in the grainfield takes the Pharisees criticism that came from a negative mindset and gives three counter-options: they were wrong in their Torah interpretation, this is an exception because of great need, or this is a sovereign suspension of the Torah rule by the Son of Man. We too tend to be critical because of a hostile mind, but need to realize that Jesus is into reconciliation and making all holy, so we need to call ourselves back to the gospel and live forgiveness, even living in reconciliation as much as possible, and praying for God's good in the lives of all.

Notes

Transcript

Title

Love and the Law

Outline

The incident in the grainfield is often misunderstood

It is not Jesus’ setting aside the Torah, law versus grace, but his pointing out that there are exceptions

Jesus leads his disciples on a path through the grainfields on the Sabbath to reach some goal. The disciples engage in a legitimate action, plucking the heads and rubbing them in their hands an eating them. They were not “putting in a sickle,” which the Torah said is illegitimate.

The Pharisees who by now were “alienated and hostile in mind” critique the action because harvesting, threshing, and winnowing were three of the types of work (39 main categories in the Mishnah) prohibited on the Sabbath in their interpretation. The category was important, not the amount of action.

Jesus responds with a counter-example in which David, a good guy, when in need took the Bread of Offering or Showbread (with permission) for food for him and his small company of soldiers. (His also taking Goliath’s sword is not mentioned, for there is nothing about swords in the Torah.) This clearly violated the Torah but it was in extreme need - saving life was put over the sanctity of the bread. There are exceptions.

But Jesus also takes this one step farther: “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.” As Son of Man he can alter Sabbath Torah, which only God or perhaps Moses at the command of God could do.

That leaves the Pharisees to determine which he had done: rejected their interpretation of Sabbath Torah, allowed an exception because of great need (of which we are not told), or sovereignly altered the Torah. Whatever it was, they did not like it, for they were hostile.

That brings us back to us

We tend to be critical of others because we are “alienated and hostile in mind” because we have both done evil deeds and live in a world full of evil deeds that sets the norms.

We need to ask how Jesus has reconciled or wants to reconcile, not just us but also the them we criticize, to present us all holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before him. Hint: it was not by criticizing us.

We have to call ourselves back to the good news itself so that we persevere in the faith and remain grounded, “not shifting from the hope of the gospel.”

That will mean that we will want to live forgiveness before others, live in reconciliation as much as we can, and pray for God’s good in the lives of those we might criticize.

I do this daily, in every mass, for Mr. Putin (among others), who is behind the injury of several former students and present friends of mine who are Ukrainian. On whose behalf are you practicing this act of love?

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 9-9-2023: Saturday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING

Colossians 1:21–23

21 And you who once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds 22 he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through his death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before him, 23 provided that you persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am a minister.

Catholic Daily Readings 9-9-2023: Saturday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

RESPONSE

Psalm 54:6

6 God is present as my helper;

the Lord sustains my life.

PSALM

Psalm 54:3–4, 6, 8

3 O God, by your name save me.

By your strength defend my cause.

4 O God, hear my prayer.

Listen to the words of my mouth.

6 God is present as my helper;

the Lord sustains my life.

8 Then I will offer you generous sacrifice

and give thanks to your name, LORD, for it is good.

Catholic Daily Readings 9-9-2023: Saturday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

John 14:6

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

GOSPEL

Luke 6:1–5

1 While he was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. 2 Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” 3 Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those [who were] with him were hungry? 4 [How] he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions.” 5 Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 9-9-2023: Saturday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2023 | ORDINARY TIME

SATURDAY OF THE TWENTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

YEAR 1 | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

On the same date: Saint Peter Claver, Priest and Religious

First Reading Colossians 1:21–23

Response Psalm 54:6

Psalm Psalm 54:3–4, 6, 8

Gospel Acclamation John 14:6

Gospel Luke 6:1–5

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