God is Lord of life, not death

1 Sam. 17:32-33.37.40-51, Mk 3:1-6. Today's first reading describes the fight between David and Goliath while the Gospel tells of an ethical debate between the Pharisees and Jesus, about what behaviour is allowed on the Sabbath Day. Jesus was appalled by their insistence that not even a work of healing was permitted on the Lord’s solemn day of rest. The readings invite us to think about the rights and wrongs of disputed issues in our lives and in our world. The stronger a country or nation is, the more do the citizens need a mature view on the purpose of war and how to limit its destructive power.

David is serene about the outcome of going into single combat with the giant Philistine, Goliath: “The Lord will keep me safe from his hands.” On a broader scale, the question of whether or what can legitimise any kind of warfare is hotly debated and the Old Testament offers no final answer, since it expresses contrary viewpoints about it. What the Gospel says, unambiguously, is that, we should live our lives responsibly, with justice and compassion. Jesus could have side-stepped the Sabbath dispute, by healing the sick man in private and out of sight, but He chose to confront the issue publicly and cured the man in full view of all. Hence, Jesus leaves us in no doubt about the deeper purpose of the Sabbath. It is above all a day for life-giving activities, a day of speaking out against evil and injustice and working for justice, even at the expense of our being. He stresses the contrast between what is right, whatever enhances life and what is wrong, whatever diminishes life. God is Lord of life, not death; of peace, not violence; of justice, not oppression.

May the Lord help us to answer the call of God and may they be salt to the earth and light to the world! Amen!! Good morning and have a successful day!!!