First Reading - Ephesians 4:32-5:8
Gospel - Luke 13:10-17
With the advancement of technology and science, we tend to forget that upholding human dignity is a great value. In fact, the rise of materialism, hedonistic beliefs, consumerism and utilitarianism etc. have depraved or vitiated our human mind to take human beings as product or things rather than treat them with dignity. The readings of today invite us to uphold human dignity at all cost because all people are sons and daughters of God.
In the first reading, Paul reminds the Christians in Ephesus that they are all the children of God. Therefore, their actions should be moulded after the actions of God. The actions of God, he affirms, are expressed in love for the humanity. Hence, every Christian ought to follow God by being saturated by love. He also warns the Christians not to indulge in sinful actions which are contrary to their belonging to God. Therefore, he exhorts the Christians to weed out evils and sins that deprive them from being children of God.
The gospel underlines the concern of Jesus for the people.The healing of the woman possessed by an evil spirit points out the loving concern of Jesus for those who were under the clutches of Satanic forces or evil. The healing sparks anger of the synagogue official because of the violation of the Sabbath law. This gives occasion for Jesus to impart a key lesson on human dignity. The law of Sabbath was at times overemphasized to the extent of neglecting human dignity. Jesus tries to correct the overemphasis of the observance of the Sabbath. He urges that human dignity is to be held in priority because every human person is the son and daughter of God. That's why Jesus mentions about the woman that "she is also the daughter of Abraham" which means to say that she enjoys the privilege of honour and dignity. Jesus poses a question that even stringent Sabbath finds exception for animals like ox and donkey, how much more should be the exceptions applied for the human being who is in need? This question certainly surprises all.
Dear friends, we enjoy the privilege of being called the sons and daughters of God. What a privilege and honour! The first reading underlines that we are sons and daughters of God. As sons and daughters our actions should be loving and kind to one another as God does with each of us. In fact, Paul also invites us to characterize ourselves as children of God through our loving actions rather than sinful actions. Jesus in the gospel demonstrates the gesture of loving by healing the woman; a sign of love and concern for the woman. The same loving actions must permeate in our lives too.
The gospel also mentions a very relevant problem of our time, the problem of utilitarianism or materialism etc. These problems degrade the human dignity as such mentalities look down upon human beings or treat human beings as product rather than people with dignity. The gospel underlines that every person should enjoy dignity and honour as Jesus himself exhibits this by healing the woman. We need to root out every such belief that denigrate human dignity so that we all will be able to enjoy the freedom of living our lives with dignity and as sons and daughters of God.
May God help us see all our fellow brothers and sisters with dignity and love.
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