September 6, 2021, Monday 23rd Week of the Year

Luke 6:6-11

Jesus doesn’t react to people or situations. He creates them.

Did Jesus heal this man’s withered hand to make a point with the scribes and Pharisees?

The Law of Moses forbade all work on the Sabbath, and this was a Sabbath day.

They saw healing as work and wanted to discredit Jesus should he healed the man on this holy day.

Jesus will not allow them to manipulate him, nor does he heal the man to make a point.

Jesus doesn’t react to people or situations. He creates them.

When anyone reacts to someone or something, that outside influence determines what they say and do.

God’s grace does not react but initiates, creates.

And that grace begins not outside of us but inside of us.

Following Jesus and welcoming his love in us for other people causes us to respond to needs that come our way in charity.

The man with the withered hand did not ask Jesus to heal him.

Jesus only said, “Come up and stand before us.”

And when he asked if it was lawful to do good or evil on the Sabbath, the man stretched out his hand at the command of Jesus, and he healed his hand.

This scene in the Gospel is not about Jesus showing up the scribes and Pharisees but about methodically executing his plan to reach out to all who live on the margins of society.

Let us surrender ourselves to the will of Jesus that we will reach out our hand to the forgotten in society, whatever it may cost us.

If that is too difficult to do in a situation, let us ask the intercession of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta to fill our hearts and our hands with the courage and love that filled hers.

{Category Daily Commentaries}