The Word God Spells

Luke 11: 42-46
Rom 2:1-11 / Ps 62

Woe to you lawyers also! for you load men with burdens hard to bear.
(Luke 11:46)

What laws on earth could guarantee
Our passage to eternity?
Man-made laws have been man’s burden,
Roadblocks on his way to heaven.

The Lord addressed the Jews who had come to him, “Woe to you Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and salutations in the market places. Woe to you! for you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without knowing it.” One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying this you reproach us also.” And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! for you load men with burdens hard to bear, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”

Reflection

In their meticulous observance of man-made laws (like tithing even on herbs), the Pharisees neglected the more important things in their ministry, like rendering just laws, and humbling themselves before God. Instead, they sought the adulation of men, thus their spiritual lives became as lifeless as forgotten graves. The lawyers, or scribes, likewise felt imputed by Christ’s condemnation, because they were the ones who crafted the laws that were almost impossible for the ordinary folks to observe.

Wasn’t it President Manuel Roxas who said, “Those who have less in life must have more in law”? But how pathetically ironic that like the people of Palestine in Jesus’ time, it is the ordinary people who are suffering under the yoke of laws crafted by our legislators, and interpreted by our lawyers in complicated legalese. Thousands of men and women who have less in life are either languishing in jails, or sinking deeper in debt as their cases seek resolution in the turtle pace of our justice system.

How like the Pharisees our congressmen and senators strut about in self-importance while their constituents wonder when needed reforms in the justice system, or in the prosecution of graft and corruption will finally be implemented. So with some of our judges and lawyers, who are not far from the scribes that our Lord also condemned. In today’s first reading, St. Paul reminds them: “Because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed. God will give to each person according to what he has done.” (Rom.2:5-6)

No other law must rule, only Your divine law of love. Grant, dear God that Your law may rule the hearts of our political leaders for prosperity to reign in our land. Amen.

Matthew 19:3-12
Jos 24:1-13/Ps 136

What God has joined together, no human being must separate.
(Matthew 19:6)

God blessed you with a loving wife,
Give your love to her alone,
And you will have a blissful life
With Jesus for your cornerstone.

Some Pharisees came to Jesus to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” Jesus replied, “Haven’t you read that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” Still, they asked, “Why then did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.” The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.” Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

Reflection

Man was created in the image and likeness of God. Since we believe that our God is Trinitarian, His image is therefore a union between one man and one woman with Jesus Christ at the center. Whatever the differences a husband and wife may have, no matter if their personalities are poles apart, if they have decided to put Jesus Christ in the center of their lives, their marriage will work, and their union will most assuredly last. Divorce can never be a Christian option, because if we destroy this union, then we are actively denying the Divine Plan for man.

The union of marriage reflects God’s close relationship and love for mankind. God never divorced His wife and chose another just because mankind had sinned and was no longer pleasing to Him. He chose to forgive and reconciled His wayward people to Himself. This is the lesson that we find in the Book of Hosea – (1:2-3,8-9, 2:1-22, 3:1-5). In fact, in all the episodes and teachings in the Old Testament, we have seen that whenever God made a covenant with His people, He never broke the union — it was always His Chosen People who committed the spiritual adultery of sin.

For this reason, we can see why God never allowed divorce. Jesus said, ‘For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives’ — if only to protect the rights of women who were cast off by their husbands. But for Jesus, marriage must be for life or there must be no marriage at all. Divorce or separation is never the logical option when a marriage doesn’t seem to be working out. Working harder in making it work is. With God’s help, love will prevail.

Lord Jesus, you instituted the sacrament of marriage as a manifestation of God’s love for mankind. Grant that we whom You have blessed with its joys may be Your worthy heralds in sharing its Good News of love to other couples. Amen.

Matthew 7: 1-5
Gn 12:1-9 / Ps 33:12-13,18-19,20,22

Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, & the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
(Matthew 7:1-2)

In judging, give the credit due,
The weak deserves some merit too.
The less of prejudice in you,
The more the love of God shines through.

Jesus said, “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye but do not perceive the beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a beam in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)

Reflection

Being a judge in our country’s trial courts can be a daunting task that requires a fair amount of intelligence, hard work, patience, courage, prudence, and integrity. It is a grave responsibility because our judges know that one day, they will also be judged for all the decisions they handed down affecting the lives of other people.

Our eldest brother is a judge in a regional trial court. All of his nine surviving siblings hold him in high esteem for his keen sense of fairness and his proven integrity. His example gives hope that most of our honorable ‘men in black’ uphold the same ideals in our judicial system, notwithstanding some rumours to the contrary.

One such judge who handed a fair and favorable decision changed the life of a young member of our brotherhood from Cagayan de Oro city. Bro. Jun shared how one day, while he was still in college, a tragic vehicular accident scarred his growing years. He was driving in the rain when a woman suddenly ran across his path to flag a passing jeepney. Bro. Jun and his companion rushed her to the nearest hospital, but she was declared dead on arrival. The cause of death was severe hemorrhage from hitting her head on the pavement. His parents negotiated with the family of the victim to compensate them financially for their loss, but the amount the bereaved husband demanded was beyond what Bro. Jun’s parents could raise. The case went to court. After two years, the presiding judge decided that Bro. Jun was innocent of the charges filed against him (homicide), because there was no intent to kill.

We had invited my brother judge to the BCBP breakfast fellowship where Bro. Jun gave this life testimony. Later, I asked my brother how he would have decided if he had been the judge in that case. Not being aware of all the circumstances in the case, he could not give his personal opinion, but he said he would have admonished the driver of the vehicle and his parents to be magnanimous in victory and compensate the family of the victim with their original offer. Indeed my brother showed that our sense of justice must always ruled by compassion.

Grant us the grace, Lord, to be more compassionate in judging those who are prejudiced against us, even if we know we are in the right, just as You have been compassionate to us in our sinfulness. Amen.