Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Luke 14: 1-6
Putting love above rules

In today’s Gospel, Jesus heals again on the Sabbath. This is not the first time—Scripture mentions at least seven such instances. Each time, his act of mercy provokes anger in the scribes and Pharisees rather than joy or gratitude. They saw Jesus as a lawbreaker and a threat to their strict religious system.

We can almost picture the scene. The mistake of the Pharisees was that they preached a God and a religion that was mainly about regulations. The man suffering from dropsy in today’s Gospel may have been planted there as a trap. But Jesus, under their hostile watch, does not hesitate. He heals him—and then exposes their hypocrisy. How can it be unlawful to help a suffering human being?

This passage teaches us three lessons.
First, even under constant criticism and surveillance, Jesus never lost his calm, nor his compassion. How often do we become irritable or defensive when judged! Yet Jesus shows us the strength that comes from staying rooted in love.

Second, Jesus never refused an invitation, even from those who opposed him. He never gave up on the chance that someone might be touched or changed by his presence. This is a challenge to us: do we only share meals with those we like, or are we willing to reach out even to those who misunderstand or resist us?

Third, the Pharisees magnified small rules while ignoring greater needs. How often in our families, our communities, and even in our parishes, we let petty matters cause division and pain! We argue over details and forget what truly matters: mercy, kindness, and love.

Jesus reminds us that love comes first. If our religion does not make us more compassionate, then we have missed the heart of God. On the Sabbath—and on every day—the call is the same: to put people before rules, and mercy before legalism.

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