Claims of Law Vs. Claims of Love

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

1 Kgs 8:22-23,27-30; Mk 7:1-13

In today’s Gospel, Jesus helps us understand the distinction between God’s law and human traditions.

Jesus does not find fault with human traditions. 

But insofar as it contradicts or substitutes God’s law for the sake of convenience, Jesus cautions against such hypocrisy.  

Instead of honoring their parents by taking care of them, the hypocritical people abdicated their responsibility in the name of God. 

The Pharisees negated God’s command to honor one’s parents by teaching that those who have to care for their elderly parents could give money to the temple instead of spending it on them. Such an offering to the temple, which is ‘qorban,’ would exempt them from their responsibility toward their elderly parents. 

In short, the Pharisees manipulated God’s law and justified it. They defrauded the elderly and enriched themselves. 

Jesus, by questioning such hypocritical sophistry, is arguing for the primacy of love by observing God’s law. 

The Pharisees, who show diligence in observing rituals like hand-washing, flout God’s law, which is oriented toward neighborly love. 

Jesus is thus exposing the abuse of God’s law by the Pharisees. 

God’s law is meant for human welfare. 

If we can understand the true meaning of God’s law, we know that it is a law of love.

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar