Holy and Blameless!

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

2 Kgs 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-35, 36; Mt 7: 6, 12-14

In today’s Gospel, we find three distinct themes. 

Dogs and Swine: This verse contains rich symbolism. ‘Something that is holy’ and ‘pearls’ are symbols of preciousness. In olden times, the dogs and the swine represented distinct forms of evil. As such, while the former stood for impurity, the latter indicated ferocity. However, the dogs and the swine did not represent men and women as such, but the passions that made them brutish. Hence, Jesus instructs us to deal with those passions cautiously in order that they may be rightly ordered to lead a life in holiness and piety. 

The Golden Rule: We may have come across similar wise sayings in history. For instance, Chinese teacher Confucius said, ‘Don’t do unto others what you don’t want done unto you.’ But with Jesus, the rule becomes golden because of the positive prescription it bears (Do to others) instead of a simple negative prohibition (Do not do to others). Avoiding evil is good, but doing good is better. For Jesus, virtue is functional. Christians find their goodness in their active love toward neighbors. 

The Narrow Road: The narrow road presents certain difficulties. It is more challenging because it makes the journey unpleasant and demands sacrifices. In addition, taking such a road with hurdles is certainly not an option for those who find a natural inclination toward ‘shortcuts.’ While the rational mind might find the ‘narrow road journey’ absurd, the spiritual mind finds it the highway. For Christians who carry their daily cross following Jesus, the narrow road journey represents spiritual discipline and purification. Jesus wants us to tread on this path to holiness. 

In essence, Jesus invites us to lead a holy and blameless life. Let us pay heed to Our Master!

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar