July 16, 2021
Fraide for Week 15 for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Our Lady of Mount Carmel—Memorial wey no be Must
Listen for English
Jesus dey pass through one grain farm for Sabbath day. Hunger dey catch His disciples, and dem begin pluck grain heads dey chop. When di Pharisees see this, dem tell am say, “See, Your disciples dey do wetin law no allow person to do for Sabbath day.” Matthew 12:1–2
When Moses give di Ten Commandments to di people, one of di things wey di law forbid na to work for Sabbath day. Part of di Third Commandment talk say, “make you no do any work” for Sabbath day (Exodus 20:10). By di time wey Jesus come, di Pharisees don add plenty explanation to this law and expand am to cover as many as 39 different kinds of work wey dem believe say di law forbid. To harvest and grind grain dey among di things for their list. Na because of this, when di Pharisees see say di disciples dey pluck grain heads and rub di grain comot from di husk so dem fit chop am, dem condemn dem. Dem say di disciples don break wetin dem interpret as offence against di Third Commandment.
Di first thing wey we fit notice for this passage na say hunger dey catch di disciples. Dem devote themselves to Jesus well-well, and dem don dey travel with Am from town to town so that E fit preach di Gospel. Dem don leave their work, house, family and income so that na only Jesus and His mission dem go fully devote themselves to. Because of this, dem dey live for poverty and depend on wetin other people generously give dem. Na for this condition dem choose to chop food wey humble pass: grain wey dem pluck as dem dey waka. Dem no complain say hot food no dey wait for dem for where dem dey go. Dem accept di many long journeys wey dem make with their leg. Dem no get problem with di fact say dem no fit sleep for their own bed every night. But like every human being, dem need food, so dem pluck this grain as dem dey waka to satisfy this basic need wey hunger bring.
Even though plenty lessons dey wey we fit learn from this passage, one clear lesson na about di temptation to judge and condemn other people. When we fall inside di trap of judging other people, some things dey common. First, to judge and condemn people often dey come from wrong things wey we think say dem do, but we don make those things bigger and worse than dem really be. E clear say di Pharisees make this “sin” of di disciples bigger and worse than e be. For our own lives, di habit of judging people almost always dey make another person sin wey we think say we see look far more serious than e really be, if e even be sin at all.
Another common temptation wey dey come from heart wey dey judge and condemn na to no even try understand di person wey dem condemn. For this case above, di Pharisees no even ask why di disciples dey pluck and chop grain. Dem no ask whether dem don stay without food for some time or how long dem don dey travel. Dem no care say hunger dey catch dem, and most likely, say di hunger strong well-well. Na so e dey be with us too: when we judge and condemn another person, many times we don reach our verdict without even trying to understand di situation.
Lastly, we need to talk say we no get right to judge other people. Most times, to do so na to act without proper care, and na because we dey think only about ourselves. God no give di Pharisees authority to expand di Third Commandment into 39 things wey person no suppose do. E no give dem authority to use those their interpretations take judge wetin dem think say di disciples do. And God no give us authority to judge other people either. If e clear say another person don trap inside circle of sin wey serious well-well for wetin di sin itself be, we must do everything we fit do to help bring di person comot from that sin. But even for that kind case, we no get right to judge or condemn.
Today, reflect on any tendency wey you get to judge and condemn other people. If you see this tendency inside yourself, take time think about di Pharisees. Di way dem see themselves as righteous pass other people no good at all, and e cause harm. Di bad example wey dem show suppose move us to turn away from this kind act of condemning people and to reject those temptations di moment dem come.
My divine Judge of Everybody, na You, and only You, know di heart, and na You, and only You, fit act as Judge. Abeg, use Your authority for my life so that I fit see my own sin. As You dey do this, abeg, free me too from di tendency to judge and condemn. Instead, fill me with heart wey full of mercy and truth towards everybody. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Saint for Today – Our Lady of Mount Carmel
.jpg){kind=link}