Today’s Gospel:  Luke 11: 47-54

REFLECTION
The death of Zechariah (mentioned in today’s Gospel) is described in 2 Chronicles 24. This was the closing book in the Jewish canon of Holy Writings, and therefore we are safe in assuming that Jesus was speaking of the first and last murders to be mentioned in their own records. His terrifying statement inferred his listeners would be held responsible for all that had happened because their sin was identical with that of the ancient murderers. They were as bad as the worst. This was indeed a terrible indictment; if they had possessed any wisdom they would have asked God for pardon. The statement THE WISDOM OF GOD is certainly interesting and during the centuries it has occasioned much speculation. The parallel passage is in Matthew 23:34 where Christ says, “Behold, I SEND unto you prophets... ” Christ claimed to be the embodiment of the wisdom of God. He Who had been in the counsels of the Godhead; He who expressed the mind of the Father was able to speak authoritatively. This was just another of those thrilling scriptures in which Jesus identified Himself with the Almighty and claimed equality with the One by Whom He had been sent.

As for the lawyers in the crowd at that time, they were the men responsible for the study of the law. They constantly reminded other people what ought to be done, but they seldom did much themselves. They knew all the loopholes and were experts at evasion. Here are some of their evasions. The limit of a sabbath day’s journey was two thousand cubits (1,000 yards) from a man’s residence. But if a rope were tied across the end of the street, the end of the street became his residence and he could go 1,000 yards beyond that. If on the Friday evening he left at any given point enough food for two meals, that point technically became his residence and he could go 1,000 yards beyond that. One of the forbidden works on the sabbath was the tying of knots, sailors’ or camel drivers’ knots, and knots in ropes. But a woman might tie the knot in her girdle. Therefore, if a bucket of water had to be raised from a well, a rope could not be knotted to it, but a woman’s girdle could.... To carry a burden was forbidden, but the codified law lays it down, “he who carried anything, whether it be in his right hand, or in his left hand, or in his bosom, or on his shoulder is guilty; but he who carried anything on the back of his hand, with his foot or with his mouth, or with his elbow, or with his ear, or with his hair, or with his moneybag turned upside down, or between his money-bag and his shirt, or in the fold of his shirt, or in his shoe, or in his sandal is guiltless”. The lawyers to whom Christ addressed His remarks were the men responsible for many of these stupid ideas; they placed intolerable burdens upon suffering people while they themselves cited reasons to explain their non-observance of their own laws. The Master’s denunciation aroused their bitter opposition, and the words used to describe their reactions were exceedingly strong. When he talked to this crowd, the shadow of the Cross was beginning to fall across the soul of the Savior.

Today’s Reading:  Eph 1:3-10

PRAYER
Lord, help us to stick to Your Truth, and not complicate life by smart-alecky evasions and tricky shortcuts.  In Jesus’ Name we pray.  Amen.