Man’s Laws and God’s Law
Jesus said:” This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
22nd SUNDAY Ordinary Time Cycle B
Is the Muslim required to go to mass on Sunday? No, because he is not even a Christian. Sunday mass is a law made by the Church leaders for its Catholic members.
However, there are some laws made not by men but by God Himself – like the 10 Commandments handed by Yahweh personally to Moses on Mt. Sinai. On the other hand, these divine laws are for all people regardless of religious affiliation since all are created by God.
But the Pharisees multiplied the decalogue into 613 other commandments forgetting what Yahweh said in Deuteronomy “you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it.” Dt 4:1-2, 6-8 The Pharisees added their own fabricated laws and imposed them as if coming from God.
Jesus condemned them thus in today’s gospel saying that they obligated strictly mere human traditions like washing of hands before eating while neglecting to help the poor in need. St. James added that they should instead do charity when he wrote “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27 This the Pharisee do not do in their effort to implement their man-made laws.
God’s law is love as Jesus summed up the 10 commandments. One might not miss a single mass on a Sunday but that amounts to nothing if he/she neglects to be charitable.
Someone posted that sometimes the kindest people you would encounter are those covered with tattoos all over while the most judgmental ones are those you meet on Sunday masses. If true it is indeed saddening.
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