The WORD in other words (2006) by Father Guillermo Villegas SVD – Divine Word Seminary of Tagaytay
Saturday 22nd Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s Gospel, we are confronted with a divine law that, over time, had been burdened by human interpretations and petty restrictions.
The Third Commandment, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8), was given for the benefit of God’s people. It was intended to provide rest from labor, time for worship, and an opportunity to renew one’s relationship with the Lord. As Jesus reminds us: “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27).
Yet this commandment was frequently ignored. Already in the Old Testament, the prophets denounced merchants and traders who were more concerned about business than honoring the Lord’s Day. Through the prophet Amos, God rebuked those who impatiently asked: “When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain, and the sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale?” (Amos 8:5). Likewise, Isaiah called the people to rediscover the Sabbath as a delight rather than a burden (Isaiah 58:13-14).
By the time of Jesus, however, the religious leaders had gone to the opposite extreme. The scribes and Pharisees surrounded God’s law with numerous human regulations and prohibitions. Since a commandment could be violated, they attempted to protect it by multiplying detailed restrictions. Just as a fragile object is wrapped with layers of padding to prevent it from breaking, so they encased the Sabbath commandment within a multitude of legal requirements.
For example, a Jew was permitted to walk only a limited number of steps on the Sabbath. Instead of enjoying the freedom and rest intended by God, one could become preoccupied with counting steps lest the law be violated.
What God had instituted to elevate the human spirit toward Him gradually became a source of anxiety and bondage. What was intended to bring freedom became enslavement; what was meant to be beautiful became burdensome.
Jesus strongly challenged this distortion when He said: “You have nullified the word of God for the sake of your tradition” (Matthew 15:6). He consistently taught that the spirit of the law is more important than a rigid adherence to its external details. Mercy, compassion, and love must guide the observance of God’s commandments (cf. Matthew 12:1-8).
This Gospel invites us to examine ourselves. How often do we risk diminishing God’s life-giving Word through endless arguments, excessive regulations, or scrupulous legalism? How often do we become more concerned with rules than with the God who gave them?
The commandments are not chains but expressions of God’s loving wisdom. Their purpose is to lead us into a deeper communion with Him and with one another. As St. Paul reminds us: “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6).
May God grant us the grace to proclaim not merely the letter of His law but the life-giving Spirit that animates it. And may we always recognize in His commandments the loving voice of the Father, who desires not our burden but our freedom, not mere observance but genuine holiness.
Prayer: Lord, help me to embrace the spirit of Your commandments and not merely their external observance. Free me from legalism and teach me to live Your law with love, mercy, and joy. Amen.
