Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection
30th Friday in Ordinary time, Friday, October 29, 2021
Rom 9:1-5, Ps 147:12-15, 19-20, Lk 14:1-6
What does Love have to do with it? I think we have all heard that question, and when we did, how did we respond? Did we respond with love in return, or did we turn our back, and walk away? Well, the answer to the questions is, Love has everything to do with it. Jesus mentions love 13 times in the Bible. While that may not seem like a lot, depending on your Bible, love is mentioned around 300 times in the Old Testament and around 200 times in the New Testament. Paul drives that message home in his letter to the Romans. As a Christian, and converted Jew, he laments for his fellow Jews that just cannot see the Love that exudes from Jesus. So much so that if it means he has to give everything up so they, too, would see the Messiah, he would gladly do so.
Jesus challenges those around Him, especially the Pharisees who are so much defined by “law,” to answer how they would react to certain situations. These situations were definitely banned by Old Testament law, but Jesus poses it in a way that brings love into the equation. Could they, would they, heal on the Sabbath out of Love? Would they, could they, save a prized animal on the Sabbath? The Pharisees knew they would but chose not to answer for fear of incriminating themselves. It was a trick question, and it was all about Love.
It is worth noting and reminding that the 10 Commandments, the Old Testament law, is still very important today as it was then. On them every moral act is based. But it is also important to remember Jesus introduced a new law, the laws based on Love; they are called the Beatitudes. It is how Jesus wants us to live our lives. Follow the Old Testament laws, the 10 Commandments, but live our lives following the Beatitudes, the laws of Love.
Paul is a great example of how to live our lives with Love. We can only hope that we can emulate love like Paul so as to be willing to separate ourselves for others. So, the next time someone says or asks, “what does love have to do with it?”, tell them, it has everything to do with it!
Saint James Catholic Church 