"THEY WERE UNABLE TO ANSWER."

Homily for October 31^st: Luke 14:1-6.

          Few things were more important for devout Jews in Jesus’ day, or for Orthodox Jews day, for that matter, than the observance of rest on the Sabbath, laid down in the fourth of the Ten Commandments. We find the Commandments twice over in the Bible: in the 20^th chapter of Exodus, and in the 5^th chapter of Deuteronomy. The command in both passages is to keep the Sabbath holy by refraining from work. But what types of work were forbidden? Successive generations of rabbis and scholars of God’s law debated this, producing over time a long list of activities forbidden on the Sabbath. Orthodox rabbis continue to develop the list today, to cover activities which did not exist previously, like driving a car or watching television.

          In today’s gospel reading Jesus, dining on a Sabbath at the house of a devout Pharisee, is confronted by a man with a serious illness: “dropsy,” an archaic term for what doctors today call “edema,” swelling of the lower legs due to excess water. Before healing the man, Jesus asks his fellow guests whether it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Receiving no reply, Jesus goes ahead and heals the man. Sensing the indignation of the guests at his violation of God’s law, Jesus asks them another question: “Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” Once again, no one dares answer.

          Jesus’ questions are very like issues with which the Church is wrestling right now. Can we admit to Communion people who have divorced and entered a second marriage while the first partner is still living? And how do we show love and compassion to people living with a partner of the same sex in what they claim is a marriage? Church teaching is clear in both cases. Marriage is exclusively between people of different genders; and once established it can be terminated only by death.

          Bishops and cardinals from the whole word wrestled with these difficult questions for two weeks in Rome earlier this month without reaching agreement. A similar gathering will continue in October next year. We need to pray that the Holy Spirit will guide the Church to answers that respect the truth about marriage, without infringing on the duty of compassionate love for others.