Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

“The Sabbath Was Made for Man,… Not Man for the Sabbath.”
 
Today’s passage from Mark (2:23-28) is a very familiar one. Jesus is walking through a grain field with his disciples, some of whom begin to pull off heads of grain to eat because they are hungry. The Pharisees who see this criticize them (and more to the point, Jesus) because this action was considered “work” and therefore was not permitted on the Sabbath.
 
One could easily look upon this exchange as somewhat ludicrous from a 21st century perspective. But how well have we moderns fully taken in the spirit of the law vs the literal observance of the law?
 
(I ask in no small part because as a priest who has heard his share of confessions, a discouraging number of people over the years have confessed the “sin” of missing Mass due to serious illness or some other reasonable cause for having missed Mass. When I have pointed out the Church has always allowed for certain exceptions, the response has been, “Oh, I know, Father, but I still felt the need to confess it.” What is this about?)
 
We all know that the Sabbath was and is meant as a day of rest, reflecting the 7th day in the account of Creation when even God rested. The Sabbath was intended for our benefit and welfare.
 
If we look at the 10 Commandments and their spirit, they are intended to foster and improve our relationships with God and with one another. They are guideposts that are purely for our benefit and welfare. This is the spirit in which they were formulated by God and passed along via Moses to His Chosen People.
 
Jesus distills the Commandments of God down to two: love of God and love of neighbor. Or put even more succinctly, “Love one another as God has loved you.”
 
Is it not safe to assume, then, that with these 2 commandments as His and therefore our focus and starting point, all laws, rules, and regulations are intended to foster our living these 2 commandments?
 
Put slightly differently, is not the basic question, “How does this law or rule help me to become a more loving (forgiving, just, compassionate,….) person?” How, when, with whom have I been remiss in my daily living where these Two Great Commandments are concerned?
 
My sense is that Jesus would be more than a little thrilled if this question was in the forefront of our minds as we deal with religious rules, regulations, and commandments.