The Value of Human Life. Monday 30th Week Ordinary Time.

Breakfast With the Word Monday 3oth Week Ordinary Time of the Year

Luke 13:10-17

 

 

Our society today relegates, devalues and plays with human life as if it doesn’t matter anymore. Leaders seem to be happy to see people they serve to suffer in hunger. Those whom God chooses to protect lives now turn into life killers.

 

 

How do you feel when you see blood spill in front of you and not to talk of you being the person who did the killing? Do we still have any human sympathy?

 

How do you feel when you see people you are supposed to help and protect, suffer in your hands? Have you for a day thought of saving lives under your care? How do you feel when people you are capable of lifting their burdens die in hunger? Do we still reserve little respect for human life?

 

 

 

 

How can people continue to play politics with human lives? Human life is precious, spiritual, sacred, priceless and inviolable. We do not play with human life because that life does not belong to us. We should do everything to protect, save and heal broken lives just like Jesus does today.

 

 

When God presents you with an opportunity to save a life, do not think or do otherwise.

 

 

In the Gospel

 

A little detail on what happened in the gospel today is that Jesus was in the Synagogue preaching. Luke notifies that there is a woman who for eighteen years was held bound by a demon and thus made her crippled, bent down and unable to stand upright.

 

Jesus immediately could not stand the sight of seeing someone in such a condition before Him. He called her, spoke healing words on her and laid hands on her. She immediately was healed.

 

 

Jesus’ love and value for human life are explicitly manifested in this gospel. The woman in question only attended the synagogue service, she did not ask Jesus for healing. But in His presence, Jesus cannot but touch souls, deliver them and save them.

 

 

Just like Jesus, many today need our healing hands, encouraging words and saving touch. If you are a leader, always remember that there are people who are under your care. Be like Jesus who does not stand the presence of seeing someone in critical condition.

 

 

In our own case, some people seem to be happy that lives suffer in their presence. We are happy plying on roads that could be a death trap to people.

 

 

There is now a lack of concern that our children are not getting a good and quality education. Today we have many broken homes.

 

Our country needs a healing touch. This society needs a healing hand. Who will be the messiah?

 

 

 

 

Jesus and the Synagogue Ruler.

 

The synagogue ruler was indignant because Jesus healed on the sabbath day. He asks the crowd not to come on the Sabbath day for healing.

 

Actually, the woman came for synagogue service and was very lucky to encounter Jesus. So the synagogue leader, though he pretends to address the crowd is invariably addressing Jesus.

 

 

Jesus calls them hypocrites. The reason is that their interest is not in showing compassion but to overburden people with laws. Their interests are not on what God does but to appear praiseworthy in front of the people.

 

 

 

1.In a similar vein, it is unreasonable for a leader to substitute the plight of the people for public appraisal. Do not come out of the public only to appear good but truly neglect the plight of the people.

 

 

 

Do you also agree that this miracle today should be a source of joy to everyone? But the synagogue leader is only motivated by selfish interest.

 

 

In him, there is no value for life. We should have human sympathy in everything we do and quit playing with lives. Can we understand that many are suffering? What have you done to save the plight of the people?

 

 

2.Jesus further berates the Pharisees today for making efforts only to feed and water their animals and donkeys. Hence, they do not have much sympathy for a human being. This woman has suffered for eighteen good years bending.

 

 

 

In essence, she has not seen the light of the sun all these years. She is a daughter of Abraham, worthy of salvation and also a human being, in God’s image. Therefore, She deserves healing. But the Pharisee seems to have more value for their donkeys and animals than for human life.

 

 

 

 

3. In a likely manner, many can do anything to maintain their cars, wardrobes, houses etc but lack value for human life.

 

A governor spends 50 billion only to purchase cars while the people he is governing are suffering. A medical doctor allows life to die in their presence because of money.

 

We can spend a large amount of money to fulfil our selfish desires while there are millions of souls around us suffering.

 

 

This is a call to value human life more than anything we have or want to be. If Jesus cannot withstand the presence of someone who is in such a precarious situation, why will a Christian be happy that someone under his care is overburdened with challenges and difficult situations?

 

 

How can security personnel shoot directly on people they protect? Can a good leader allow His subjects to suffer in hunger and yet calls himself a child of God? How can we celebrate and be happy that someone close to us is suffering?

 

 

 

4.Finally for anyone passing through these heavy burdens of life, please do not lose hope in God. Always go to His presence.

 

 

The woman today despite her condition went to the synagogue. Her condition would have made her lose hope or stay at home. Only her presence in the house of the Lord today became an avenue for her healing. God can also heal us again, if we always seek His presence.

 

 

 

May God bless you dearest and give us the grace to value human life. May He save us from challenges and burdens of life. Amen

 

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