Sabbath: Celebration of Life

These days the readings invite us to have a close experience of Jesus to see him, hear him and touch him. All these are made possible because he is compassionate, merciful, and tender. He is able to sympathise with us in our weaknesses because he became one like any of us. That humanness comforts us, consoles us and heals us. We are taken one step deeper into the heart of Jesus.

Being part of Jesus is a joyous experience, a celebration. Just as the Spirit guided Jesus, the same Spirit guides us also in our lives. It is an experience of freedom and liberation. Sabbath, for Jesus, was this reality of liberation. He did not confine to the customary observance of Sabbath as a day of rest. Jesus would say, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." So Sabbath was to live the freedom of the children of God. It is in his humanity people found freedom, consolation and healing.

Salvation is an integral experience. It touches different dimensions of our lives, spiritual, physical, and social dimensions. It is also for us to ensure for one another this experience of liberation and freedom. Some key words we can pick up from the readings are righteousness and peace as an interpretation of the name 'Melchizedek.' People who have experienced salvation, or who have the freedom of Sabbath will surely be ministers of righteousness and peace.

Freedom was not a favourable option for many. So they twisted the meaning of Sabbath. Jesus places his question to our preferences between freedom of the Holy Spirit and the binding customs, ‘Is it against the law on the sabbath day to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to kill?’If we choose for the freedom of the Holy Spirit, to do good, to save life, we can surely be ministers of life too, saying to the weary and withered, "stretch out your hands."