Work the Opposite Way.
Instead of giving, learn how to receive.
Instead of giving, learn how to receive.
The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.
No one sews a piece of un-shrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.” -- Mark 2:18-22
The Lord looks upon the heart and not the law. Although He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it, His ways are not man's ways. Instead of learning and understanding the true spirit of the law from Him, the so called "learned and self-righteous religious people" saw him as a threat and as one who acts in defiance with the laws they are accustomed to practice and teach. Instead of receiving, the hardness of their hearts made them loose the grace of having a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus.
The vast availability of information in this modern world, brought about by the internet is very useful to gain more knowledge but it can also lead us to forget what is most essential. As Pope Francis said, "we can be a walking museum, stored with so much information, but lacking in love. These information processed by the mind that gives us knowledge should pass through our hearts so that our hands could fully express them into action."
The Lord teaches us today to work the opposite way. Let us not just be confined to the knowledge of our minds but be more concerned on the intentions of our hearts. Pope Francis clearly brought this message to us, "Be with the poor and learn from them for we are poor ourselves. The true form of mercy and compassion is when our hearts weep and tears begin to fall in our eyes because of the injustices we see being done to others".
There is no greater law than to love God and to love others.
Lord, make all things new for me.