13th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, July 7
Genesis 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67 / Matthew 9:9-13
Isaac marries Rebekah; His love for Rebekah healed Isaac.
There was a time when many people thought Willie Nelson's singing career was over and his life was almost totally wrecked. But then came a remarkable turnaround. Willie talked about his turnaround in a television interview with Barbara Walters. He said the incentive and the power to change his life came from his wife. Then Willie sang a song he had written to celebrate the beautiful influence his wife had on his life. Called "Angel Flying too close to the Ground" it contains this memorable line: “Love is the greatest healer to be found." It was this kind of healing power that Rebekah brought to the life of Isaac after his mother's death.
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Have we ever experienced the healing power of another's love in our own lives? "While faith makes all things possible, it is love that makes all things easy.” (Evan H. Hopkins)
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The Old Testament literature is full of imagery and symbolic language. So it may be necessary to understand the imagery and the symbols in order to understand the significance of the message.
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The length of Sarah's life was one hundred and twenty-seven years [vs ll. This is the only time when the Bible reveals the age of a woman. This was not unkind. When one is 127 years, there is neither a chance nor a reason to hide the age. She was the first to be buried in the family tomb in the cave of the field of Machpelah opposite Mamre. It was the first piece of land Abraham possessed in the land of Canaan and he had to pay heavily for it. With Sarah buried, his urgent task was to find a wife for his son. The choice of Rebekah is one of the loveliest stories of the Bible. Our reading chooses brevity for charm and gives us the barest facts. It ends by saying "Isaac led Rebekah into his tent and made her his wife and loved her". This was the pattern of our Indian marriages. Modern marriages reverse the order: First they fall in love, then they become man and wife, and then only he takes her home. Which was better, the choice of a wise man who is emotionally not involved but chooses objectively? Or that a young man chooses with his eye and his heart? What young people should pray for and rely on is that God in his Providence should arrange it sweetly.
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In line with the promise made by God to give the “Promised Land,” to his descendants, Abraham seeks a wife for his son Isaac from his own relatives, but without letting Isaac live in their pagan environment. For to keep his religion pure Isaac cannot take a Canaanite wife. God is shown here as the God of history.
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Matthew interrupts the narrative of the miracles by telling us his own conversion. He gives it one verse in two lines. What stands out more strikingly in his mind is the grand party he had in his house with Jesus as chief guest. We can understand that the Pharisees were scandalized by Jesus eating with the tax collectors and sinners. Both are people who do not particularly care for religion. It is bad company and sin means turning away from God. Sharing a meal shows some intimacy. But they were not justified. They judged wrongly. Many a sinner loathes sin deep down in his heart, and would like to love God. Jesus is there to teach them just this. He had come to free men from sin and to turn them to love God with their whole mind. He had not come for those who considered themselves the just. He would indeed be a poor doctor both professionally and financially, who cared only for those who are well Jesus does not mind to be called the friend of sinners.
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The gospel, which Jesus preaches and lives, is not a religion based on the self-righteousness of people but a religion of love and mercy based on God’s pure generosity. This makes it possible for a typical sinner – an exploiter and a traitor to his people to boot – to be called to be an apostle. And Christ sits at table with sinners – with Levi-Matthew and his friends, with us now “so that sins may be forgiven.”
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Prayer
God of mercy, you put the self-righteous to shame and you call sinners to the task of bringing your Son’s salvation to the world. Forgive us our pride and reassure us that we can count on you and your love because we are weak and sinful people. Let us share in your life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
