About this episode

This episode discusses the concept of meekness as demonstrated by Jesus in the face of opposition from the Pharisees regarding the Sabbath law.

Read Online The Quiet Strength of Meekness The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known. Matthew 12:14–16 To souls who love God and are united to Him, today’s Gospel reveals a profound lesson about facing opposition. “The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.” Why? Because of their rigid interpretation of the Sabbath law of rest. But Jesus, as the Son of God, in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is the origin of that law. The Sabbath was meant to call to mind God’s rest after the six days of creation—a contemplative rest in which the people reflected upon God’s goodness. The Pharisees had turned the Sabbath into a burdensome obligation, a scrupulous and empty duty. Jesus, the Author and Lord of the Sabbath, saw it very differently. Acts of charity are never to be refrained from—not even on the Sabbath. For the “offense” of healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, the Pharisees began plotting Jesus’ murder. When Jesus realized this, He withdrew from that…

Topics covered

• meekness
• opposition
• Sabbath
• charity
• strength
• wisdom
• love

Keywords

• meekness
• Jesus
• Pharisees
• Sabbath
• charity
• strength
• wisdom
• love

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Matthew 12:14–16

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