To begin, let us be reminded that we are still reading from the book of Genesis, the continuation of the creation story which we began yesterday. The creation story tells us that only God has the power to create, and that whatever he created He calls good. Therefore, God who is the author of goodness is the One who should tell us what the good is.
We are reminded that we are God’s image. God has made us in his own image and likeness and that’s the greatest thing done to us; that we are so precious. When we fell from grace, God refashioned us by sending Jesus to restore this image we lost. We must therefore stay with Jesus to know what is good and right.
We must not be like the Pharisees who were questioning the disciples of Jesus while they refused to wash their hands before eating. Jesus calls them hypocrites. I do not think Jesus had problems with washing of hands before eating, but that they have left the simple definition of what is good by God, the commandments of God and have gone about multiplying commandments for themselves just for selfish interests.
Jesus is God, God saw what he made as good. You don’t dictate to God what is good. Do not dictate to Jesus what is good. Jesus is the good teacher who should tell us.
Again, let us be conscious of the dignity of our creation. We are God’s image. When we love, we express this image. But when we plan violence and destruction, we tarnish it. Let us ask God for the grace to continue to keep this image revealed in our world.
The Lord be with you
