Lk. 14:1-6: “Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee.”

Jesus is invited to eat at a Pharisee’s house on the Sabbath. It is not an innocent invitation because they are watching him closely, looking for an opportunity to accuse him. The scene is already charged with tension; Will He put the law above life, or  life above the law? The true law of God is that of love; where there is suffering, God wants healing because the feeling of compassion is stronger than any legalism. God sees first those who suffer in the face of any norm; the priority is the dignity of the person.

To follow Jesus is to take sides like Him. We must dare to break with the legalisms that oppress and always choose life. Jesus teaches us that fidelity to God can never be separated from mercy towards the suffering brother or sister, who is most vulnerable.