This reading from Exodus always reminds me of two powerful motion pictures – “The Ten Commandments,” which depicts the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt and the first Passover, and “Fiddler on the Roof,” which deals with one of many trying times in Jewish history, Russia in the early 20th century. 

The “Commandments” movie presents the series of plagues Moses calls down from God to convince the Pharaoh to release his people, including the final chilling depiction of the death of the first-born child of the entire population of Egypt. The pain felt by the Egyptians who lost their children, and the gratitude of the Hebrews who were faithful to God’s message and did not suffer, is palpable for the viewer.  The annual commemoration this event, the Passover of the Hebrews by the Angel of Death, is integral to the Jewish liturgical calendar.  The Seder suppers celebrated today would be easily recognizable by Jews from millennia ago as substantially the same rituals they followed from the time of Moses. 

Tevye, the protagonist in the “Fiddler” movie is a devout Jew who lives in the late 19th/early 20th century, a time of serious challenges to his family, livelihood, and his world view as grounded in his traditions.  Their celebration of the Sabbath also would be recognized by Jews from centuries ago.  But Tevye also faces challenges to the traditions that are so sacred to him as his three older daughters, in turn, bypasses an arranged marriage, marries a non-observant Jewish revolutionary and follows him to Siberia, and marries a Christian in a non-Jewish wedding.  We see his turmoil as his traditions are threatened not only by a world that is increasingly hostile to him for simply being who he is, but also by the immense personal cost to the fabric of his family. 

Matthew’s story is a variation on the tradition of keeping the Sabbath sacred.  As was their wont, the Pharisees find fault in the actions of Jesus and His disciples.  Always seeking to trip up Jesus as He, in their view, fails to be faithful to the traditions, they raise the point of violation of the Sabbath in the way the Disciples ate.  Jesus, in response, takes a commonsense approach – they were hungry.  Others before them, David for example, did not strictly follow rabbinical teachings about the sabbath when they were faced with hunger.  Jesus then turns the discussion into a theological teaching moment – the religious practice of the traditions are important, but the Pharisees fail to recognize a shift, a new tradition, one grounded in mercy, not sacrifice.     

The traditions of various faiths share a common premise – they are seeking to express in human terms the inexpressible reality of humanity’s relationship to the divine.  Traditions start with a person or group of persons who have common experiences as they grapple with the power of creation and the Creator.  All religious traditions seek answers to common questions – how did we come to be, what are we to doing in living a good life, what comes after death? 

When Venerable Mateo Ricci, SJ, first arrived in China, he did not immediately begin his mission with preaching and proselytizing, but instead spent years learning the language and cultures and traditions of the Chinese.  He followed the advice of St. Francis of Assisi – seek to understand before being understood.  He realized that learning what is important to the other person may help clarify his own beliefs, and his own understanding of the divine, and enable him to express himself in terms more likely to be understood by those with whom he interacted.

With the shrinking of the world, through the proliferation of communication media and cultural and economic interactions, all faith traditions have both opportunities and challenges – how do others answer these common questions and how should (or should not) my traditions respond to the practices, thoughts, philosophies and cultures of the others I encounter.  Believers face the dichotomy that disturbed both Tevye and the Pharisees – how to maintain faithful adherence to personal faith traditions, when secular and other forces pull people in different directions.

I recall my freshman theology professor in high school who was teaching us in the time of Vatican II.  He more than once cryptically said – “Don’t throw out the baby with the bath water.”  Slow on the uptake, I finally understood him – keep true to the important, and don’t worry the small things.

My prayer today is for the grace to be open to the wisdom of other faith traditions, and how those traditions are similar to and different than my own, to learn what they offer in helping me understand my own relationship with my Creator, and for the strength to keep true to the important and not to worry about the small things.