With Jesus, “The Law” doesn’t get smaller; it gets bigger. It’s about much more than just keeping the rules….it is about growing in our love of God and our love for our neighbor. When Jesus says “The Law says….but I say,” he expands the original law in order to get to the spirit that is behind The Law. It seems that Jesus is ultimately most concerned not about a slavish external keeping of “The Law”, but rather he desires an internal change of our heart. He tells the disciples that their righteousness must surpass that of the religious leaders in order for them to get into heaven! Jesus expects more from his disciples…he expects them to love one another as he has loved them. So just refraining from killing someone is not enough…we have to love them and show that love by how we treat them!
That doesn’t mean that there is no place for righteous indignation at injustices and violations of God’s call to care for and look after the lost, the last and the least amongst us. Jesus understood “The Law” to be a guide that would lead to a good and faithful life, one that contributed to the building up of the Reign of God, that cared for and valued all God’s children. And as the first reading says “and to none does He (God) give license to sin”.
So I believe we really have to look at what is happening with our national budget as it suggest we slash our “safety net programs and increase our war making budget, decreasing one that ultimately saves lives and increasing one that ultimately takes lives. We keep saying that our national budget is a “moral document”, then we must ask ourselves how it shows forth our love of our sisters and brothers, how it welcomes the stranger, immigrant and migrant and how it combats racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia and anti LGBTQ+ attacks and attitudes. What we stand for politically should be a reflection of our Gospel values. We are called to view the world around us through the lens of the Gospel, with the eyes of Christ! As I look around what do I see, what can I change? To what am I being called as a disciple of Jesus?
Blessings,
Fr. Tim
That doesn’t mean that there is no place for righteous indignation at injustices and violations of God’s call to care for and look after the lost, the last and the least amongst us. Jesus understood “The Law” to be a guide that would lead to a good and faithful life, one that contributed to the building up of the Reign of God, that cared for and valued all God’s children. And as the first reading says “and to none does He (God) give license to sin”.
So I believe we really have to look at what is happening with our national budget as it suggest we slash our “safety net programs and increase our war making budget, decreasing one that ultimately saves lives and increasing one that ultimately takes lives. We keep saying that our national budget is a “moral document”, then we must ask ourselves how it shows forth our love of our sisters and brothers, how it welcomes the stranger, immigrant and migrant and how it combats racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia and anti LGBTQ+ attacks and attitudes. What we stand for politically should be a reflection of our Gospel values. We are called to view the world around us through the lens of the Gospel, with the eyes of Christ! As I look around what do I see, what can I change? To what am I being called as a disciple of Jesus?
Blessings,
Fr. Tim
RSS Feed
