Word to the Wise
Friday, August 7, 2015 - Friday in the 18th Week in Ordinary Time
[Deut 4:32-40 and Matt 16:24-28]This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the Lord is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. You must keep his statutesand commandments which I enjoin on your today, that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may have long life on the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you forever. [Deuteronomy]
The first five books of the Old Testament are called "Torah" by Jews and are the fundamental law of God as given to Moses and given by Moses to the people of Israel. Deuteronomy is the last of the five [Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers]. These documents were put into final written form centuries after the events they describe. The contents existed in oral tradition and possibly in fragmented written pieces. But the great narrative remains and continues to serve as the basis not only of Jewish faith but also Christian faith. [And to some extent, Islam.] They are like a rope that has been woven from a number of different strands. Deuteronomy was the last strand to be added and represents a "reformed" movement. Today's passage points to one of the major problems which the Israelites constantly struggled with: fidelity to the one God.
Once a nomadic people become settled and more agricultural, the change in lifestyle inevitably challenges the religious foundation of their lives. The Canaanite religious environment was based on fertility and involved various deities, chief among which was
"Baal" (=Lord). Time and again, Israel would find Baal more convenient or meaningful. The prophets would have to call them back. This is a pattern that we in our day need to pay attention to. Are there secular "Baals" that we have established that compete with the Lord our God? Lifestyle can have a corrupting effect. Is the "American dream" a threat to faith? Like Israel, we are challenged to be faithful and conscious of our ways. AMEN
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