Word to the Wise
Wednesday, June 8, 2016 - Wednesday in the 10th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Kgs 18:20-39 and Matt 5:17-19]"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill." [Matthew]
After the startling contrasts of the beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount addresses a sensitive issue. The beatitudes focus on people instead of laws. What does Jesus' teaching say about the status of "the law and the prophets." This phrase includes the whole way of Jewish life which they believed was given to them by God through Moses and the great prophetic figures (such as Elijah, featured in the first scriptures this week). Jesus says that he has come not to abolish but to fulfill. In short, he will challenge his listeners (and readers) to go beyond external observance to an internal compassion, expressed in words and deeds. In his very person he represents this "new law."
I have often experienced the question above in the form of the words: "Do we have to.....?" When this occurs, it usually (but not always) means that a given observance or rule is being seen from the outside rather than being an interior value. And in many cases, it means the person asking the question either does not want to follow the practice or is unsure of its value. "Do we have to go to church on Sunday?" "Do we have to genuflect before we enter the pew?" "Do we have to eat fish on Friday?"
In Jesus' time, the Pharisees were dedicated to meticulous observance of the 613 "precepts" of the Mosaic Law. The debate over which of these was most important indicates some tension in this way of life. I think we Catholics face the same tension. Going to Mass on Sunday is not the same as eating fish on Friday. This is one of the most important aspects of Pope Francis' ministry. He is calling our attention to the values of the beatitudes and asking us to shape our observances accordingly. Have we internalized Jesus' teachings so that they are part of our very identity? Or do we simply see them as rules and regulations that the Church has imposed on us? The Sermon on the Mount will show us how to put the focus on people while respecting the values enshrined in "the law and the prophets." AMEN
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