RBWords

     One of the most fundamental, if not THE most fundamental issues that faced the early Christian community was an "identity" issue.  The meaning of Jesus' life, death and resurrection carried with it some direct challenges to Jewish identity.  This was not just the issue of whether or not Jesus was the Messiah, but even if a Jew accepted that, what did it mean for Jewish life and practices?  In other words, what became of the Law of Moses, or the Torah?  All of this arose when Gentile, or non-Jewish people responded to the preaching of the apostles and other disciples but found all the requirements of Torah burdensome or meaningless.  This question would be resolved more or less in favor of the Gentiles, but it still left the Jewish Christians wondering about the status of the Law of Moses.  This concern is reflected in the Gospel According to Matthew and in the preaching of Paul.  

     In Matthew, Jesus is presented as a "new Moses" who brings not only a compassionate interpretation of something older, but who becomes the personification of the law so that the older law is seen as a preparation for the newer one.  St. Paul, who had been, before his "Damascus" experience of conversion, a Pharisee, knew well the importance of the Mosaic Law, but saw that it had to take second place, if any place, to faith in Jesus.  

     This would all seem to be something settled long ago, but the same kinds of issues show up even today.  What are the essentials of our faith?  If someone comes to our Church from another religious tradition, what kind of welcome do they receive?  What observances do they have to abandon or accept?  How much of our faith is connected to observances?  Beyond the sacraments, what is essential?  It's worth thinking about.  AMEN