Fulfilling The Law

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A

Sirach 15: 15-20; 1 Corinthians 2: 6-10; 

Matthew 5: 17-37

The readings today are all about choices. Sirach makes those choices sound easy and clear-cut: choose fire or water, choose life or death, choose good or evil. Make the choice and it shall be given. (Sirach 15: 16-17) But the reality of life is never that simple. It's hardly ever black and white – there's always plenty of gray area. When God breathed life into the human race, we were given the opportunity to make choices and decisions for ourselves. We call this “free will.” Because we are flawed and imperfect, those choices we make are often not the best choices. We need guidance and wisdom to help us.

Paul's epistle to the Corinthians speaks of a wisdom more mature than our own life experiences. It is God's wisdom, revealed through the Spirit. “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, what God has prepared for those who love him.” (Isaiah 64: 3, 1 Corinthians 2: 9) We cannot get this wisdom from reading a book, not even this book (hold up the Bible). It is only revealed through the Spirit.

In Matthew, Jesus begins the passage by revealing “I have not come to abolish [the law] but to fulfill [it]... until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter, or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.” (Matthew 5: 17-18) Perhaps Jesus is saying it is possible for us to live within the laws as written in the Old Testament. However, it is only in following Jesus, and guidance of the Spirit, that the nuances and flesh of the laws – that gray area that I spoke of earlier – can be understood and navigated.

He then gives us three examples of the law, and three choices to make. The first is this: Will we choose to be people of peace, or people of violence? The law says, “You shall not kill.” But Jesus, the fulfillment, says we will be judged if we are angry with one another. This point is so important that Jesus says we must be at peace with each other before we can worship God! “If you recall that your brother [or sister] has anything against you, leave your gift at the altar, and go first and be reconciled...” Perhaps that's why the church places the “sign of peace” just before we receive Eucharist. To be a person of peace is to be a person of forgiveness. The better choice is to be a part of a community of forgiveness – to choose peace.

Then there is the choice to live our relationships in fidelity. The law says, “You shall not commit adultery.” But Jesus, the fulfillment, tells us that we have sinned by simply lusting after another in our hearts. It's not simply a matter of not committing adultery; it's a matter of honoring our own commitments, and those of others. Jesus calls for wholeness in relationship with others, not treating another as an object. It begins in the heart.

Furthermore, for Jesus, marriage was a part of the plan of God, mirroring God's love and fidelity to the chosen people. The marriage relationship should be a place of safety, nurturing and honor, not danger, dishonesty and destructiveness. By forbidding divorce, Jesus was calling for a reconciled relationship between spouses. We should note here that this is NOT about keeping together what is broken beyond repair. It is about reconciliation when it is at all possible.

Now, before I can continue, there is something I need to say. This passage about divorce challenges me. I have one brother and one sister. My wife has five brothers and sisters. Every one of them falls into this category of divorce – so when Jesus talks about this, he's talking about my family – probably yours too. Jesus' statements about divorce and adultery – and the church's position on the subject – have driven most of my family away from the Catholic Church. They still worship in other denominations – they still hear the Word and follow it as best they can – but they are separated from the Eucharist. This wonderful gift of healing and communion is denied them. It makes me angry and it makes me sad. We are all flawed and imperfect. We are all sinners. The church should act as a hospital for sinners. It should welcome sinners – ALL SINNERS – with open arms, and without judgment. If that is truly the goal, the church still has a long way to go. I am encouraged by the compassion and the courage that Pope Francis has shown. I have to trust that Jesus will fulfill and the Spirit will guide us all to the Kingdom. I don't know the answer – but I'll continue to pray for guidance and reconciliation in this matter.

Our final choice has to do with oaths. In Jesus' time, it was the custom to make an oath – to call on God to stand by one's word. But Jesus, the fulfillment, is saying there is no need for this, because we should be speakers of truth all the time. “Let your 'yes' mean 'yes' and your 'no' mean 'no.'” (Matthew 5: 37) If we are a people of truth and honesty, there is no need for oaths.

Anyone can follow the laws as written in the Old Testament. But the heart of the law – the meat of the law – the depth of the law – cannot be reached alone. It is by choosing to follow Jesus and allowing the guidance of the Spirit that the law can be fully understood and attained.

Jesus is calling each of us this day. He is calling us to have a heart that is forgiving, faithful and truthful. This is the wisdom of God, fulfilled through Christ and revealed through the Spirit. Behind these statements is a God who wills that human society be just and merciful, that human life be nourished, and relationships restored. God's will lies at the heart of the law. In bringing the law to completion, Jesus calls us to live in love, a love that completes us and makes us whole, because it is God's love.

Deacon Darryl J. Diemer

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

February 16, 2014

Painting: Fra Angelico, "Sermon on the Mount", 1442