But, I Say To You, 6th Sunday Ordinary Time

Last week we reflected on salt and light and their ability to flavor and illuminate. What Fr was describing were their potential and capacity. That is, salt flavors only if you use it, though it has the potential do so even remaining in the salt shaker. And salt by its very nature has only the capacity to make things salty, it cannot sweeten no matter how much you use. Fine you might ask, but what does potential and capacity have to do with Jesus. Or him saying “I have come not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it”?

 We know laws are good things. Of course, there are just and unjust laws, important laws and silly laws, new laws and laws long forgotten. We understand laws are a necessity for any community or society to exist. But, any law (like salt and light) only has the potential to accomplish something if it is invoked and (again, like salt or light) a law only has the capacity to accomplish what it has been designed to do. 

 The Law (actually a series of laws) embedded within the Torah bound the people of Israel to God and to each other as a nation. These laws that made up the Law were handed down and recorded and, of course, were meant to be followed and obeyed to the letter. To do so kept their convent with God alive and well.

 But, Sirach revels an essential human truth about the law. “If you choose” he says, “you can keep the commandments. (and again)  “Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him.” Sirach is speaking about the dangerous necessity of free choice.

God’s law is a gift, not a burden. And as a gift it can only be received in freedom. We are free to choose God or not. We are free to keep God’s law or not.  We are free to choose good or evil. The choice is always ours.

 Now, Reason and Will are also gifts from God, and they are the conditions for choosing. We need to use these gifts to develop the good sense to choose wisely. We need to discern the wisdom of God, which seems so mysterious and hidden. Yet, in the stillness of our heart, in the clarity of our right mind and with the prompting of the Spirit, we know who we must choose and what we should do. Sirach says “Trust God and you shall live. Keep his commandments and they will save you”. Clearly Life and Salvation are the potential and capacity of God’s law of love for us.

 Today’s Gospel follows the great public beatitudes, the universal blessings of the significance of the poor and mournful, the meek and hungry, and the merciful and peacemakers for the Kingdom of God. Their importance and value, their potential and capacity are declared salt of the earth and light of the world.

 Jesus now turns from the crowd to his disciples and says, “Do you think I have come to abolish the law? I have come not to abolish, but to fulfill”.

Jesus does more than keep the law. Jesus fulfills the law by surpassing the law. We see in Jesus’ teachings and healings, his forgiveness of sins, his very life, death and resurrection that he always goes beyond the law. Exceeding its potential and overflowing its capacity.  Jesus overwhelms the letter of the law for he is the true Spirit of the law.  But, we are not him.

Jesus tells them, “Amen, I say to you, until the heaven and the earth pass away (that is until the Kingdom of God has arrived) nothing, not one iota, shall be emitted from the law”. God will someday reign and then all of his laws will be fulfilled. Until that day we need all the help we can get. We are children still learning.

 And as children we have the potential and capacity for politeness. Politeness is good. We are taught (usually from our parents) politeness to be civil with others. But, as we mature as persons our potential grows and our capacity expands and so politeness, is overtaken, subsumed and deepened by virtues. Virtues are good. They make us better human beings. But, virtues themselves will be overtaken, subsumed, and expanded by Agape. Agape having all politeness, virtue and goodness within it is the fulfillment of all potential and the overflowing of all capacity of God’s law.

I love when Jesus says to them, you have heard it said, meaning you know how to keep the requirements of the law. But, I tell you how to fulfill the law.

And so Jesus expands “Thou shall not kill” by going beyond its potential and capacity to you shall not be hateful or angry, and he expands it further - be reconciled with all others. Jesus fulfills the law “Thou shall not kill” with Agape. Love one another, as I have loved you.

 Jesus goes beyond “Thou shall not commit adultery” to, do not lust or covet another person. He goes beyond requiring a just divorce according to the law, to requiring a just marriage. Jesus fulfills the law “Thou shall not commit adultery” with Agape. Love one another, as I have loved you. Agape fulfills Law.

 Jesus fulfills every law by his love, but we do not. Perhaps, we are not meant to fulfill. Perhaps, our potential and capacity is simply doing love, not perfecting love. And in love choosing, as wisely as we can, the way of God. In love, keeping, to the best of our ability, God’s Will for us. And, as is our human limitations, we sometimes succeed and sometimes fail.

But, we never give up in despair.  St Paul says, the Spirit securitizes everything! And this is true, but, the Spirit also drives us forward to exist in a new way, living beyond the letter of the law to live within the spirit of the law. And so we end where we began with the necessity of human freedom. “Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him. But, if you choose, you can keep the commandments and they will save you. Trust in God and you shall live”.