FULLNESS OF LIFE THROUGH THE LAWS OR THROUGH WISDOM

20151211 FULLNESS OF LIFE THROUGH THE LAWS OR THROUGH WISDOM

Readings at Mass

First reading

Isaiah 48:17-19 ©

Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you,

I lead you in the way that you must go.

If only you had been alert to my commandments,

your happiness would have been like a river,

your integrity like the waves of the sea.

Your children would have been numbered like the sand,

your descendants as many as its grains.

Never would your name have been cut off or blotted out before me.

Psalm

Psalm 1:1-4,6 ©

Anyone who follows you, O Lord, will have the light of life.

Happy indeed is the man

  who follows not the counsel of the wicked;

nor lingers in the way of sinners

  nor sits in the company of scorners,

but whose delight is the law of the Lord

  and who ponders his law day and night.

Anyone who follows you, O Lord, will have the light of life.

He is like a tree that is planted

  beside the flowing waters,

that yields its fruit in due season

  and whose leaves shall never fade;

  and all that he does shall prosper.

Anyone who follows you, O Lord, will have the light of life.

Not so are the wicked, not so!

For they like winnowed chaff

  shall be driven away by the wind.

for the Lord guards the way of the just

  but the way of the wicked leads to doom.

Anyone who follows you, O Lord, will have the light of life.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

See, the king, the Lord of the world, will come.

He will free us from the yoke of our bondage.

Alleluia!

Or

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Lord will come, go out to meet him.

Great is his beginning and his reign will have no end.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 11:16-19 ©

Jesus spoke to the crowds: ‘What description can I find for this generation? It is like children shouting to each other as they sit in the market place:

“We played the pipes for you,

and you wouldn’t dance;

we sang dirges,

and you wouldn’t be mourners.”

‘For John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He is possessed.” The Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Yet wisdom has been proved right by her actions.’

FULLNESS OF LIFE THROUGH THE LAWS OR THROUGH WISDOM

SCRIPTURE READINGS: ISAIAH 48:17-19; MATTHEW 11:16-19

For the Israelites and even for the Jews today, the greatest gift that God has given to humanity is the laws, the Torah.  Nothing can be compared to the Torah, the Word of God.  In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses said, “So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him? Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today?” (Dt 4:6-8) Clearly, the laws given to the Israelites were considered as the Wisdom of God.  They are meant to help people to live a happy and harmonious life.  The laws are for the good of the people so that walking by the laws, they can live in truth and in love.

Indeed, the wisdom of the Laws is reiterated by the Lord who spoke through the prophet Isaiah. He said, “I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you, I lead you in the way that you must go. If only you had been alert to my commandments, your happiness would have been like a river, your integrity like the waves of the sea. Your children would have been numbered like the sand, your descendants as many as its grains.  Never would your name have been cut off or blotted out before me.”  Indeed, those who follow the commandments of the Lord will find happiness in life, and live a life of integrity.  Their family will be united in love and their children will grow up to be upright, filial and virtuous.   As a consequence, their lives will be a blessing to others and hence, their names will be honoured by God and man for being role models as people of faith and love.  This is what the psalmist affirms as well.  “Happy indeed is the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked; nor lingers in the way of sinners nor sits in the company of scorners, but whose delight is the law of the Lord and who ponders his law day and night.  He is like a tree that is planted beside the flowing waters, that yields its fruit in due season and whose leaves shall never fade; and all that he does shall prosper.”

Truly, when we look at the world today and our own lives, we know that if our lives are in a mess, it is because we have listened to the world instead of listening to the wisdom of God.  We buy into the values promoted by the world, such as power, glory, wealth and status.  We allow ourselves to be deceived by the illusory values of the world.  What the world promotes is self-gratification, self-glorification, self-will and self-centeredness.   The focus is all on the individual, his rights, his freedom, his ways.  This is the age of individualism, materialism and consumerism. All the world is concerned about is to strengthen the egoistic needs of man, by pushing him to seek for glory and power to satisfy his ego and pride, and pursue pleasure, especially food and sex to satisfy his body and lust.   In truth, we know that the pursuit of such goals in life will end in illusion, frustration, emptiness and loneliness. This, too, is the judgment of the psalmist, “Not so are the wicked, not so! For they like winnowed chaff shall be driven away by the wind, for the Lord guards the way of the just but the way of the wicked leads to doom.”

We just have to look at the people who are truly happy.  Are they happy because they have plenty of wealth, power and status?  Nay, these are the most insecure people because they have so many enemies, competitors, and they live under the threat of being kidnapped and killed.  Not only do they not have freedom to go where they like, even their loved ones live like prisoners, always under the watchful eyes of security guards, living in a palace which looks more like a fortified prison.  The truly happy people are those who live a life of freedom in love, those who are capable of giving, loving, contributing themselves to the world.

Those who are at peace are those who are in touch with God, Nature, the Universe, their fellowmen and themselves.  This is the true meaning of ecology.  Often, ecology is seen in terms of proper relationship with nature.  But the true meaning of ecology is to be in right and harmonious relationship with God, the ground of existence, with nature, which includes the environment, air, water, plants, animals and our fellowmen. People who are truly human are those who transcend their creatureliness by living not just in the flesh but in the spirit.  In other words, such people live in true wisdom because they live like God who is always giving, loving, and sharing His life and love with us.  This is true wisdom, the ability to live one’s life with meaning, purpose and freedom.  Otherwise, we live like animals, just pandering to our physical needs.   And if we live for our ego, we will always remain fearful, for pride is the cause of all insecurity.

In the gospel, Jesus is presented to us as the Wisdom of God in person.  In Him, the Laws of Moses are contained in Him.  He is the Way, the Truth and the life.  He is the Word of God made flesh.  He is the bread of life.  He is the New Moses that John the Baptist, the new Elijah, was preparing us to welcome. Reflecting on the gospel today, we see how Jesus lived that life of total freedom in love.  On one hand, He seems to be breaking the Laws of Moses; on the other hand, He seems to be so free and liberated.  This made Jesus remark, “For John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He is possessed.’ The Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ Yet wisdom has been proved right by her actions.”

What is the secret of Jesus?  How is it that there is no dichotomy between living a life of wisdom and living a life based on the Laws?  How could He reconcile the observance and even apparent rejection of the Laws which are meant to be the Wisdom of God?   

In truth, for most of us, we often wonder whether following the Laws can truly give us life.  Because if we do, then we would have taken the Laws, in our case, the Word of God, seriously and observe them meticulously like the Jewish leaders.  The fact that we do not is because there is an inner struggle within us.  On one hand, we know that the Law is good, but on the other hand, the flesh, symbolizing our human weakness, lack of integrity, the loss of control over our will and appetite, the dullness of the intellect and most of all the fear of pain and death prevent us from looking at life with wisdom in truth and love. Our sensual desires, our pride and our fears hinder us from seeing what is truly worthwhile pursuing in life.

On the other hand, those who follow the Laws slavishly are no better off.  They are under the yoke of the Laws.  They live in fear of God and His divine punishment because they break the Laws.  The Jewish leaders were indeed enslaved by the laws.  Life became extremely burdensome because of the requirement to observe meticulously and religiously not just the commandments given by Moses but even the interpretation and the application of the principle involved in every practical situation of life.  This was particularly the case of the observance of the Sabbath Law where Jesus would bend according to the circumstances.  He was certainly not a slave to the Laws, but neither was He rebellious.  On the contrary, He made it clear, ““Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.  For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” (Mt 5:17f)   But He also qualified His statement by reminding us thus, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 5:20)

Jesus observed this dilemma or lack of integrity in us when He remarked, “What description can I find for this generation? It is like children shouting to each other as they sit in the market place: ‘We played the pipes for you, and you wouldn’t dance; we sang dirges, and you wouldn’t be mourners.’”   The real truth is that the Jewish leaders were not sincere.  When John the Baptist came, they refused to accept his call to conversion through repentance of sins and living an ascetical life because of the potential wrath and punishment of God. They were preoccupied in preserving their status, their special position in the Temple and in the eyes of others.  When Jesus came, preaching the unconditional mercy and forgiveness of God, they too could not accept the grace of God in Christ.  They wanted to merit God’s grace and not accept it freely as a gift.  In a nutshell, they were hypocrites.  They were not able to recognize their true motives in doing what they were doing.

Hence, if we want to find life today, we are called to recognize the Wisdom of God, not by rejecting the Word of God or the Laws of God but to observe them with understanding of the truth behind the laws and to apply them accordingly in every situation; not blindly, not merely by observing the letter but the Spirit of love, compassion and mercy behind all laws.  Only then we will be like Jesus, free in the Spirit, free in love, free from the Laws by transcending them and one at peace with the whole of creation, and with God.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore

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