20230315 ENTRANCE TEST TO ENTER THE PROMISED LAND
15 March 2023, Wednesday, 3rd Week of Lent
First reading |
Deuteronomy 4:1,5-9 © |
Keep these laws and observe them
Moses said to the people:
‘Now, Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you.
‘See, as the Lord my God has commanded me, I teach you the laws and customs that you are to observe in the land you are to enter and make your own. Keep them, observe them, and they will demonstrate to the peoples your wisdom and understanding. When they come to know of all these laws they will exclaim, “No other people is as wise and prudent as this great nation.” And indeed, what great nation is there that has its gods so near as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation is there that has laws and customs to match this whole Law that I put before you today?
‘But take care what you do and be on your guard. Do not forget the things your eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your heart all the days of your life; rather, tell them to your children and to your children’s children.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 147:12-13,15-16,19-20 © |
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Zion, praise your God!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates
he has blessed the children within you.
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
He sends out his word to the earth
and swiftly runs his command.
He showers down snow white as wool,
he scatters hoar-frost like ashes.
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
He makes his word known to Jacob,
to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations;
he has not taught them his decrees.
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Gospel Acclamation | Jn8:12 |
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
anyone who follows me will have the light of life.
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Or: | cf.Jn6:63,68 |
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;
you have the message of eternal life.
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Gospel | Matthew 5:17-19 © |
I have not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to complete them
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.’
ENTRANCE TEST TO ENTER THE PROMISED LAND
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [DT 4:1,5-9; PS 147:12-13,15-16,19-20; MT 5:17-19]
In the early Church, today’s mass was recommended for the Catechumens’ First Scrutiny before entering the Catholic Faith. It was a necessary test before they could be accepted for baptism. This first test concerns obedience to the laws. Unless the Catechumens were ready to embrace the laws of God as taught in the scripture and especially by Christ, they could not be admitted into the faith. The litmus test that they must ratify is their desire to observe the commandments so that they might have life.
This was the same test that God gave to the people through Moses. God was fully aware that once they entered the Promised Land, they would be surrounded by pagan neighbours. They would begin to mix with the original inhabitants. Some inculturation would take place even in the worship of God. They would be tempted by the Canaanites’ fertility gods and thereby forsake the God of the Exodus once they settled into a sedentary and agricultural life. Furthermore, the Promised Land was a fertile land, a land filled with honey. As they grew rich, they would be tempted to fall away from God, as most people do when they become rich and successful. Success will get into their heads, and they will become arrogant and independent from God. In the light of the impending challenges, the Lord also warned them of the test before them; Moses said, “And now, Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you. See, as the Lord my God has commanded me, I teach you the laws and customs that you are to observe in the land you are to enter and make your own.”
Since Moses used the word, “today” it also means that his instruction is still valid for us all. Unless we observe the commandments of God, we will not have the fullness of life. This was what Jesus said as well, “Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.” To enter the Promised Land at Easter, we must return to the Laws of God, observe them so that we might have life.
But what is it that hinders us from being obedient to the laws of God? Simply, it is because we have separated the laws from the person of God. When the laws are separated from God Himself, the laws become an existence unto its own, alienated from life. The laws become harsh, cold and burdensome. This was what happened in the history of religions. The laws were meant to help Israel live a harmonious and happy life. But they either forsook the laws or became self-righteous, like the Pharisees and the scribes during the time of Jesus. When laws are detached from God Himself, they become simply a set of rules, just like the laws in the civil courts or any organization. In other words, the spirit of the laws is lost.
Now, the point is that the Spirit of the laws is identified with God. He is the lawgiver. The laws are not distinct from God Himself because He is the law. His word is identical to Himself. God expressed Himself therefore in Christ Jesus who is the Incarnated Word. In Christ, God speaks completely and fully, not just in the words but in the being, life, conduct and actions of Jesus. Thus, we say that Jesus is the Word of God. By extension, we also say that the bible is the Word of God. We have reverence for the Bible simply because it is God who is revered through the scriptures. The laws of God are His wisdom and His fatherly advice to all His children, just like the words of our parents. They are meant for our good and not to make our lives miserable. They are meant to guide us to live fully.
Truly, the laws of God are the expression of His wisdom and concern for us. “Keep them, observe them, and they will demonstrate to the peoples your wisdom and understanding. When they come to know of all these laws they will exclaim, ‘No other people is as wise and prudent as this great nation.'” Just as parents, elders and statesmen pass on their knowledge and wisdom to their children through the sharing of their lives, their biography and the truths that they learnt, not just through study but through life itself, so too the laws of God are meant to be wisdom for His people so that they would not make the mistakes that others had before them.
Indeed, God comes close to us when we observe His laws. This was what Moses said. “And indeed, what great nation is there that has its gods so near as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation is there that has laws and customs to match this whole Law that I put before you today?” Through the laws, God comes into our lives as He guides us through them. The psalmist rejoiced, “He sends out his word to the earth and swiftly runs his command. He showers down snow white as wool, he scatters hoar-frost like ashes. He makes his word known to Jacob, to Israel his laws and decrees. He has not dealt thus with other nations; he has not taught them his decrees.” To give us His laws is to give us Himself in person.
The test of the truth of the wisdom of His laws is in observing them. Moses told the people. “Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you.” When we are obedient to the laws of God, there will be justice, charity and harmony among all peoples. The Decalogue is given as the basic principles of life that everyone must observe at its minimum. Beyond these Ten Commandments, the rest are elaboration for specific circumstances. Of course, Jesus gave us His principles of life Himself, not in terms of prohibitions but in a positive and proactive manner, as in the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount, and the call to love one another as He has loved us.
Thus, the key to observing the laws of God joyfully and not slavishly is when we are conscious that observing the laws of God is to love Him and to love our neighbours and ourselves. Only those who know God and His love will learn to trust Him even when they do not understand the laws and its implications at this point of time. It is like children obeying their parents. When they are young, before they reach the age of understanding and reasoning, they simply obey their parents because they believe that their parents know best. They even observe those rules that they do not understand, because they know that these are meant for their well-being. Furthermore, observing the rules is the way they demonstrate their love for their parents, since these rules are in many ways an expression of their parents’ wisdom and conviction in life.
So if we want to find strength to observe the laws, we must rediscover the love of God. His love must come first before the laws. Indeed, these laws were given to the Israelites only after they had encountered the power of the Lord, His mercy and love in the Exodus. For this reason, Moses gave an adjunction to the laws, “But take care what you do and be on your guard. Do not forget the things your eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your heart all the days of your life; rather, tell them to your children and your children’s children.” In other words, cut off from the love of God as demonstrated at the Exodus, observing the laws do not make sense and become a burden. No longer are they observed purely out of love for God who identifies Himself with the laws.
Jesus is for us the exemplar of what it means to observe the laws. He stated categorically in no uncertain terms, “Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved.” We must not think that Jesus was a lawless person. Although He broke some of the religious laws and customs, it was done to recover the spirit of the laws, not the letter of the laws. Jesus came to perfect the observance of the laws by linking obedience with love. Without love, obedience is a burden. When laws are carried out with love for the person and not the laws themselves, we become more humane and more compassionate.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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