20240306 UNDERSTAND THE WISDOM OF THE LAW
06 March 2024, 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.’
UNDERSTAND THE WISDOM OF THE LAW
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Dt 4:1,5-9; Ps 147:12-13,15-16,19-20; MT 5:17-19]
St Paul wrote to Timothy, “Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it legitimately. This means understanding that the law is laid down not for the innocent but for the lawless and disobedient, for the godless and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their father or mother, for murderers, fornicators, sodomites, slave traders, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.” (1 Tim 1:8-11) In spite of the fact that St Paul preached the doctrine of justification by faith alone through God’s grace, yet he himself did not denigrate the role of laws in Christian life. In fact, even in his letters, after the presentation of the theological content, he always prescribed how a Christian was required to live his or her life in the world.
Indeed, even as Christians, we must not think that we are above the laws of God just because we believe in being justified by Christ. It is true that we are sinners and will always be imperfect in many ways. None of us can follow God’s law perfectly. Even if some of us could do better than others, we can also fall into the sin of pride and self-righteousness. Worst of all, we can even make God our debtor – since we have kept the Law, God must reward us. Salvation is no longer the grace of God but solely the merits of man. So, justification by faith alone is transformed into justification by the law.
Nevertheless, the laws and customs of every nation and community are certainly useful in helping and guiding us as to how we should live our lives in such a way that will preserve harmony, mutual respect and, together, grow in prosperity. As St Paul said, laws are for our good. Consequently, we can appreciate why Moses instructed the people, “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.” The Law of Moses could be considered as the constitutional law of the nation of Israel. They sought to control the people and ensure that they lived harmoniously, justly, and with charity towards those who were poor, orphaned or were strangers in their land. In this way, the people would be united as a nation, and together as one nation and one people, they would remain strong when attacked by foreign powers.
But these laws must be kept with understanding. One must recognize the wisdom behind the laws that they observe. We do not observe the laws of God slavishly and blindly. We must observe them intelligently so that we can demonstrate to others the beauty of the laws. So much so, as Moses remarked, “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?” So, there is great wisdom behind the laws formulated for the people of Israel. They were meant for their good and not meant to make their lives miserable.
People are only miserable if they observe the laws without understanding the wisdom behind them. This is the real reason why people break the laws or do not observe the laws. When they forget the motive and the intention of the laws given to them, they will comply blindly, out of routine, and often out of fear of being penalized. They are not convinced of the wisdom and beauty of the laws that they observe. Instead, the laws become a set of inconveniences to put up with. When such an attitude prevails, instead of freely observing the laws, some will seek to circumvent them so that they would not be penalized. This is true not just in the Catholic Faith but in all other religions, including the observance of some civil laws as well. We obey them because it is required of us, not because we see the good of doing so.
This was why Jesus said in the gospel, “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.” Jesus came to fulfil the laws perfectly by focusing not on the letter of the law but the spirit behind the laws. If Jesus had appeared to be breaking the external laws, it was because He was seeking to go beyond the letter of the law to the intention behind it. It is therefore not true that Jesus broke the Sabbath Law. In so far as the Sabbath Law is meant to give glory to God and to serve the good of our brothers and sisters, then doing good on the Sabbath is not contradicting the Law but fulfilling it.
Hence, perhaps, we need to make a distinction between the eternal principles of the Law and the application of the laws. The principles do not change with time because they are focused on eternal values, such as truth, justice, integrity, compassion, and giving honour to God. Such values do not change over time even when our lifestyle changes, or when society develops, and new cultures and traditions are formed. In fact, the principles, such as the Decalogue, remain forever relevant even though the application in concrete situations may require modification. Human customs and practices change over time. Old ones are discarded, and new ones are formed. This need to adapt customs and practices comes about because of changing circumstances.
We are a good example of this radical transformation of lifestyle. Because of globalization and mass communication, the isolationist policy of Israel does not work in today’s time. With increasing contact and mass migration, we cannot but embrace and integrate new cultures, customs and even languages. With affluence, technology, education, digital communication, the way we relate to each other changes. Even our family settings have undergone tremendous transformation as both parents are working, children are raised by domestic helpers or grandparents, and they are very much dependent on their mobile phone. Today, one cannot go out without taking one’s mobile phone because everything is found there.
Unfortunately, what is troubling the world today is not so much that customs and practices have changed. Rather, even eternal principles and values according to natural laws and not just divine laws are compromised to satisfy the selfish and self-centred needs of humanity. Humanity no longer believe in eternal values. This is against what the psalmist believes. “O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! He has strengthened the bars of your gates he has blessed the children within you. 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.”
So, decrees belonging to the realm of nature and divine laws are rewritten, in spite of the fact that they are directly opposed to reason. Just look at the hypocrisy when it comes to promoting the culture of life and love. Today, one is addressed according to one’s gender preferences, not by biological birth. We deny that we are male or female because we do not feel that we are either. So, too, when it comes to the culture of life. We deny a foetus a life simply because it is less than twenty-four weeks old. When does science dictate when a person becomes a human being? Even then, the laws for abortion differ in different countries. What is happening is just the opposite of what Moses said about the wisdom of the law. Today’s laws are ridiculous, hypocritical and destructive to the family and humanity.
Hence, we all have a duty to uphold the laws, not the practical laws and customs that would require adaptation from time to time. Moses reminded his people, “”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.” Our Lord also urges us, “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.” As leaders and guardians, we must protect those under our care from losing their direction in life, especially the eternal values that safeguard our interests.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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