Pastor's Letter 20230212 - 12 February 2023 - God's Law is Freedom

[Father Michael]

February 12^th, 2023

6^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

"I have come to fulfill the Law"

A Message from Father ^_†Michael

Today’s Theme: “God’s Law is Freedom”

Reflections on Today’s Scripture

(Sirach 15:15-20)  Freedom to choose entails freedom to be responsible and freedom to be culpable as well.

Written ca. 190 B.C., Sirach is one of the books disputed by the Protestants as non-canonical (apocryphal.)  Earlier called Ecclesiasticus, Catholics, however, regard it as valid, and even a witty commentary on the world and its people.  It treats the issue of the freedom of will to choose between right and wrong.  Sirach’s work places the responsibility for evil in the world on human shoulders and exonerated God from all blame.  As the author of Genesis saw the problem of evil in the world and sought to explain its oration so Sirach faced the problem of that existing evil and sought a solution for it in the proper use of free will.

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(1 Corinthians 2:6-10)  The Christian who finds wisdom in Christ crucified has to accept that he may regarded as a fool.  

^_†Paul relegates true wisdom, the only wisdom of any true value, to its origin with God, and located in the cross of Jesus Christ—a place of glory.  Corinthians, by not accepting the cross and its wisdom, showed their immaturity.  ^_†Paul chided them with familiar terminology, talking about spiritual maturity (Gr: teleios,) as being possessors of a certain, “special” wisdom, stemming from the Greek background of mystery cults and gnostic tendencies.  He likened this attitude as similar to “rulers of this age,” earthly agents of powers of evil.  ^_†Paul’s reference to the phrase, “eye has not seen…,” underscores his assertions that human wisdom cannot, of itself, achieve that which God, through the Holy Spirit, freely reveals to the faithful lovers of the Cross of Jesus.

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(Matthew 5:17-37)  Jesus believed in our infinite capacity for God’s grace and in our potential for goodness.  

Jesus’ statement, “I have not come to abolish the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them,” set into motion a series of challenges and demands, which were to lead His disciples far beyond even the perfect (outward) observance of the Law.  His interpretation of the Law called for a far greater righteousness than the Pharisees’ adherence to the 613 Laws of Moses—in fact, suggesting their imperfection and incompleteness.  For example, the prohibition of murder, (Exodus 20:15,) is enlarged to also forbid anger.  In the event that one did not become angry and use abusive language, the responsibility for reconciliation is still imposed on both parties—who are each required to make reconciliation before any participation in worship.  Jesus emphasizes, as did the prophets, the interdependence of brotherly love and true worship.

Deeper Virtue

One might think, “Virtue is virtue….”  But consider: there is a shallow, inauthentic virtue—when one’s motive is not pure—an unworthy motive that can spoil even the best deed.  Virtue is shallow when it lacks personal conviction, and is practiced merely out of convention, conformity, or routine.  Virtue is inauthentic when the person is not sincere.  

But then, there is the genuine article—deep, true, authentic virtue.  It’s not a “skin-deep” thing, but an expression of what one is, inside—a revelation of the heart.  

Sin and virtue, “badness and goodness,” are essentially matters of the heart.  From this perspective, a Christian should assess them.  Corruption of the heart is the word kind of “badness”—said to be “bad to the core.”  “Goodness of heart,” is the best kind—being “good to the core.”  

We must not be content to look at only the surface of our lives—our words and deeds.  We must also have the courage to search our hearts—to look “inside,” at our thoughts, intentions, attitudes and desires.  This means when we consider our sins, we must consider the sins of the heart: resentments, jealousies, angers, hatreds and lusts.  These may be our worst sins, and the root cause of our external sins.  If allowed to go unchecked, them may lead, as Jesus says, to murder, sexual sins and infidelity.  

From a spiritual point of view, saying a person has a “cold heart,” or a “hard heart,” may be one of the worst characterizations, ever.  Cold-hearted people are unable to show kindness, understanding or sympathy.  Hard-hearted people may be even worse, still—unable to show pity, mercy or forgiveness.  

For all their piety, the Pharisees of Jesus’ day were both cold-hearted and hard-hearted.  How could such people be virtuous?  

Describing a person as “warm-hearted,” or “soft-hearted,” immediately evokes one who is innately capable of kindness, goodness, tenderness, pity, compassion and mercy.  These are virtues “of the heart.”  Without them, we cannot consider ourselves truly human, never mind a truly religious or virtuous person.  

In the final analysis, it is the condition of our heart that truly matters.  This will describe what we are like “deep down”—what we think of as “the real me.”  The state of our heart is how we truly live. Goodness of heart is the goal to which we all should strive.  When we do, our good deeds will flow from what we truly are, as naturally as good fruit comes from a good tree.  They will be true, and genuine.  

Jesus and the Law

Jesus found no fault with the law, itself, but with the way it was interpreted and applied by the religious leaders of His day.  For them, the letter of the law was all that mattered.  For Jesus, the spirit of the law was more important—not how many commandments obeyed, but the manner in which we obey them.

Jesus saw the Pharisees approach as mere minimalism.  He also saw their obedience to the law was rooted in fear.  He wanted us to view the New Law from a perspective of love.  When you love someone, you avoid doing anything to hurt them.  Where there is love, there is really no need of law….  In fact, free observance of the law can be seen as true freedom.  That is the intention I held when in selecting my episcopal motto—seen at the bottom of the crest, seen in the Masthead of this letter:  “God’s Law is Freedom.”  

Freely acceding to a standard by which we measure our lives, we become free from any tyranny of retribution that formerly was a hindrance to our happiness.  We can be free from “concern,” knowing that we are living righteously.  

Far from contradicting or abolishing the Old Law, Jesus’ New Law goes beyond it, and brings it to perfection.  In summarizing all of God’s laws, then, we have only two:  Love of God, and Love of Neighbor.  In truth, then there is only one law…the Law of Love.  

May God Richly Bless You!

To Know Thee.docx

Bishop ^_†Michael's Diocesan/Episcopal Crest

Edited February 13, 2023 by Father Michael