Why do we do what we do?
The people of Israel lived by the law. In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses invites them to hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you do observe. The commandments represent God’s ongoing encouragement to understand who they are as a people, but as importantly, the law is wisdom from God that the people need to keep entering into and learning from and growing in. The commandments are God’s direction for their lives, teaching the people how to be faithful to God. But the people, for their part, must take the law into their heart, absorb it, engage with it, that they might reveal God to the world: Observe them carefully, Moses tells the people, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations and so serve as light to the world, revealing God’s work in you and in your lives. Psalm 15 further details God’s wisdom and commandments: One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord, the psalmist sings. We are to walk blamelessly and harm no one; we are to bring grace to our world, honoring the Lord and those who fear the Lord.
In Jesus’ time, the Pharisees and scribes have hardened the law of Moses into 613 commandments that, they believe, must be followed in order to be in right relationship with God. Mark's Gospel speaks of commandments related to purification rites: the scribes and Pharisees are outraged because Jesus’ disciples do not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands. This is one of many rules that limit others’ lives without making them any better. In response, Jesus quotes Isaiah: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Jesus wants the people to hold not to what makes them comfortable but to what give meaning; we are to be focused on what God calls us to, rather than what human tradition calls us to, and to act on that call.
The Letter of James states that all we have is gift from God, and that all we have to give in turn is also from God, including God’s Word, communicated to us through Jesus. Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you, James encourages his readers, that the Lord’s grace might flow through us. We must take that Word, along with Jesus’ commandments to love God and one another, to heart; we must let it enter into our very being and transform us. It can only do so if we absorb it and engage it, and then allow it to flow through us, to our world.
This post is based on Fr. Pat's Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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