“If you trust in God, you too shall live; he has set before you fire and water; to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.” Of course, fire burns and destroys; water gives life. Using this very powerful imagery, we hear Sirach in today’s first reading instruct the people of Israel – and us – to trust in God and keep his commandments, for they – and we – will be saved by doing so. Before us are life and death, good and evil, Sirach says. Whichever we choose shall be given to us. Life itself, and our salvation, are certainly blessings from God. Choosing to follow the laws of the Lord leads to these blessings – blessings in this life and eternal salvation in heaven. This is what our faith is all about, isn’t it? That’s why we are gathered here today around our Lord’s Table: to hear his life-saving Word and receive his nourishing Body and Blood in Holy Communion.
In today’s second reading, Saint Paul speaks of the wisdom of God, predetermined before the ages for our glory. St. Paul speaks of God’s plan for our salvation, known always to God himself but revealed to us fully only in Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Word of God made man, revealed that plan as he dwelt among us. He is wisdom incarnate, and the embodiment of the good placed before us, of which Sirach speaks. He is the fulfillment of the divine law that God revealed to our ancestors in the faith.
Jesus, in the Gospel account that we hear today, assures his disciples that “I have come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it.” And, then he continues, by explaining what he means, with a set of comparisons that reveal God’s wisdom: “You have heard it said… but I say to you.” With these comparisons between the understanding of law taught by the Jewish leaders and the new understanding that he has come to bring us, he is teaching that sin begins not with an act but with an attitude. Most people don’t wake up one day and decide to commit murder. The act of murder begins with contempt or hatred or envy or resentment or pride. It grows in the heart and festers long before the murder is actually committed. The same is true with adultery. Infidelity in marriage usually begins with lust – that is, an uncontrolled craving that is the polar opposite of respectful love of spouse. We are called to develop an attitude of love and respect for others so that our actions will reflect our attitude.
Jesus is the fullness of the law, he is the source from which all other laws and behaviors derive any force or meaning. Therefore, for example, in love, we refrain, not just from killing or adultery, but from any behavior toward another that beats down, injures or destroys. By following the law, and by imitating Jesus, we are more and more free to both continue in such habits, and to receive the blessings that come with it. For as Jesus teaches so clearly, whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Thinking about “law” often makes us uneasy – perhaps because most of our laws speak of what we cannot or should not do. Of course, that is also true of the Ten Commandments. Only two are stated in the positive: “Keep holy the Lord’s Day” – as we are doing right now – and “Honor your father and mother.” But that is not a full representation of God’s law, which is given for our flourishing and for our glory.
Remember, when Jesus was asked which of the laws was most important, he summed them up very clearly in positive language: love God and love your neighbor. That is the fulfilment of the law and the prophets. Today, as Valentine’s Day approaches, we honor and pray for those among us who have dedicated themselves to love of God and neighbor in a particular way: through the sacrament of marriage. Whether they were married just a few months ago or many years ago, they have stood before God and committed themselves to each other in love. And, they have learned – by trial and error – how best to love their spouses and their families. And, God has blessed them with his abundant love. In just a few minutes, we will ask God’s particular blessings on them, that they may remain strong in their marriage commitment throughout their lives.
We are also privileged to have among us three young parishioners who will be blessed to receive our Lord in Holy Communion for the first time. Jesus gave us his life-giving Body and Blood to strengthen us in our love of God and our neighbor. As we welcome these young men and women around our Lord’s Table, we pray that they will come often to receive him in this sacred sacrament.
And, let us all make sure that our attitude is the same as Jesus’ so that our actions will also be the same. Let us seek a wisdom that is mature, as Paul encourages us in today’s second reading, not a wisdom of this age, which is often self-centered and self-seeking. Indeed, blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord! Let us live full of trust in God, loving God and neighbor, just as Jesus did. Then, we too, will be blessed.