June 8, 2005
The Law Mt 5:17-19
Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven."
The law is written in our hearts. It is not the letter of the law but the spirit that is to be followed. Jesus brings a new way but all of the laws of our faith, the commandments are the same and to be followed.
Here the teaching is that the Messiah is the fulfillment of the earlier teachings not a contradiction to them. It is one of the utterly rich and bountiful sources of inspiratin that over and over again, the stories, teaching and words of the Gospel are the Hebrew Bible teachings, stories and words fulfilled.
As a monsigneur once put it in an interfaith meeting that I attended, the members of the Jewish faith are the "parent company" for Christians. As I begin this day, I pray for the patience and wisdom to be an instrument of God in all that I do today.
Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven."
The law is written in our hearts. It is not the letter of the law but the spirit that is to be followed. Jesus brings a new way but all of the laws of our faith, the commandments are the same and to be followed.
Here the teaching is that the Messiah is the fulfillment of the earlier teachings not a contradiction to them. It is one of the utterly rich and bountiful sources of inspiratin that over and over again, the stories, teaching and words of the Gospel are the Hebrew Bible teachings, stories and words fulfilled.
As a monsigneur once put it in an interfaith meeting that I attended, the members of the Jewish faith are the "parent company" for Christians. As I begin this day, I pray for the patience and wisdom to be an instrument of God in all that I do today.
posted by Joan Morris at 5:34 AM
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