Law Prophets and Relationship

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present the Law as taught by Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy and fulfilled by Jesus according to the Gospel of Matthew. The experience of teaching is often that learners appear satisfied with the surface of the subject. Those learning the Law often appear to make the rules and the regulations the matter about which they are expert. Moses points to the lesson of the living the Law and being the people about which it is true “‘Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!’ For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him?” The lived law leads to intimacy with the Divine and/or intimacy with the Divine is evidenced by living the Law. The psalmist praises the unique gift of the statutes and ordinances of God to the Hebrew people. The life of disciplined living in the light of the Law is a witness to all nations. The religious authorities of Jesus time were mistaken when they accused Jesus of breaking the “Law”. Religiosity can cause the accumulation of human regulations in that extreme vanity and arrogance of setting rules for God. The fruit of living the Law is taught by example to those who observe the lawful behaviour of people on the journey to greater communion with God.