Better rabbi

The texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today offer the challenge of seeking the deeper understanding of actions through which we attempt to live in relationship with God. Paul has been accused by Jewish Christian missionaries to Galatia of being a fraud who does not understand the necessity of the strict observance of the Law for righteousness before God. Friar Jude Winkler explains that Paul skillfully uses Jewish midrash as the technique whereby he opens the story of the faith of Abraham to establish the consequence of condemnation by the Law and the triumph of faith as the blessing from Abraham to his descendents. Friar Jude details how Paul asserts his Jewish background by “out rabbi-ing the rabbi”. Depending on the external rituals, observances and slogans of religiosity can lead to the kind of contradictory proclamation of the people in the Gospel of Luke where Jesus is accused of using demonic power to cast out demons. The declaration of Jesus that being undecided is not a spiritual position urges us to spend time reflecting on our practices which may be providing momentary spiritual comfort but, as the example of demon exorcism indicates, the false sense of well being offered by ritual and rules may delay or defer the transformation of our life style to one of trust in our intimate relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit.