Faith and Law

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today alert us to the precarious position of accepting legalistic and overly scrupulous guides to our relationship with others on our journey.

Lord Faith Baptism

In the reading from the Letter to the Galatians, Paul expands upon the nature of Christian Freedom.

* [5:1–6] Paul begins the exhortations, continuing through Gal 6:10, with an appeal to the Galatians to side with freedom instead of slavery (Gal 5:1). He reiterates his message of justification or righteousness by faith instead of law and circumcision (Gal 5:2–5); cf. Gal 2:16; 3:3. Faith, not circumcision, is what counts (Gal 5:6).

* [5:1] Freedom: Paul stresses as the conclusion from the allegory in Gal 4:21–31 this result of Christ’s work for us. It is a principle previously mentioned (Gal 2:4), the responsible use of which Gal 5:13 will emphasize.

* [5:3] Cf. Gal 3:10–12. Just as those who seek to live by the law must carry out all its contents, so those who have faith and live by promise must stand firm in their freedom (Gal 5:1, 13).

* [5:6] Cf. Rom 2:25–26; 1 Cor 7:19; Gal 6:15. The Greek for faith working through love or “faith expressing itself through love” can also be rendered as “faith energized by (God’s) love.” (Galatians, CHAPTER 5, n.d.)

Psalm 119 praises the Glories of God’s Law.

* [Psalm 119] This Psalm, the longest by far in the Psalter, praises God for giving such splendid laws and instruction for people to live by. The author glorifies and thanks God for the Torah, prays for protection from sinners enraged by others’ fidelity to the law, laments the cost of obedience, delights in the law’s consolations, begs for wisdom to understand the precepts, and asks for the rewards of keeping them. (Psalms, PSALM 119, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus denounces Pharisees and Lawyers.

* [11:37–54] This denunciation of the Pharisees (Lk 11:39–44) and the scholars of the law (Lk 11:45–52) is set by Luke in the context of Jesus’ dining at the home of a Pharisee. Controversies with or reprimands of Pharisees are regularly set by Luke within the context of Jesus’ eating with Pharisees (see Lk 5:29–39; 7:36–50; 14:1–24). A different compilation of similar sayings is found in Mt 23 (see also notes there). (Luke, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)

Barbara Dilly comments that when Paul says to the Galatians, “Brothers and sisters: For freedom Christ set us free; so, stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery,” rousing as it sounds, he is not making a political statement.  Nor is he trying to rally the masses around a set of legal certainties and social mandates.  In fact, he is doing something quite the contrary.  Paul tells us that we fall from grace when we seek justification by law.  We separate ourselves from Christ when we bind ourselves to the law, which will become a yoke of slavery.  

Nowhere in his writings, however, does Paul say we don’t need laws and social mandates.  It is a matter of priorities.  Laws and social mandates are created to serve us, not for us to serve them.  We have been set free for a greater purpose than just following the rules and norms of our societies.  More significantly, we are called to the hope of righteousness, which we can obtain by faith working through love.  That poses quite a problem for many of us.  It is much easier to hold others accountable to the law than to love them.  Yet, Jesus is straightforward about this.  We can’t judge others and ourselves by what we do on the outside.  It is more about how our hearts reflect faith working through love.  I pray today that we can let Christ remove our yoke of slavery from seeking justification through the law so that we can more fully live in freedom through love. (Dilly, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Acts of mercy are examples of almsgiving,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"What our Lord says, 'Give alms, and behold, all things are clean to you,' applies to all useful acts of mercy. It does not apply just to the one who gives food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothing to the naked, hospitality to the wayfarer or refuge to the fugitive. It also applies to one who visits the sick and the prisoner, redeems the captive, bears the burdens of the weak, leads the blind, comforts the sorrowful, heals the sick, shows the erring the right way, gives advice to the perplexed, and does whatever is needful for the needy. Not only does this person give alms, but the person who forgives the trespasser also gives alms as well. He is also a giver of alms who, by blows or other discipline, corrects and restrains those under his command. At the same time he forgives from the heart the sin by which he has been wronged or offended or prays that it be forgiven the offender. Such a person gives alms not only because he forgives and prays but also because he rebukes and administers corrective punishment, since in this he shows mercy... There are many kinds of alms. When we do them, we are helped in receiving forgiveness of our own sins." (excerpt from ENCHIRIDION 19.72) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Galatians 5:1-6 notes that St. Paul reminds the Galatians, and us, that there is more to our freedom in Christ than just freedom from sin. There is more than freedom from the limitation of death. Jesus has set us free so that we can know God’s love, love him in return, and love our neighbors as he loves us. What really counts, Paul says, is “faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6).

Today, make a conscious decision to offer your day to the Lord. Take some time to pray through what you know about your schedule and the people you’ll see. Remember that Christ set you free so that you could love them better and show his love to them. You will have plenty of opportunities to give of yourself or let go of your own preferences or put someone ahead of yourself today. So make the choice ahead of time that you will bring love into each situation. Because that’s what your freedom is for.

“Lord of all, I freely offer you every moment of my day. Help me to approach every aspect of my day with your love.” (Meditation on Galatians 5:1-6, n.d.)

The Franciscan Media article on John XXIII comments that on his deathbed, Pope John said: “It is not that the gospel has changed; it is that we have begun to understand it better. Those who have lived as long as I have…were enabled to compare different cultures and traditions, and know that the moment has come to discern the signs of the times, to seize the opportunity and to look far ahead.”

Throughout his life, Angelo Roncalli cooperated with God’s grace, believing that the job at hand was worthy of his best efforts. His sense of God’s providence made him the ideal person to promote a new dialogue with Protestant and Orthodox Christians, as well as with Jews and Muslims. In the sometimes noisy crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica, many people become silent on seeing the simple tomb of Pope John XXIII, grateful for the gift of his life and holiness. After his beatification, his tomb was moved into the basilica itself. (Saint John XXIII, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the exhortation of Paul to the Galatian community not to be circumcised. Justification by faith is by trust in the Love of Christ and not by something we do. Friar Jude notes the wide and overly scrupulous interpretation of the Law by the Pharisees that Jesus opposed.  

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, suggests that practical truth is more likely found at the bottom and the edges than at the top or center of most groups, institutions, and cultures. The edge of things is a liminal space—a holy place or, as the Celts called it, “a thin place.” Most of us have to be taught how to live there. To function on the spiritual edge of things is to learn how to move safely in and out, back and forth, across and return. It is a prophetic position, not a rebellious or antisocial one. When we are at the center of something, we easily confuse essentials with nonessentials, getting tied down by trivia, loyalty tests, and job security. Not much truth can happen there. When we live on the edge of anything, with respect and honor (and this is crucial!), we are in an auspicious and advantageous position.

The unique and rare position of a biblical prophet is always on the edge of the inside. The prophet is not an outsider throwing rocks or an insider comfortably defending the status quo. Instead, the prophet lives precariously with two perspectives held tightly together. In this position, one is not ensconced safely inside, nor situated so far outside as to lose compassion or understanding. Prophets must hold these perspectives in a loving and necessary creative tension. It is a unique kind of seeing and living, which will largely leave the prophet with “nowhere to lay his head” (Luke 9:58) and easily attracting the “hatred of all”—who have invariably taken sides in opposing groups (Luke 21:16–17). The prophet speaks for God, and almost no one else, it seems.

When we are both inside and outside, we are an ultimate challenge, possible reformers, and lasting invitations to a much larger world. (Rohr, 2022)

Our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader is animated by the Spirit to be motivated by the Love of Christ in our action.

References

Dilly, B. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/101122.html 

Galatians, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/galatians/5?1 

Luke, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/11?37 

Meditation on Galatians 5:1-6. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/10/11/509759/ 

Psalms, PSALM 119. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/119?41 

Rohr, R. (2022, October 11). The Edge of the Inside — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-edge-of-the-inside-2022-10-11/ 

Saint John XXIII. (n.d.). Franciscan Media. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-john-xxiii 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=oct11