Law Spirit and Commandment

 

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today inspire thanksgiving for the gift of the Spirit and suggest contemplation of the role of Commandments to keep us on the straight and narrow in our spiritual development.

Commandments to guide

 

The reading from the Book of Exodus is on the topic of social laws reminding us that we should not wrong or oppress a resident alien.

You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien1

Psalm 18 is a royal thanksgiving for victory.

 * [Psalm 18] A royal thanksgiving for a military victory, duplicated in 2 Sm 22. Thanksgiving Psalms are in essence reports of divine rescue. The Psalm has two parallel reports of rescue, the first told from a heavenly perspective (Ps 18:5–20), and the second from an earthly perspective (Ps 18:36–46).2

The reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians recognizes the growth of the community in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.

 * [1:6] Imitators: the Pauline theme of “imitation” (see 1 Thes 2:14; 1 Cor 4:16; 11:1; 2 Thes 3:9) is rooted in Paul’s view of solidarity in Christ through sharing in Jesus’ cross and in the Spirit of the risen Lord.3

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus answers a question about the Greatest Commandment.

 

* [22:39] Jesus goes beyond the extent of the question put to him and joins to the greatest and the first commandment a second, that of love of neighbor, Lv 19:18; see note on Mt 19:18–19. This combination of the two commandments may already have been made in Judaism.4

Jack Mahoney SJ, Emeritus Professor of Moral and Social Theology in the University of London, looks at the 'commandments' that Jesus gave to his disciples. He notes how Luke uses the Parable of the Good Samaritan to address the question of “who is my neighbour?” Pope Francis has chosen this parable as a cornerstone of his third encyclical “Fratelli tutti.”

 a question had arisen among the Jews and was now put to Jesus: was there any priority among them, and if so, which commandment was ‘the first of all’, as Mark phrases it (12:28), or ‘the greatest’, according to Matthew (22:34)? In his reply Jesus had no doubt: moving outside the Ten Commandments, he replied that ‘the greatest and first commandment’ was to love God totally (Mk 12:30; Mt 22:37-38; see Deut 6:5). And then, according to Mark, he added for good measure, as was usual with him, ‘The second is this, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself”’ (Mk 12:31), which Matthew records as, ‘A second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself”’ (Mt 22:39). This Jewish question about a priority among the commandments in the Mosaic Law is characteristically omitted by Luke, who was writing more for Roman gentiles... Luke, alone among the evangelists, then introduces the famous parable of the Good Samaritan as Jesus’s memorable reply to the lawyer’s next question: ‘But who is my neighbour?’ (Lk 10:28-37).5

Larry Hopp comments that even in difficult times, following Jesus’ example of focusing on others will produce positive results.  Of course this serves as an effective model for all believers.  Allowing our faith in God to keep us focused on others will allow us to make a profound impact for God.

 

Jesus put an exclamation on this thread in the Gospel found in Matthew.  While He responded to the Pharisees’ question that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind, Jesus went on to emphasize the second commandment that “you shall love your neighbor as yourself”.  He also noted that “the whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”    All those in each of our lives represent the “neighbors” that Jesus was talking about.  The simple truth is that we have a holy obligation to respond with love and compassion to those God has placed in our lives.6

Don Schwager quotes “Loving God with heart, mind, and soul,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

 

"Worthy is he, confirmed in all his gifts, who exults in the wisdom of God, having a heart full of the love of God, and a soul completely enlightened by the lamp of knowledge and a mind filled with the word of God. It follows then that all such gifts truly come from God. He would understand that all the law and the prophets are in some way a part of the wisdom and knowledge of God. He would understand that all the law and the prophets depend upon and adhere to the principle of the love of the Lord God and of neighbor and that the perfection of piety consists in love." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13)7

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 22:34-40 notes we can all point to times when we have overlooked opportunities to love, even when they are staring us in the face. Why would that be? Part of the reason is that we may have a narrow definition of Jesus’ command to love.

 

We might tend to reduce loving God to attending Mass or getting our prayer times in—walled-off situations that are limited in time and not very demanding. As for loving our neighbor, we can fall into the trap of deciding for ourselves who our “neighbor” is. Maybe he’s our husband but not the coworker who rubs us the wrong way. Maybe she’s our sister but not the in-law who is always offering her advice, whether we want it or not.8

Friar Jude Winkler finds compassion in the laws cited in Exodus and a reminder to combat the xenophobic attacks too common in our society today. Paul and Jesus often exhibit the Jewish exaggeration typical of their time. Friar Jude is thankful for the guideposts of the Commandments as we learn to love.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, offers a basic overview of the stages of spiritual development that he has used for years with spiritual directees and in teaching settings. This evolution may lead to the peace the world cannot give.

 I’m “just me,” warts and all. It is enough to be human without any window dressing. We are now fully detached from our own self-image and living in God’s image of us—which includes and loves both the good and the bad. We experience true serenity and freedom, but it is quite ordinary and also quite sufficient. This is the peace the world cannot give (see John 14:27) and full resting in God. “To know oneself in God and to know God in oneself,” as both Julian of Norwich and Teresa of Ávila put it.9

The gift of the Spirit nudges us to live with compassion and love for others through which we will experience peace.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Exodus, CHAPTER 22 | USCCB. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/22
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 18 | USCCB. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/18
3	(n.d.). 1 Thessalonians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1thessalonians/1
4	(n.d.). Matthew, CHAPTER 22 | USCCB. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/22
5	(2012, July 10). Jesus and the Ten Commandments | Thinking Faith: The .... Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20120710_1.htm
6	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - Online Ministries .... Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/102520.html
7	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture .... Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2020&date=oct25
8	(2020, October 25). 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - The Word Among Us. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://wau.org/meditations/2020/10/25/176730/
9	(2020, October 25). Spiritual Development — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://cac.org/spiritual-development-2020-10-25/

 

Alien treatment

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today provides an opportunity to compare the treatment of aliens as required by the Mosaic Law and Jesus practice to North American tendencies today.

For aliens

The reading from Deuteronomy about the Lord’s Majesty and Compassion refers to our duty to aliens.

 * [10:16] Circumcise therefore the foreskins of your hearts: cf. 30:6; Jer 4:4; Rom 2:29. The “uncircumcised heart” (Lv 26:41; Jer 9:25; Ez 44:7, 9) is closed and unreceptive to God, just as “uncircumcised ears” (Jer 6:10) are closed to the word of the Lord, and “uncircumcised lips” (Ex 6:12, 30) are a hindrance to speaking on behalf of the Lord.1

In Psalm 147, God speaks through the thunder of nature and the word of revealed law.

 * [147:15–19] God speaks through the thunder of nature and the word of revealed law, cf. Is 55:10–11. The weather phenomena are well known in Jerusalem: a blizzard of snow and hail followed by a thunderstorm that melts the ice.2

In the Gospel from Matthew, Jesus agrees to pay the Temple Tax intended for aliens.

* [17:24–27] Like Mt 14:28–31 and Mt 16:16b–19, this episode comes from Matthew’s special material on Peter. Although the question of the collectors concerns Jesus’ payment of the temple tax, it is put to Peter. It is he who receives instruction from Jesus about freedom from the obligation of payment and yet why it should be made. The means of doing so is provided miraculously. The pericope deals with a problem of Matthew’s church, whether its members should pay the temple tax, and the answer is given through a word of Jesus conveyed to Peter. Some scholars see here an example of the teaching authority of Peter exercised in the name of Jesus (see Mt 16:19). The specific problem was a Jewish Christian one and may have arisen when the Matthean church was composed largely of that group.3 

Angela Maynard has come to two conclusions during this summer of reflection.

We were put on this earth to care for each other—no matter what!We will be where we are supposed to be—God is the one in control.My focus now is to ‘trust the process”.  Jesus knew what was ahead, as did his disciples.  I don’t know what is ahead. Most of us don’t. But should that really matter? 
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.                                                                                                                             Jeremiah 29:114

Don Schwager asks “Who likes to pay taxes, especially when you think they might be unreasonable or unjust?”

Jesus and his disciples were confronted by tax collectors on the issue of tax evasion. When questioned about paying the temple tax, Jesus replied to his disciples: We must pay so as not to cause bad example. In fact, we must go beyond our duty in order that we may show others what they ought to do. The scriptural expression to give no offense doesn't refer to insult or annoyance - rather it means to put no stumbling block in the way of another that would cause them to trip or fall. Jesus would not allow himself anything which might possibly be a bad example to someone else5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 17:22-27 comments that though paying the tax is a good thing, Jesus puts it in a new light. As children of the Father whose Temple it is, both Peter and Jesus are free from the tax. Yet Jesus pays it anyway! He doesn’t want to present an unnecessary obstacle to his fellow Jews.

Of course, Jesus didn’t pay the Temple tax just to show Peter how much he loved him. He was also setting an example: go and do likewise. Be patient with the people around you.
Do you have a friend or family member who is struggling with their faith? Are you close to someone who is not living out a particular teaching of the Church? Don’t give up on them, and by all means don’t condemn them! Be as kind and generous with them as you can. The last thing you need is to become a stumbling block on their journey to Jesus.6 

Friar Jude Winkler explains how the Law was a gift to the Israelites when pagan neighbours lived in terror of the gods. Homilies today have an opportunity to connect to our mistreatment of aliens. Friar Jude notes that demographics of the early Church favoured Paul’s treatment of Law over Matthew’s.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, asks “Why are so many people from different cultures, countries, ethnicities, educations, and religions saying very similar things today?” This really is quite amazing, and, to my knowledge, has no precedent in human history. Call it the collective unconscious, globalization, or the One Spirit of God. We seem to be evolving and experiencing more widespread transformation. The things we used to argue about or use as reasons to dismiss one another now so often seem boring, limited, historically bound, and prejudicial.

But many Christians have used Paul’s writings in a contentious, dualistic, and either-or way. We used his strong metaphors to blame, hate, and separate because that is what the unconverted self prefers. The ego loves to take sides, and the longer and more vigorously it justifies its side, the more it feels like this is surely truth. Soon my truth easily morphs into the truth and even the only truth. We end up not with orthodoxy but with egocentricity. This is invariably what happens when we have not been exposed to perennial philosophy, when we are not taught how to distill the big patterns out of the momentary arguments where everyone takes sides, when we cannot distinguish the small, separate self and the self created by God and one with God, from all eternity.7 

Our connection to all people is recognized in the ancient texts of Jewish-Christian tradition. Our attitude and treatment of aliens needs a conversion or circumcision of our heart to be in harmony with the will of God.

References

1	(n.d.). Deuteronomy, chapter 10 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved August 12, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/10
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 147 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 12, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/147
3	(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 17 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 12, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew17:52
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved August 12, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 12, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved August 12, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/08/12/
7	(n.d.). Richard Rohr's Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 12, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/

Acting for aliens