Homilies6th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: FULFILLING THE LAW AND THE PROPHETSMt 15: 17-37WE ARE ALL familiar with laws. Our society is full of laws or is governed by many laws. Almost in every move we make, there are laws that bind us. Yet, there is something good about laws. They are important to the life and ordering of a society. They bring order and stability. Without these, our society becomes chaotic and disordered. Elsewhere in the gospels, Jesus acknowledges that too many laws can be burdensome. As a result, he once told his disciples, “Come to all you who are weary and heavy burdened. I will give you rest; for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” But in our gospel today, which is part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives us his thoughts on the importance of the Jewish laws and the necessity to obey them.
First, Jesus says that his aim is not to abolish the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them. As teacher, Jesus was different from the prevailing teachers and scribes at the time. The latter’s teachings were simply confined to quoting the Scriptures which can be seen in the phrases, “God said…” or “It is written…” But Jesus is different from them because he comments and perfects these laws. Often in his teachings, he would say: “You have heard the commandment… But now I say to you.” Indeed, as God or the Son of God, Jesus teaches with authority.
Second, it is on this context that Jesus exhorts his disciples to obey these laws. He emphasizes that those who break these laws are considered least in the kingdom, while those who obey these laws are considered as greatest in the kingdom. The question of obedience to laws is one the problems today. There are some of us who are not serious in following the civil or state laws. This attitude could have a spillover to following Christ’s laws or the Church laws. At first blush, we find these laws as a burden to us. That could be the reason why we failed to follow them. But if we try to reflect further on them, they are not actually burdensome. Instead they free us because these lead us to following the will of God for us.
Third, let us try to have a closer look at one of the laws mentioned in the gospel that was commented and perfected by Jesus. Jesus told his disciples, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery. ‘ But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Jesus did not make an ordinary interpretation to this law. He tried instead to explore the depth of the law. He tries to look for the meaning behind this law. Here, Jesus teaches us that in interpreting the law, we must look for its meaning; not simply make a debate on a mere formulation of the law. In addition, this also gives us an idea that the commission of a crime is not the only basis for one’s guilt and sin. Even though a crime is not committed, but the moment we think, contemplate and plan for it, the sin is already there. That is why looking at a woman with lust is already a commission of adultery.
Moreover, this law reminds us of a proper treatment of women. It has become clear that women are not to be considered as objects of lustful desire. We can appreciate some activists who have been trying to bring forward the rights of women who deserve respect. They denounce any activity, occasion or event which somehow degrades women.
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