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Gospel Reading for June 12, 2024 – Matthew 5: 17-19
LOVE
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letterwill pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
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The scribes and Pharisees were always so insecure of Jesus, thinking he would abolish, or at the most, try to amend the Mosaic Law, the implementation of which they proudly claimed as their turf. The problem was that all they knew was to implement the Law without knowing or understanding the reason why there was such a Law. Except for laws under a dictatorship, laws that are enacted aim to be beneficial to all.
The Mosaic Law, was a very expanded version of the 10 Commandments that Moses received from God at Mt. Sinai. It was full of details and rituals (about 613) that mostly did not really enhance the 10 Commandments but made it burdensome for believers to follow. The 10 Commandments can be summed up with simply one word: LOVE. In all his preachings/teachings, Jesus made it very clear that the most important law is Love for God and Love for Neighbor as we would ourselves. Perhaps, they were called Commandments because they were given to a people who used to be slaves under the Egyptians, therefore, used to commands. Perhaps it was because it is God giving them, therefore, there should be a semblance of authority. Whatever the reasons were, Jesus tells us that the Laws of God are meant to be our guidelines in building God’s Kingdom on earth. They are not meant to put burden on us but they are even meant to lighten our load as we trod on this journey called LIFE.
Your precepts O Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; Your commandment O Lord, is pure, enlightening the eyes! (Psalm 19: 😎
