As a whole, there are so many sports at our disposal it almost seems that it is hard to keep track of them- let alone all of the rules. I know especially when I was younger, it would often be so difficult to follow the rules that were in play for any given sport. The one that was the most difficult to follow, though, was football. In trying to follow what was happening, it seemed there were so many things that made it less than straightforward. For every touchdown there are six points. Perhaps add on another one or two depending on what you want to risk. Perhaps three if you can’t risk a touchdown. Then there was the entire system of downs. It was all so difficult to follow- why bother with all the rules?
As it turns out, the rules are vitally important to this entire process. They give a certain amount of order to the game. They allow for good game play- and really, they allow for one to win the game as a whole. It isn’t enough to play- but to truly play well, one has to follow by all of the rules- they aren’t inconsequential, but they are necessary to see if one wins the game!
We may often hear the ten commandments that God has given to Moses in the Old Testament, and can often think of these in a negative light. We can think about how they seem to restrict the freedom that man has, or even how it requires us to do some other things- and because of that it can often seem so harsh in it’s application. Yet through all of those things- how are we to respond to the Commandments- and is there a better way to view the end goal of what they are trying to enable us to do?
The book of Sirach this morning speaks of the commandments in a very vivid way, and perhaps a way that we may not expect. Notice the very first line: if you choose the commandments, they will save you. That is a rather odd way of looking at it. Usually, one views the Commandments in terms of punishment, and yet, there seems to be something more at play in Sirach’s view. He continues- if you trust in God, you too shall live. So, in some sense, the commandments are an exercise in trust as well. Sirach will not let go of this idea that the commandments are a choice- so he starts to clarify even further- they are as fire and water, good and evil and the like. Yet, there is an even deeper choice here- the eyes of God are on those who fear him- those who respect him or to those who follow his commands. Further- there is this final piece that is laid out- he tells no one to act unjustly- and he gives no one the license to sin. Therefore- Sirach is very clear- there is the need to follow the Lord’s commandments- and not just because he said so, but also because they will save- and they will bring one into right relationship with God.
We will come back and develop more on what that means, but we should also visit our continuation of Saint Paul and his letter to the Corinthians. This week, he visits the theme of wisdom and what this word really means. So, he starts to speak about wisdom to those who are mature- not a wisdom of this age- nor of the rulers. Saint Paul is really teasing out and parsing out what this means- since it is not a temporary wisdom- or even a earthly wisdom, but one who possesses it possesses something far more important and far more impressive. This, as Pau identifies it is God’s wisdom- which is mysterious, hidden, and which Go has predetermined before ages for our glory.
Further, this is not something reserved for only the strong of this world- and in fact, the strong may not possess it at all. Even the crucifixion shows just how fallible the “wise” of the world were- if they had known what they were about to do- they certainly would not have done it. Yet, this wisdom is something altogether much more powerful and great- it is what God has prepared for those who love Him and for those who seek to live in his ways.
The Gospel for today is a continuation of the sermon on the mount, which we have been tracing for the last couple of weeks- and so it is Jesus still teaching with authority about the ways that he wants his disciples to live. Yet, here he starts to counteract some of the false claims and assumptions that are taking hold about his work. He starts off with a glaring inditement- “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” This actually is a very strong statement because so many might have expected for him to completely tear away the old and to bring in a new sort of law and to do away with the prophets of old. Yet, he is the fulfillment- meaning he is going to continue much of the teaching of the Old Testament.
What’s more is that he is not only going to continue the teaching of the Old Testament but He is going to actually make it much more abundantly clear that the life of a disciple is going to call for more than the old standards. Not the smallest letter nor the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law! Therefore- no one should break any of the commandments! Yet, he keeps going further- the Pharisees think themselves righteous- and yet they are far from it! One has to be even more righteous than the Pharisees to enter!
Then, Jesus really starts to tighten down on what He means when he tells them that the law will not pass away. He delves into the fifth commandment- you have heard it said “you shall not kill.” However, Jesus ups the ante. He tells them “Whoever is something much less- whoever is angry with his brother- will be liable to judgement. Whoever even calls his brother a name- he will be liable to punishment!
Further, he goes into the sixth commandment- thou shalt not commit adultery. On the surface this may be a difficult commandment- and yet, it goes even further. Whoever even goes through the steps of committing adultery or even planning to- whoever even thinks about it- that is already a sin in itself. Then he touches on divorce, and oaths, and continues- each one making it much more strict than it might have seemed to be in the past.
Yet when he does all of these things- why is he doing that? Does Jesus think that we need a tougher way to go? Does he think that we have become spiritually lazy and lax, and therefore need a swift kick back into action.
In all honesty, not really.
The reality of the commandments, my brothers and sisters, is not that Go wants to make life miserable, but he wants to make life fulfilling for each of us. He wants us to enjoy our lives and living them out well.
If we go back to the first reading from Sirach, it actually offers an alternate way of viewing the commandments- they are not encumbrances or restrictions of freedom. They aren’t God walking around and looking for ways to destroy and to restrict our freedom to make us more miserable. In fact, he is trying to preserve us from misery. In all reality- there is only one thing that ever makes us truly miserable- and that is living life out in sin. Thus, when Sirach is speaking, he is reminding that we do have a choice- but it is fundamentally a choice between living life to the full, or living life enslaved to what takes away our freedom as sons and daughters of God.
Further, when we understand what Jesus does in the Gospel- he encourages us not to live by the letter of the law but to rather live by the spirit. We aren’t to look towards the bare minimum, but if we first frame up what he does in his love for us- He is trying to lead us to even greater freedom- even though on its face it may feel like restriction.
Yet, as we consider all of these readings together, we have to wonder- what are we being encouraged to do? The reality of the way that we are given these commandments makes them seem very harsh, doesn’t it? Well, in a certain way, it could, and yet, that really isn’t the final or the end goal of what is happening with these commandments. In fact, they are doing something so much more powerful. Look at the first reading from the book of Sirach. If you live by the commandments- they will save you! If you choose them- they are going to make life better for you! And that is the reality of the commandments- they are offering a better way of living- and not trying to make life more difficult. They are trying to lead us to a place where we are more fulfilled and we are given the fullness of life- because we are living in a way as to excel in our nature- because the one who has written the commandments is God our Father.
Perhaps that is the reality of the game of football also. We aren’t given the rules to try to restrict us or to make life more difficult in any way. Rather, what they are given to us for is that they are trying to make us actually able to win the game- and able to excel in our lives- and in our faith. Thus, the reality of the game can be realized as well- and won. And that is up to us as well- we aren’t being left up to our own to try to figure out life on our own terms. Rather what is being given us is the ability to know how to enjoy- and even to win. Thus, my brothers and sisters, whether we are playing football, or whether we are living out our spiritual life- let us always be willing to seek after the Lord- and to follow His commandments which will bring us to everlasting life.
