Homily Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Season Year A
Law of Love and Grace in Christ (A)
Fr. Udoekpo, Michael Ufok
v Sir 15:15-20
v Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34
v 1 Cor 2:6-10
v Matt 5:17-37
In the
catechism of the Catholic Church we learn:
The new Law is called a law of
love because it makes us act out of the love infused by the Holy Spirit, rather
than from fear; a law of grace, because it confers the strength of grace to act,
by means of faith and the sacraments; a law of freedom, because it sets us free
from the ritual and juridical observances of the Old Law, inclines us to act spontaneously
by the prompting of charity and, finally, lets us pass from the condition of a servant
who ‘does not know what his master is doing’ to that of a friend of Christ. (CCC1972)
It is
the law of love, grace, and freedom in Christ that we celebrate today. These laws
are particularly evident on the pages of sacred Scripture, both the Old Testament
and New Testament, especially in today’s readings. These laws are constantly being
renewed, updated, and reinterpreted to meet the signs of the times. Just as the
laws of our nation are constantly scrutinized and reinterpreted to meet the needs
of time, laws in Scripture—especially in the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament—are
reinterpreted in light of Jesus Christ as fulfilled in the New Testament to meet
the needs of the church.
The three
major law codes of the Old Testament are the Covenant Code (Exod 19–24; 34), the
Holiness Code (Lev 16–27), and the Deuteronomic Code (Deut 12–16). These were
all constantly updated, innovated, renewed, and reinterpreted by Israel’s prophets
and sages. The goals of these sages were to preach justice, peace, righteousness,
faith, orderliness, holiness of life, and trust in God and in the covenant of love
he had established with his chosen people, Israel.
These
goals transcend time. Who does not need justice? Who does not need peace? Who does
not cherish righteousness? Who does not appreciate the role of faith in our lives?
Who does not love orderliness? Who does not recognize the importance of holy
living? These are necessities for all time.
In
today’s first reading, Ben Sira (200–175 BC)—writing in the time of Hellenism,
when Israel’s faith was threatened by secular and Greek philosophical thoughts—insists
that keeping the Torah or the fear of the Lord was the greatest wisdom and the best
way to approach the challenges of life. He says, “If you choose, you can keep
the commandments, and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice. . . . For
great is the wisdom of the Lord . . . He has not commanded anyone to be wicked,
and he has not given anyone permission to sin” (Sir 15:15-20).
Today’s Gospel clearly shows that this
was also true in Christ, who was emphatic on his divine mission. He did not come
to abolish the law but to perfect it, to fulfill it, and to teach us new ways of
living these laws (Matt 5:17-37). As we listen to this Gospel passage, we see
that the difference with Christ is love and compassion, which he has profoundly
displayed in the course of his ministry in his forgiveness to sinners, prostitutes,
and adulterers. We see his love and compassion in his healing compassion to the
sick, blind, deaf, and crippled, to lepers and outcasts like tax collectors. We
see his love and compassion in his breaking the barriers of discrimination and racism,
in his reaching out to the Samaritan woman and the Syrophoenician woman in John
4 and Mark 7—something unprecedented in the old law. The list of love, grace, and
freedom in Christ goes on!
Recall
also in the old law how the sinful high priest repeatedly sacrificed and atoned
for his sins and those of the community (Lev 16). In the new law, however, the sinless
Christ sacrifices himself once and for all (see the letter to the Hebrews). In the
old law, whoever kills his neighbor would be liable to judgment. But in Christ Jesus,
no one should ever dare to call others names or abuse his neighbor. In Christ, these
are forms of subtle killings. When we abuse, intimidate, call others names, and
assassinate their character, it dampens their spirit and confidence and makes them
feel that they are good for nothing. This is especially true when we do these
things to our children and the weak. The pseudo-media propaganda against other nations,
especially the poor ones, can also be very damaging and lead to the loss of
life.
When
we deny poor nations or children access to good education and exclude the poor,
we have indirectly killed their social, political, and economic future (cf. Evangelii
Gaudium of Pope Francis). We have killed their prospect of good jobs. Good jobs
lead to good health insurance, descent homes, good income, the ability to
attain clothing, and the ability to earn a livelihood that can be handed on to future
generations.
The law
of Christ is the new law of love, trust, freedom, forgiveness, and compassion. We
should not have to swear before we believe or trust one another. For Christ, our
yes should be our yes, and our no our no. This law of trust and confidence in Christ
Jesus, the mystery of God’s love, is powered by the Holy Spirit, and it is written
in the hearts of every human person invited to share this love.
Paul
says, “‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love him’—these things God has revealed to
us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of
God” (1 Cor 2:9-10). This is the law of love, the law of grace, and the law of freedom
in Christ Jesus! And blessed are those who follow these laws of Christ even in challenging
times and circumstances.
Reflection Questions:
1. Are you open to change and to the mysteries of God’s
love?
2. When you are faced with the challenge of interpreting
various laws, do you ask for God’s grace and wisdom and the guidance of the Holy
Spirit to know what Jesus would have done in such circumstances?
3. How often do you share the laws of God recorded in
the sacred texts and in the church’s documents with your neighbors through the prism
of Christ?
