7th Sun 2014

**Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time A

Themes and Contexts

Jose Enrique Galarreta S.J.

A very important part of the Pentateuch (the Law) consists of the laws of Israel of all kinds: hygienic,civil, criminal,  those pertaining to worship,... all of them  assembled under the same rating of gravity: all are important because they are all God's command, and therefore are part of the Alliance that the people must fulfill so that God will maintain his protection. Leviticus is dedicated almost entirely to laws, and parts of it may be very old. The fragment we read today is part of the “Holiness Code” because it lays the basis for the obligatory fulfillment of the Laws in “because I am holy”, a motivation that applies to every precept, from “you must love your neighbor”, to you must not tie together an ox with an ass. Anyway the distinction  made between the “neighbours”, relatives, the Israelites is remarkable. The laws  are not applicable to foreigners... Probably it was finally drawn up after the exile.

The Letter to the Corinthians  

Several teachings hardly related are developed. The first sentence contains the same doctrine outlined in Leviticus: the sanctity of the human being based on his relationship with God. Jesus will go (had gone)  further: the Temple of stones is not the holy place: children are the holy place, the heart of the human being. The second connects with the teachings we have read on previous Sundays: the wisdom of Jesus has nothing to do with the wisdom of the world, nor has anyone a right to boast about it, for it is a gift of the Spirit. The last paragraph shows the mentality of Paul: everything, including the Apostles or prophets, are God's gifts to the community, recipients of grace. Although it is not its direct meaning, we appreciate, here as in the whole  NT, that it is the community that has the leading role in everything, and all the responsibilities (which they are not) are intended only for her, as a charism of service. 

THE Gospel of Matthew

The Old and the New Law

Above all, there is a clear presentation of parallel texts of the Old and New Testaments. The theme of the progression from retaliation to the love of neighbor is a beautiful example of progressive revelation. "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" is the ancient formula of the Justice of Israel to prohibit excess in retaliation and revenge itself. We find three formulations: in Exodus 21, Leviticus 24 and Deuteronomy 19. Equally significant is the differentiation in the treatment of "neighbors"--relatives and friends--and "enemies". Your "neighbor", you must love, as you love yourself. Not your enemy. (The formulation "you must hate" - is not found anywhere in Scripture; it is simply a formula of opposition to " you must love").

In all of them we find the same message, and practically the same context and the same formulation: regulation of revenge through the courts and punishment equivalent to the crime.

Once again, we find the position of Jesus as a culmination which far outstrips the old law. And, once more, it is not a matter of precepts that evaluate behavior. It's an inner posture towards others, which we could better formulate thus: “There are no enemies.”

 This approach is expressed very well in the whole of the NT., and we could think of two "highlights".

 The Parable of the good Samaritan.

The question is "who is my neighbor?", i.e., how far does my obligation extend?. And the answer is: You are a brother to everyone.

 "Forgive them, for they know not what they do". The "First Word" of Christ on being crucified. Jesus does not feel offended by those who nailed him to the cross. He continues to desire and pray for their salvation.

In summary, and elaborating once again the same theme: the Old Law is law: a set of precepts given by the Lord for the salvation of man. And it is perfectly valid for ever, although in its formulation Israel sometimes shows itself very primitive and flawed.

. The law guarantees a social order to an extent. But it cannot heal moral illnesses of human beings. The law assumes and admits that there are good and bad people, and contains the bad guys so that they do not damage the good. But it does not heal the wickedness of the heart.

What Jesus offers is not law, it is Good News. It is a way of behaving, a spirit. We already spoke of it last Sunday. The Sermon on the mount is not a law, it is Gospel, the way of Jesus, the way of being, of living, of understanding life, relating with God and with men... Because it is concerned about the health of all, it tries to heal the evil in every heart. It is the fundamental difference between what Jesus offers and what went before him, based on the change of the idea they had of God: the Lord, a powerful legislator and judge is concerned about order and the suppression of evil. Abba is worried about each of his children, even more about those who have gone  most astray.

 I AM THE LORD, YE SHALL BE SONS OF YOUR FATHER.

 The precepts of the old law were based on "I am the Lord". ". The novelty of Jesus is: "You are a son, do not settle for less.” With Jesus, things are clear.  The synoptics frequently smack of the  remains of the old mentality of reward and punishment. Even in this fragment of Matthew there appear the words "what reward will you have...?", and in many others there appears the saying "your reward will be great in heaven...".

 But these primitive statements, which still last (surely they will last if we continue to use them even today, twenty centuries later...) are forced and meaningless faced with the fundamental motivation of Children.

Thus you shall be sons of your Father. Be perfect, as your Father is perfect. This is the ultimate motive. This is the basis for understanding the whole of the Sermon on the Mount, and without it nothing can be understood. The first message, the Great News is to tell man who he is ("you are a son of God"), tell him who his father  is ("the Almighty is your Abba"), and tell him what the Father wants ("A Saviour God, you are the salt").

From here on , it must be understood that the scale of values of the Sons, those of the Kingdom, is no longer the same. Not even Justice is enough.

Think whether a mother has an obligation to spend the night by the side of her son who is sick? What reward does she ask for? If we ask her why she does it, will she not answer with only one reason: “He’s my son.”

Children behave in this way, as Jesus says in the sermon on the mount:

Not because it’s their duty

Not because they hope for any reward nor because they fear any punishment

But because they are sons and they know it.

“Be perfect” too, is not a commandment, a moral law, a code of perfection. We are dealing with the culmination of the Good News, like saying:

Since you are a Son of God

And you know your Father

You can settle for nothing less than God. 

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