Suzerainity Conditions Do Not Apply

Homily for Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

In the first reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, he uses words that would have had great significance to both Jew and Gentile at this point in history. St. Paul speaks of blessings and curses. I think it would be fair to say that all of us are open to hearing about blessings. However, thinking about curses is not something that we do readily. At the same time, we would be foolish to dismiss these words because they play such an important role in the covenant that God struck with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai.

Scholars who have studied the provisions of the Mt. Sinai Covenant have likened it to a Suzerainity treaty. Suzerainty treaties and similar covenants and agreements between Middle Eastern states were quite prevalent during the pre-monarchic and monarchy periods in Ancient Israel. In fact, the covenants that God struck with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and King David all bear a resemblance to this common form of contract struck between nations in the Middle East. Suzerainity treaties are by their very nature conditional. In the case of the covenant of Mount Sinai, God speaks of the condition when God says, “If you will be my people, then I will be your God.” The “blessings” of such a treaty refers to the benefits that the people will receive if they are faithful to the covenant. The “curses” referred to the punishment that will be exacted if they fail to keep their end of the bargain.

St. Paul points out the fact that because of our human nature, we will never be able to faithfully follow the commandments expressed in the covenant. We will always fail because we are all sinners. Consequently, St. Paul tells us that we are living under the curse of The Law. The only way to get out from underneath that curse is through faith. St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians is filled with this argument. Consequently, the language in this letter is oftentimes strident and harsh. Remember yesterday’s reading in which St. Paul referred to the stupidity of the Galatians.

We should not be surprised that the ancient Israelites read the covenant with God in such a light. Covenants, compacts, treaties, and all human contracts take into account the failings of human beings. Our relationship with God is not like any other human covenant because God is ever faithful. God’s love is not conditional. Though the Jews had been living underneath this flawed covenant for thousands of years, St. Paul was able to see through those flaws and to preach our justification through faith.

Jesus has taken away the sins of the world. At every Eucharist, we recall that fact as we prepare ourselves to receive Jesus in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Our threefold litany to the Lamb of God recalls the fact that Jesus has taken away the sins of the world through his death and resurrection. As we receive him in this life-giving bread and wine, we renew the new covenant that Jesus has won for us through his death on the cross.