The Moral Character of the Law

Homily for Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

The Law of God that was proclaimed from Mt. Sinai has a legal as well as a moral character. In today’s Gospel text we hear Jesus upbraiding the Pharisees for their fastidious observance of the legal character without paying any attention to the moral character of God’s covenant with the children of Israel. The foundation of the law, the moral character of the law, can be described in a few short words: love, justice and mercy. By clinging to legalism and ignoring the foundation, the Pharisees make themselves hypocrites and nullifiers of the word of God. They honor God with their lips, but their hearts have become as hard as stone.

To live God’s commandments is to live life to the full. We were made in the image of God who desires nothing more than an appreciation and gratitude for the wonders of creation. We are called to be stewards, to be gardeners who work with God in tending those wonders.

The treasury of God’s word and the sacraments instituted by Christ are part of God’s plan for our lives. Through God’s word we are taught and motivated to be people of love, justice, and mercy. Through the sacraments of the church, God has given us a way to incorporate God’s love and grace into the pivotal moments of our lives. Jesus has given us the means and the way to a life of joy as it was originally created for us.