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THE UNCHANGEABLE PRINCIPLES OF LIFE
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03-10-2021, 10:09 AM
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THE UNCHANGEABLE PRINCIPLES OF LIFE
THE UNCHANGEABLE PRINCIPLES OF LIFE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [DT 4:1,5-9; PS 147:12-13,15-16,19-20; MT 5:17-19] In the gospel, Jesus said, “Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved.” This declaration of Jesus seems to contradict the attitude of Jesus towards the Law. He broke the Sabbath Law and had a disdain for the customary laws. Even St Paul dismissed the Law as unnecessary for salvation. He wrote to the Romans, “I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” (Rom 10:2-4) How, then, do we resolve this apparent contradiction? We must clarify what Jesus meant when He spoke about the Law and the Prophets. The Law could refer to just the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments given to Moses. It could also refer to the first five books of the Old Testament, the Torah. When the Law is used with the Prophets, it refers to the entire Jewish Scriptures. Lastly, the Law could also include the Scribal or Oral interpretation of the Decalogue, applying the basic primary laws to specific situations. What Jesus was against was not the Law per se but the 613 laws seeking to apply the Decalogue to the lives of the people. When the Law is legalistically applied to concrete situations, it makes the observance of the Law rather burdensome. Of course, it is understandable why such interpretations and applications of the basic laws are necessary. The Ten Commandments are not laws as such but principles to live by in life so that we can walk in truth, in love and in wisdom. The Decalogue does not prescribe specific situations as to how these principles must be applied. It is just like the principle, “Thou shall not kill.” In itself, this is a fair and wise principle. The complexity comes when we ask the question, what is it that we cannot kill and how do we define killing? Is abortion killing? Is euthanasia a form of killing or an act of mercy? Is the destruction and experimentation of embryonic cells considered taking of life? Indeed, it is not so much the principles that are disputed but the applications. So, too, the commandment, “Thou shall keep the Sabbath holy.” What does it mean? Does it imply that we must attend mass every Sunday? Or simply dedicate the day to God? And how should we dedicate the day to God? Is work permitted? How, then, do you define work? How much can we do on the Sabbath so that it would not be classified as work? And the list goes on. The second factor is that whilst the principles always remain and are unchanging, the contextual situation changes because of new understanding and scientific development. A case in point is the question of the death penalty. Catholics ask why the Church permits the death penalty and now Pope Francis says this is no longer permissible. In those days, the death penalty was needed to protect the community from further harm that could be caused by violent and vindictive people. But today, we speak of rehabilitation, counselling, and there are other means to restrain the person from harming society. Hence, the necessity of the death penalty in all situations is no longer applicable. Then perhaps, we might have to extend further to include all wars as evil. With dialogue and communication and international bodies, is there such a thing that we could consider a just war? The danger is that when we get into details, we can fall into legalism, rationalism or even relativism when we debate about the laws. We derive specific applications from abstract principles and forget the reality of the situation because we want laws that could be applied without exception to all circumstances, otherwise it would be difficult to implement the laws when every situation changes. So let us be clear that the Ten Commandments remain the basic principles for life. But the disagreement will continue to be debated by moralists, canonists and lawyers as to the application of such principles. This is ongoing since the world is changing and circumstances change as well. Regardless, the principles must always be the reference point for how the applications should be effected. The principles are clear, namely, that we must give honour and glory to God, respect and reverence for our neighbours, particularly those that concern life, property, family, relationships, marriages and integrity. In this respect, what Moses said to the people is true. “So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God with which I am charging you.” (Dt 4:1f) The fundamental laws are perennial and all specific laws must withstand the scrutiny of these principles. In this way, the Law given by God to the people are meant to be liberating, not stifling their love and freedom. It is to help them to be truly free, not a slave to their selfish passions and cause disunity with their neigbours. The Law is meant to guide us to authentic love. As St Paul wrote in Romans, “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Rom 13:8-10) Jesus reduced the Ten Commandments to two commandments. Noticeably, it was the scribe who posed the question to our Lord. “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mk 12:28-31) Even the scribe who was responsible for the multiplication of the oral laws agreed with Him. He said, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ – this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mk 12:31-33) In the final analysis, observance of the Laws would depend not on how meticulously we observe all the specific laws but whether we apply them intelligently based on the principles of love and truth. Faith in the laws would depend on whether we see them as God’s wisdom for humanity. This was what Moses said to the people, “And now, Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you. Keep them, observe them, and they will demonstrate to the peoples your wisdom and understanding. When they come to know of all these laws they will exclaim, ‘No other people is as wise and prudent as this great nation.’ And indeed, what great nation is there that has its gods so near as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation is there that has laws and customs to match this whole Law that I put before you today?” But most of all, we must see that in providing us the Law, God is showing his love for humanity. Obedience to these laws presupposes that we know that God would never command us to do anything against our interests and well-being. This is why Moses urged the people to remember the wonders the Lord worked for them, especially in Egypt and in the desert. “”But take care what you do and be on your guard. Do not forget the things your eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your heart all the days of your life; rather, tell them to your children and your children’s children.” Only when we remember His love for us, will we be able to surrender our lives to Him in loving obedience to the Laws for our good and the good of all. |
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