"Do whatever He tells you"

Teaching About the Law.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever
obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Reflect

At first at first glance, this gospel can seem so harsh but, it’s also quite convicting. As I prayed with this passage, I thought of my children. Next year we’ll have a child in elementary, middle, high school, and college. We’ve spent a lot of time and energy as parents over the years encouraging them to build strong relationships with each other and it dawned on me that our college student knows her youngest sibling will be watching everything she does as she enters this new chapter of her life. She loves her brother so much that if she knew her actions would cause him pain, suffering, and consequences because of an example she set that was less than ideal, she would be crushed. This scripture is a warning of the effects that our example can have on others.

It helps us to keep guard our words and actions to protect those who we love. And, while there might be a temptation to despair under the weight of this responsibility, there is also hope and consolation here. If we fall short of virtue, we can go to God for forgiveness and grace in the sacrament of Reconciliation. As humans we fall short of virtue often. But, we also have a Savior that promises to bring His healing, His grace, and His strength to help us grow in virtue.

Resolve

Do I devote time and energy to genuinely look at the commandments, beyond the surface, to see how I can love and be loved most fully?

Renew

Lord, help me to take a deeper look at your commandments, and rather than viewing them as limiting, see them as lighting the way to love you, myself, and my neighbors more perfectly.