Welcome to our parish

16 February 2020              Sixth Sunday of the Year A

 SURFACE RELIGION

In our society, if you don’t break the law then no one can touch you. You can’t be imprisoned, fined or given some other punishment. That’s because you’ve done nothing wrong. So you won’t get a criminal record. But neither will you get a public medal of honour. You have to do something worthwhile to be awarded an honour. Simply obeying the law doesn’t make you a good citizen.

Similarly with our religion, it’s not enough to keep the rules. We have to have that something extra; we have to have a loving relationship with God, a relationship that shows itself in the way we live our lives.

Jesus criticises the religious leaders for doing just enough to comply with the religious law while their hearts are in a different place. Minimalism is not the same as virtue. And so he points out that a “how far can I go?” mentality is unacceptable to God. I may not kill someone but if I harbour anger against them then I am guilty of sin. I may not commit adultery but if I lust after someone then I’ve already shown that I’m trying to bend the rules. And how can we approach God in worship when we are at odds with others at home or in the community? It’s simply hypocrisy, says Jesus.

How alive is my faith? Do I give my all or do I simply keep the rules? Is coming to church on a Sunday the sum total of my contribution to the local Christian community? Do I rather resent the rules and regulations that my faith places upon me? Do I think that they put me at a disadvantage compared with friends who have no faith or do I see them as a God-given way of getting the most out of life? Do I see God’s law as restrictive or as life-enhancing? Does it kerb my liberty or is it a charter for human freedom?

Christians believe that God’s law brings life whereas acting contrary to it only results in a destructive existence. Today’s scripture is even blunter; it tells us that we have a choice between life and death: choosing to ignore the wisdom of God means opting for a pattern of life that is ultimately unfulfilling and life-depriving.

Ecclesiasticus (a preacher) reminds us that if we wish we can keep God’s commandments for it is within our power to do so. You have life and death before you, he says, and whichever you like better will be given to you.

Life and death on both sides of the grave. That’s quite a choice!