Daily Reflections

March 30, 2011

IS JESUS AN ANTINOMIAN?

One of the questions theologians and Scripture scholars ask themselves is, “What is Jesus’ attitude to the Law of Moses?” Well, in today’s Gospel we have at least part of the answer. Jesus is not an antinomian, that is, he is not anti-law. Jesus does not say that the Law is irrelevant to our lives as His disciples. In fact, He tells us that we must fulfill the Law or we will fail in our duty to it and in our duty to love as He has first loved us. Then He goes one step further and warns us against leading others astray or we will be judged very harshly, thrown into a lake with a millstone tied around our necks.
The Law is not something that is bad. God gave the Law to Moses so it must be good and helpful to our lives. Yet, it can also be used to develop bad attitudes and thus place psychological pressures upon people that they should not have to deal with at the best of times, let alone when they are struggling. The law is there to guide us and help us discern the difference between right and wrong. Of itself it is incapable of salvation (see Philippians 3:7ff). The Law really comes to the fore when we are trying to form our consciences and to decide what we should do or not do in a given moral situation.
Paul’s experience can be helpful here. As a Jew, he was a man of the Law. He even claims to be blameless according to its stipulations. Yet, he counts everything as loss in comparison with knowing the power of Christ’s death and resurrection at work within him (Philippians 3:7ff). Paul realizes that the Law or, more correctly, “doing the Law” was not going to save him; then he experiences an enormous grace of God that does save him and sets him on a new path in life. Paul knows and has experienced the power of the grace of God to save him. He spends the rest of his life calling others to faith in the same God.
Christ, through His death and resurrection, fulfills all that the Law requires of us and so sets us free to live by grace and not under the shadow of the Law.Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

Reflection Question:
What role does the Law play in my life? How faithful am I in forming my conscience judgments according to the Law of Christ?

Holy Spirit, come into my life with a new power to help me be faithful to the will of God and so fulfil the Law in my life.

St. Pastor, pray for us.