Friday word, 15 Mar 19

1^st Lenten Friday (15 Mar 2019)

Ez 18. 21-28; Ps 130; Mt 5. 20-26

Homily of Fr. Paul Panaretos, S.J., 5-day retreat

Jesus’ Standard

Over 200 times in the Bible the word righteousness appears. In the bible one who is righteous acts according to a proper standard, namely according to God’s heart. Jesus boldly urged his disciples to measure their actions by the standard of God’s heart. Many of the religious professionals used a visible standard. The Pharisees, especially, were more zealous to observe religious commands than to enjoy a heartfelt relationship with the Creator. Put another way: the Pharisees’ standard was commandments not their Giver.

It took no genius or learned skill to measure according to God’s heart. It did take faith, that proof of things not seen.¹ To measure according to what we can see is easier. Some measuring is clear. For example, prohibitions are manifestly clear: do not kill. Many positive actions, though, require further interpretation and consideration how to practice them; an example, Honor your parents. The way I honoured my parents as a child was not the same way I honoured them as a teen or as an adult.

One can sincerely measure even with the wrong measure. Pharisees measured sincerely, as did Jesus: their standards differed markedly. Reshaping myself to notice I’m reaching for the wrong measure is ever a challenge. It’s easy to overlook Jesus’ persevering patience with the Pharisees—with that side of me that would rather follow my standard instead of God’s.

God’s righteousness is a gift I can be less concerned to receive—especially if I don’t cultivate a relationship with the Eternal Giver of the gift. A 1992 World in Brief item illustrated the misdirected zeal that can result.

Tenants let three apartments in the predominantly ultra-Orthodox Tel Aviv suburb of Bnei Brak burn while they asked a rabbi whether a call to the fire department on the Sabbath would violate Jewish tenets. Observant Jews are forbidden to use telephones on the Sabbath because to do so would involve breaking an electric current, which is considered a form of work. They are, however, permitted to break the Sabbath in case of an emergency. In the half an hour it took the rabbi to say yes, the fire spread to two neighboring apartments. No one was hurt in the blaze.²

Questioning the sincerity of those Observant Jews is wrongheaded. The news item allows us to appreciate that zeal to execute commands properly ought to be tempered with greater zeal for the good of others—each day of the week. Jesus formulated it famously: the Sabbath was made for humans; humans were not made [subservient to] the Sabbath.³

Take as you go the way Jesus was with you. Cultivate it daily. Continue to make Jesus’ patient, kind, open manner your standard. Jesus put people first. Commands helped him do that; commands never became the goal. Lent can help us be more like Jesus. Be more like Jesus: for some that can be a revolution in their hearts and minds. For others it may be a reminder. Which ever it may be, reminder or revolution: reconciliation, kindness with another and sincere openness to all creation make the altar the place to celebrate having done those noble and holy deeds and to strengthen us to continue doing them.

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1. Hebrews 11.1.
2. Los Angeles Times Staff and wire reports, accessed 2019-12March .
3. Mark 2.27

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Wiki-images Jesus Teaching from the Mountain PD-US; Jesuit Chapel, Monmarte, Paris by Robin Craig, used with permission.