10th Week of OT 2017 - Thursday - More than external obedience

“Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.”  In terms of external obedience to the law’s regulation, the scribes and the Pharisees were known as model followers of the Torah, they practiced a zealous concern particularly for ritual purity, keeping themselves ritually clean for God by following the Levitical law: avoiding contact with unclean things and unclean people like Gentiles and prostitutes.

How could Jesus demand his followers to observe a greater concern than that as a condition for entrance into heaven?  It sounds impossible.

Following Jesus means much more than external obedience.  One scripture scholar wrote, “Jesus’ teaching calls for a radical interiorization, a total obedience to God, a complete self-giving to neighbor, that carries the ethical thrust of the law to its God-willed conclusions.”

The purpose of the Levitical law was to form people with hearts of authentic love of God and love of neighbor. And so the standard of righteousness preached by Jesus Christ goes beyond that of the scribes and Pharisees:  it requires much more than external conformity to the law’s regulations.  God could have made automatons or mindless robots for that. But automatons and robots can’t love.

So, the way to heaven involves much more than mindless and heartless obedience to particular precepts. The way to heaven, the way of Christ, isn’t simply about saying certain rote prayers and particular times or giving x amount of dollars to the Church throughout the year: if I do this, and I do that, then I’ll go to heaven.  Jesus is saying the opposite.  Following him is not just about performing particular actions, but performing them with heart of love. Not just doing the right things, but doing them for the right reasons.

Mere outward observance of the law does not produce love. Certainly, we should avoid doing things that directly hurt other people, such as killing, adultery, and lying. Obeying the law is a necessary minimum. If you are asking, “what is the bare minimum to get into heaven?” you are asking the wrong question. Rather, true disciples need to cultivate the inner attitudes and dispositions that transform the heart and build up love: the patience, meekness, purity and mercy that Jesus teaches throughout this Sermon.

The way of Christ calls for constant conversion, constant turning away from hard-heartedness, cultivating hearts of mercy and divine love for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That our bishops and clergy may be zealous in preaching and teaching the truth of the Gospel, and that our future bishop of the diocese of Cleveland may be a man of true faith and the Holy Spirit.

That all of Christ's disciples may seek the conversion of mind and heart taught by our Master.

That our young people on summer vacation,  may be kept close to the truth and heart of Jesus.

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.