Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
(Deuteronomy 4:1,5-9; Matthew 5:17-19)
In his poem “Mending Wall” Robert Frost
writes, “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” Walls are barriers that keep people
apart. But they also maintain order. Laws are like walls. Something about them is repugnant. People, for the most part, want to help not
hurt one another. Why should they be
restricted in their outreach? Yet both
readings today speak of the value of laws.
In the first reading, Moses tells the
people that they form a great nation because their laws are just. Given by God
Himself, they have shaped a population of slaves into a just and holy
people. In the gospel Jesus confirms the
worthiness of Jewish laws although he will enhance them. His aim is to make a holy nation perfect.
Laws preserve not only order but also
identity. Keeping the Law, Jews remain
Jewish. They also assure that wayward
human tendencies do not hurt others. Still,
we look forward to the abolition of laws, as Jesus says, with the coming of the
Kingdom. Then there will only remain the
law of love. Then, as the Holy Spirit
fills every soul, all will love as we should.
