Rules for Rules’ Sake vs. Biblical Wisdom
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
The sacred scriptures this weekend speak of understanding the laws of God in light of His divine love. Jesus, in the Gospel passage, expands on the meaning of the commandments and illuminates their implications as aids to faithfully living out the truth of who God made us to be.
To simply approach the commandments by gritting one’s teeth and engaging in stubborn adherence, for most people, eventually fails. We are not very good at following rules just for rule’s sake; the history of the People of Israel has demonstrated that. But the more we comprehend the mystery of God’s plan for humankind, the more we desire to change the priorities of our lives.
The gift of wisdom helps us to better understand God’s plan for us. The second reading from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians speaks of the gift of wisdom. Wisdom that comes from God helps us understand God’s “big picture” for our lives. The Old Testament describes wisdom as an understanding of the providential plan of God in creation. The characters in the Book of Job and in Ecclesiastes were seeking such wisdom, but could not seem to find it. In the Books of Proverbs, Sirach, and Wisdom we are encouraged that those who seek wisdom, will find it. The Book of Wisdom goes so far to say that biblical wisdom is the knowledge of God’s power and goodness, so that one can somehow grasp God’s plan for the created world and recognize it in the very attributes of God (his power, love, mercy, etc.).
For the Christian, wisdom is above all the understanding of the plan of God to reveal His merciful love through the death of Christ. But such Divine Love surpasses all possibility of human understanding. Even the most sublime experience of human love falls far short of the immensity of God’s love. Only when we allow God himself, the Holy Spirit, to change us by pouring His own divine love into our hearts, do we begin to comprehend God’s unsearchable riches. As we grow in love, or rather as love grows in us, extending its roots into the deepest, darkest corners of our hearts, we become other Christs, and can taste and see the goodness of the Lord. (Excerpted in part from an article by Dr. Andrew Seeley)
Sincerely yours in Christ Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life,
