LAW EXECUTES JUSTICE BUT WISDOM DEFENDS LIFE

 

In the Gospel passage, a certain rich man encounters Jesus and asks Him about the way to attain eternal life. Jesus elucidates him the Ten Commandments and tells him to keep it. The rich man is very zealous Israelite that he has kept all these commandments faithfully. To keep the commandments of God in Israel is to be righteous and be just in front of God. Despite being a righteous and just rich man in Israel, his conscience pricks him that he still lacks something. And so, Jesus tell him to sell all his possessions and give them to the poor. But the rich man is not willing to do so. Keeping God’s commandment is enough to attain salvation but at times that alone is not enough. We have to keep the spirit of God’s commandment. The context of Ten Commandments is to protect weak and vulnerable in the society and bring disciple into one’s life and family. Thus, the core of Ten Commandments is security, protection and wellbeing of oneself and others. This is not understood properly in Israel. Jesus corrects this misunderstanding among them. He says that the spirit of God’s commandment is LOVE (love for God and one’s neighbour).

The life in the kingdom of God is based on love. The Ten Commandments are practical ways to keep the love. The rich man in the gospel is right with regard to the commandments. He has acquired wealth through righteous acts. He hasn’t cheated anybody for his wellbeing. He has faithfully followed the religious stipulation of Jews. But still he is not happy and contented. He could not feel that he is eligible to attain eternal life. This shows the true conscience of a just man. The laws do not give satisfaction, they are only practical guidelines. The satisfaction comes only when the law is followed wisely. In the first reading, King Solomon chooses wisdom above all wealth and kingly powers. He knows that if wealth and powers are not utilized properly they would not persist. To keep the law and to use his wealth and kingly powers properly he seeks wisdom. Wisdom is to discern what to do in a given situation basing on the law. JUSTICE is the aim of law. But MERCY and LOVE is the heart of wisdom. Our God is just and merciful. He executes justice with merciful heart. Anyone can follow the law without reflection and intelligence but to apply the law according to the situation requires wisdom. King Solomon chooses this. Following laws without reflection becomes monotonous and mechanical. There is no happiness and satisfaction in monotonous and mechanical lifestyle. The rich man in the Gospel is a perfect example for this. To be human is to have feelings and satisfaction.  Thus, wisdom makes man to move from being machine to human. In the artificial intelligence world, the man is a machine, not a full human person who gets satisfaction.

We know the commandments but to apply that rightly in our life we need wisdom.  Wisdom is not something extra that is infused in one’s mind. Wisdom is to analyse the situation from the perspective of God. To do this we need devotion and knowledge about Word of God. In the second reading, we are told that the Word of God is still relevant and active (Heb 4:12). All our different lives can be analysed, judged and evaluated in the light of the Word of God. Our knowledge about Word of God would help us to be wise in keeping the commandments. In the Gospel, Jesus says that salvation is not possible without the aid of God (Mk 10:27). We may have good works through law as rich man in the gospel had, but if we have no grace from God to apply the commandments of God according to the given situation our life is of no use. Wisdom is grace. Wisdom is listening to the Lord. Wisdom is love. Above all, wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Pro 9:10). King Solomon practised fear of the Lord. He had counsel from the Lord. He kept the spirit of the law in executing justice. The rich man in the gospel is a zealous Jew but not a religious person. He has not taken the commandments of God to his heart. The laws are always imperfect but the intention of the laws are good. That’s why despite many laws in the society still people commit lot of crimes and evils and escape punishment. According to the law, their crimes are justified (eg: killing the terrorist) but according to the spirit and intention of the law are they right? Which is wise; to kill the person or convert the person? Killing the person may give rise to another vengeance but converting the person may establish eternal peace. The law kills but wisdom gives life, a life that is new and worth living.

At the end of the gospel, Jesus promises wellbeing for His servants on this earth and eternal life in the next. This promise is mostly for priests and religious. The ordained and consecrated people are full time involved in the works of the Lord. In this work they do receive many blessings such as people and material things. The family of God’s servants are big, never limited, it always grows as one moves from place to place. As their family is huge, the material help they receive are also from many sources. Thus, the life of priest and religious seems to be luxury. But if we fail to see how they get these luxurious life we miss the point. The love of a priest or religious toward all makes everyone to feel that they belong to him/her. The material help that a priest and religious receives from them are the sign of their love in return. How the priest and religious utilize those material help is another thing. As common persons, priests and religious are to use material things according to the state of their life and congregation rules. If we get distracted with few material abuses in the church we would miss to see the effect that the love of God does in the life of priest and religious. Again, our openness to wisdom would make us see the love of God in riches but if we get struck to the law and judgment we would keep on bracketing priests and religious without having any happiness and satisfaction. Let us seek wisdom above riches. Let us use the Word of God to evaluate our life and become better. Let us see through the eyes of God in analysing situations. Let us be in the state of grace to keep the law.       

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