TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s Gospel (Mt 5:17-19) coming almost immediately after Jesus proclaims the Beatitudes, has Him teaching about the Law:

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” (17-19)

(vv. 21-22)

“In this passage Jesus stresses the perennial value of the Old Testament. It is the word of God; because it has a divine authority it deserves total respect. The Old Law enjoined precepts of a moral, legal and liturgical type. Its moral precepts still hold good in the New Testament because they are for the most part specific divine-positive promulgations of the natural law. However, our Lord gives them greater weight and meaning. But the legal an d liturgical precepts of the Old Law were laid down by God for a specific stage in salvation history, that is, up to the coming of Christ; Christians are not obliged to observe them (cf. Summa theologiae, I-II, q. 108, a. 3 ad 3).

“The law promulgated through Moses and explained by the prophets was God’s gift to his people, a kind of anticipation of the definitive Law which the Christ or Messiah would lay down. Thus as the Council of Trent defined, Jesus not only ‘was given to men as a redeemer in whom they are to trust, but also as a lawgiver whom they are to obey’ (De iustificatione, can. 21).” (The Navarre Bible: St Matthew, 61)

“Jesus completely fulfilled the Mosaic Law and OT prophecies (1:23; 2:6, 15; 4:15–16; Lk 24:44–47). The Greek word translated fulfil means ‘to make complete’. The New Covenant thus includes and concludes the Old Covenant; it both perfects it and transforms it. While sacrificial laws of the OT expired with the sacrifice of Jesus, the moral Law (Ten Commandments, etc.) was retained and refined (5:21, 27, 43; 19:17). In the Christian life, the power of God’s Spirit is necessary if we are to obey the Law and grow in holiness (cf. Rom 8:4; CCC 577–81, 1967).” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of Matthew, 25)

Reading this passage, I’m reminded of St. Augustine’s famous saying:

“The New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.” (from CCC 129, Cf. St. Augustine, Quaest. in Hept. 2,73:PL 34,623; Cf. DV 16)

The Old Testament has many exciting stories and tells of some great adventures. Some of it can be a slog, making readers wonder of the relevancy of certain parts. This is why I always recommend good commentaries that provide both exegesis and theology to bring out the value of the most seemingly mundane, uninteresting, or confusing parts. An indispensable reference is Bergma and Pitre, Introduction to the Bible: Old Testament. Also, having the Navarre Bible is an invaluable resource; my recommendation is to use that Bible if planning to read the entire Old Testament. Finally, read the short but important Vatican II document, Dei Verbum, before beginning any significant Bible study.

By reading the Old Testament in light of the New, and recognizing it all as the God’s Word (that is, Jesus), there will be no danger we fall formally or informally into the heresy of Marcionism.

The Bible is a Great Adventure. Don’t miss out!

God bless.