One of the great boasts of the Israelites was that they had a system of laws better than any other nation and Moses told them “Keep them [the laws], observe them, and they will demonstrate to the people your wisdom and understanding.” In the gospel, Jesus seems to be of the same mind when he says “The person who infringes even one of the least of these commandments .... will be considered the least in the kingdom of God."

Yet Jesus did not seem to mind when his disciples broke the Law by eating grain on the Sabbath. He could be casual about Jewish cleansing rituals and he cured sick people on the Sabbath and offended observant Jews in so doing. That’s kind of confusing in one who praised the law down “to the last dot”.

There are two important considerations to be borne in mind if we are to understand the attitude of Jesus towards rules and regulations.

Firstly, he said that the laws were to be observed, “until their purpose is fulfilled”. Exact observance of a law ignoring its purpose may be more disrespect for the law than respect. Road traffic regulations are to protect life, but if a road is blocked by an accident, we expect emergency services to access the scene going up a one-way street in the wrong direction if that is the only way they can gain access. The purpose of the various social rituals of the Jews was to regulate their social interaction in the interests of harmony and mutual respect. Jesus recognised that something is wrong when people place social etiquette as more important than healing the sick. Are you the kind of Jesus person, free enough in yourself, and able to recognise that there are times when something more than keeping the rules is required?

Secondly, the gospel story we have today comes at the end of the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus made it clear he was looking for something far more than external observance.  He wanted a change of heart, something that went way beyond keeping rules.  The rules are there to give us examples of good behaviour, but a converted heart will go beyond the minimum requirements.

For us who seek to be followers of Jesus, our aim is not just to keep the law, but to take on the mind and heart of Jesus.

A reflection written by John Byrne O.S.A., from our Irish Province

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