Sunday Reflections

It seems like we humans chomp at the bit from an early age.  We have all heard of the “terrible twos,” that is, that period of life — usually beginning at age two — when we learn the word “no.”  We begin to assert our independence over the authority of our parents and others in charge.  They, on the other hand, push back, trying to teach us that rules are important for life.  Imagine playing sports without knowing the rules of the game you are playing; it would be chaos.  The challenge of any sport is to play within the rules of the game and come out a victor.  Rules provide fairness to competition and help build relationships and community.

In the first reading from Joshua this Sunday, the people of Israel are thankful for God providing commandments for them to observe.  Rather than seeing them as restrictions, they saw the laws and commandments as blessings. “Imagine,” they said, “we have a God who loves us so much that he has shown us how to live, love, and be happy without harming one another.  Unfortunately, we know that regarding God’s rules, we often interpret them as oppressive, restrictive, and unfair.  Why can’t God just leave us alone?  Doesn’t God want us to be happy? And so, we chomp at the bit, like two-year-olds, wanting our own way and dismissing any possibility that possibly — just possibly — we may really not know the best way to navigate life.

In the gospel story, Jesus seems to be bending the law and scribbling outside the lines. His response to the Pharisees and scribes reveals that God’s laws and commandments are much more than rules and legalistic prescriptions; rather they are guidelines from the heart given to keep us safe and to help us grow in love.  These laws are to be obeyed for sure but they are not oppressive or burdensome but are given in love to set us free.

Perhaps this week we could all pause and examine our relationship to God’s laws and maybe — like the Israelites — give God thanks for loving us so much that we are shown how to be the best we can be.