Jesus says in the Gospel today that He came to fulfill the law, not destroy it. To understand that statement, we have to look at what the purpose of a law is. Laws are created to instill and facilitate order and keep peace within a society. Religious law, though, is supposed to show us how to live in a relationship with God.
Jesus tells us that He has “come not to abolish, but to fulfill.” The Greek word here, fulfill, means to “make complete.” Jesus came to take a relationship and make it complete. The New Covenant, which we celebrate at Mass, includes and concludes the Old. It perfects it, transforms it.
There are those out in the world who would tell you that we are then free from the Old Testament laws. While the Sacrificial laws of the Old Testament expired by the Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, and the nation-building laws were a part of the nation of Israel, Christianity did not do away with the laws of morality. They were retained and refined.
Jesus came to teach us that God did not just give the laws for the nation of Israel but all of humanity. He also revealed to us that they were intended not just to be some external practice but an inward change. All nations can share in God’s blessing, all people regardless of language, ethnicity, or citizenship. However, the New Covenant challenges us to a new standard of righteousness that surpasses that of the Old Covenant. The Eucharist itself penetrates the heart; it reaches within to help us govern our personal a private life to a new standard of holiness.
That’s why we should rely on the Sacraments, on the Church to guide us, and the Holy Spirit to help us live out this holiness. I often hear people say, “Oh I could never be a saint, I do this or that.” There is even a t-shirt out there that is popular that says “I love Jesus, but a cuss a little.” You’re right. On our own, we could never live up to the standards of holiness we see lived out in Jesus’ life. That doesn’t excuse us from trying. With God, all things are possible. So don’t be afraid to ask Him for grace. Meet Him in the Sacraments. Confess your sins when you fail, and receive the Eucharist worthily. This is what Jesus came to do. To show us the fullness of our relationship with God, one in which we become more like Him. Eternal. Holy. Life-giving, forgiven, and forgiving. Let’s not be afraid to become Saints; to go forth teaching others how to grow in relationship with Jesus and His Church.
The world needs that now more than ever. Jesus perfected the covenant, transformed it in His own blood… how much more so can He do with us?
A reflection on the readings for Wednesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time: June 9th, 2021