Sunday 1st of September 2024 - Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8/ Psalm 14(15)/ James 1:17-18,21-22,27/ Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23

Most of my working life was in law enforcement. There are many laws and regulations, and it seems whenever there are elections the manifestos are full of ideas for yet more laws. Laws and regulations are necessary to protect us all and to produce a cohesive society. We might not accept it but from our earliest childhood we need our boundaries of behaviour set for us because we have free will. Free will is what makes us human, we can choose right from wrong, good from bad. To make good choices we need laws, regulations, and guidelines to point us in the right direction. Without a functioning legal system society will break down and anarchy will result. In such a situation it will be the neediest who will suffer the most.

To be effective and fair laws need to be justifiable, have a defined purpose which is achievable, and be enforceable. If any of these elements are missing a law will be ineffective either through it being ignored or not being enforced or even being unenforceable. An effective law will protect the safety of members of the community, protect fundamental human rights and freedoms, will reward good behaviour with clear penalties for bad, and will reflect the morals and views of the community it serves.

In the Judaeo Christian tradition of western society most laws were grounded fundamentally on the Ten Commandments which were given by God to his people and handed down through the generations. Over time our society has become increasingly secular and abandoned the idea that justice emanates from God the creator. The ethos of the Ten Commandments has been eroded and societies have moved towards laws of their own making. With laws come responsibilities, a new law giving protection and freedom to one may well endanger and restrict another. When tinkering with the fundamental rules for life passed down through centuries there are risks that laws become restrictive, overbearing, and unjust even as they seek justice. Without law society becomes chaotic and unmanageable although too much law can be repressive and dehumanising.

The readings for today bring out the positive and negatives that come with laws and regulations. The law from God was given as a gift and represents true freedom governing all in justice and fairness. The emphasis is clearly on leading us to God and care for the poor and needy. In the gospel Jesus points out how slavish adherence to the many rules and regulations that had developed over time had resulted in a law without purpose and meaning. He accused people of offering only lip service to God with worthless worship while their hearts were far from him. They were more interested in the observance of the many laws and regulations they had concocted rather than any purpose they served.

We need a balanced approach to law and regulation acknowledging that it should bring a positive and lifegiving reassurance to society. Properly formulated and enforced the law should follow the will of God for creation bringing with it positive patterns of social behaviour. Law should be an expression of the love of God reaching out to all, protecting all, especially those in greatest need and the most vulnerable. A dogged observance of the law can lead us to believe that God is being well served when in fact the mere following of rules and observances can be worthless. All our efforts to comply with detail can overwhelm and supress the faith in action that God calls us to.

In the gospel passage today, Jesus warns against legalistic behaviour. The Pharisees and Scribes had become bogged down in the minutiae of all the detailed rules that had developed having long forgotten the meaning or the reason for such practices. The adherence to external practices took precedence over the fundamental requirements of living out a life of faith.

Creation and administration of law requires a balanced and proportionate outlook. For the good of all the law generally must be followed and when necessary enforced. The law should never be oppressive and should not stifle the Christian need to sometimes act over and above the law as in the examples given by numerous martyrs. There might be occasions when we are called to act outside of the law because our conscience tells us what is truly right. Every law must be evaluated against the greatest law as stated clearly by Jesus. Love God and love our neighbour. This is summed up in the letter from James, to live a holy life and care for those in need remaining uncontaminated by the world. We must act on the spirit of the law of God not merely listen to or blindly just follow the letter of his law.

God Bless Brendan