Father Rick Bolte's Homily

C: Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time                  2007-07-01

When Paul speaks of freedom, as he does today in the second reading, most of us are used to and comfortable with the concept of needing freedom from the things of this world.  Even though we struggle with our attachments wealth, power, fame, etc., we have heard since early childhood that we should be weary of our desire for these things.  What we have a harder time hearing from Paul is that we need freedom from the Law.

We can’t explain away what Paul is saying by supposing that he’s just referring to the Law of the Old Testament.  We’d like to say, “Surely he does not mean the Ten Commandments or the laws of the Catholic Church!”  But he is referring to all laws, especially those of religion.  So does this mean that laws are irrelevant or that we don’t need to follow the Ten Commandments?

What Paul is speaking about is not the abolishment of any laws but rather calling us to recognize the limits of the law.  He is reminding us that just following the law does not make us true followers of Christ.  Slavery to the things of this world or to the law is when we live life as if we’re convinced that any of these things bring us to true happiness, satisfaction, or fulfillment for our lives.  Just as people live as if the things of this world can lead them to their heart’s desire, so too following the law can carry the illusion of being a good Christian and being open to all that God wants for us.

But it is an illusion.  As people are impressed with another’s wealth, popularity, power and the like, so too they can be impressed with how well one follows the laws of their faith.  Such followers are often nice people who seem very holy and dedicated.  But as Jesus tells us, “by their fruits you will know them.”  In today’s Gospel, James and John ask Jesus if he wants them to call down fire from heaven to consume the village that won’t welcome them.  Jesus turns to rebuke them.

When we follow the law but not its Spirit, we can be like James and John.  We follow the law not because its Spirit is in our hearts but because we have to.  We can follow the law because we’re afraid not to lest we be punished by God or others.  We can follow the law because it makes us “good” in the eyes of others.  We can follow the law because we like to be “better” that those who don’t.  Following the law for these reasons usually leads us to harbor anger in our hearts.

This is what James and John exhibit.  The Samaritans won’t welcome Jesus.  They’re not doing what is right.  When we’re doing what is “right” for the wrong reasons, we tend to be judgmental, self-righteous, and wanting to punish those who don’t do what we believe the law says they should.  Many of us are eager to see people punished for what they do wrong.  We get angry when we see people seeming to get away with what we wouldn’t allow ourselves to get caught doing because it’s not right!  If we’ve had to suffer to be good, if we’ve had to do without what we wanted to be the “good” people we purport to be; they shouldn’t be able to get away with not doing what we had to do.  Like James and John, we want God to punish them.

Paul calls us to follow the Spirit of the law as expressed in Jesus’ admonition, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  The law isn’t the goal but a means to the real goal.  It lets us know when we stray from the path of truth.  Jesus tells us that no part of the law will be abolished until it is fulfilled.  He’s referring not to a literal following of the law but the Spirit that is behind the law.  Following Jesus is not about making ourselves good or holy but about allowing the good within to be called forth.  God created us in his image and likeness.  The law can help us to follow God faithfully but it is not the goal.

Notice within ourselves how we are offended by other’s behavior.  Notice how we get angry at the thought of others getting away with something.  Notice how we like to see others “get what’s coming to them.  It may help us to notice within ourselves the way we are still reluctantly following the rules but have yet to find the Spirit of god’s love for our neighbor.  We don’t move forward in our spiritual journey until we can honestly admit where we are.