Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity (2 Sept., 2018)

Remember the Law

Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many.  I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness.  When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble.  Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.  Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.  Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.  For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.  For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.  But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.  The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.  My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.  Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.  For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.  Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.  Proverbs 4:10-23

ב - How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.  With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!  I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.  Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes!  With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth.  In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.  I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.  I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.  Psalm 119:9-16

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,  envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  Galatians 5:16-24

On the way to Jerusalem He was passing along between Samaria and Galilee.  And as He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us."  When He saw them He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed.  Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving Him thanks.  Now he was a Samaritan.  Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?  Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"  And He said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."  Luke 17:11-19

The life of a Christian is at times a life of paradox and dichotomy.  We are called to be "in the world, but not of it."  We are simul justus et peccator.  We are dead to sin yet alive in Christ.  We are to follow the Law but are not under the Law.

The Psalmist and the Teacher in Proverbs both hold up God's eternal Law as the standard of all that is good and right.  I anyone wishes to be a good person, someone who is blameless, moral, and righteous, this person must adhere to God's Law.  Their entire life must be dedicated to it.  They must have the Law as their focus in all things.  They must seek to keep it, to guard it.

But Christ and St. Paul do not speak of the Law in these passages quite the same way.  The great evangelist speaks of how we, who are lead by the Spirit, are not under the Law.  He is, of course, speaking firstly of who we are not under the condemnation of the Law, but he goes on to write as if the Law is no longer at play in our lives.

Christ heals ten leapers and tells them to go and fulfill the Mosaic law.  However, one turns back when he see that he was truly healed by the Savior.  He returns and gives thanks.  Christ does not tell him "well done, now go and do like I said."  No, He says "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."  No law, no rules, no requirements.  Just grace.

So which is it?  Are we still under the Law, or are we freed by Grace?  Both.

The eternal Law of God, which leads us in the paths of uprightness and which we store in our hearts, is still the standard by which all Good is measured.  These are the rules God established at the foundation of the world.  Why should they go away?  But what are we no longer bound by?  The condemnation for breaking these rules.  That burden was taken by Christ.  So now, by Grace, we are free to keep the Law.