LIVING ABOVE THE LAW


WEDNESDAY, TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 

1 Kings 18:20-39; Ps 16:1-2,4-5,8,11; Mt 5:17-19

The Demand of God’s Justice

We often miss the point of the need to habituate our minds to the word of God. We fail to understand that ignorance of the word of God and his loving presence will not spare us from the manipulations of demons and evil people. That is, if our lamps are not lit and placed on the lampstand or on a tub, forces of darkness will invade our space and force their way in. If we light our lamps and hide them under the tub or basket, then we are only useful to ourselves as individuals and not to our neighbours. When these are enveloped in darkness, they will profess their darkness in such a way that the darkness will overwhelm and extinguish our single light. God wants us to be lit and burning brightly, and also to shine forth our light to everyone around us. Hence, he called his disciples a city built on the mountain top. Maintaining the brightness of our light requires regular and devoted attendance to the Lord through the word of God and the Sacraments. The forces of evil attack us with distractions in daily living and prayers. In this regard, we must be wary of the latest developments in social media, the use of artificial intelligence to produce and enhance sensual amusements and pleasures, which increases the power of the audiovisuals to attract and captivate human minds and hearts, subtly polluting them with base images.

Our first reading from the first book of Kings narrates the encounter between the prophet Elijah and the 450 prophets/priests of Baal. We wonder how the worship of Baal entered Israel and overtook the worship of the God of Israel, who saved them from Egypt and established them in the Promised Land of Canaan. But it was the lack of vigilance and the seductive power of evil, which gradually enters through the senses and lulls the minds and hearts of the people to sleep, chaining them in the darkness of sin and error. The silence of the people to Elijah’s question shows how spiritually weak the people had become due to their ignorance of Yahweh, their God. “Elijah stepped out in front of all the people. ‘How long’ he said ‘do you mean to hobble first on one leg then on the other? If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.’ But the people never said a word.” They did not respond because they were no longer certain of their God; they had lost their faith in Yahweh due to lack of attention to the word of God, laxity and duplicity in the worship of God, and attraction of worldly wealth and pleasures. These three also afflict the practice of Christianity in our country, Nigeria. We want to be with the world and with God at the same time. We desire to gain the world and heaven at the same time. But such is impossible; for according to James 4:4, “Friendship with the world is enmity with God.” Elijah’s unequivocal profession of faith in Yahweh won the people back to God.

Our Lord also demands that we choose whether to serve God or money. We cannot serve the two. We must consciously make a definitive choice daily. Subsequently, to bring about this choice, the Lord raised the standard above the demand of the Law, to make it impossible for us to sit on the fence. “Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved.” To live above the Law, we must seek the Lord with all our mind, heart, and strength. Our total commitment to God prevents the evil serpent from entering and corrupting our minds and hearts. Attention on the word of God keeps our light lit and burning for our salvation and that of others. “But the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.” As Saint John informed us, our victory over the world is our faith in Jesus Christ. 1 Jn 5:4. Remember, in order to remain victorious, we must put all our resources into seeking the Lord. “O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup; it is you yourself who are my prize. I keep the Lord ever in my sight: since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.”

Let us pray: O God, from whom all good things come, grant that we, who call on you in our need, may at your prompting discern what is right, and by your guidance do it. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. 

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