Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:19

    “Papa, the pedestrian crossing is over there,” my then little girl reminded me as I crossed the street diagonally. Actually, the pedestrian lane was just a few meters away. I may not have said it, but the act of pulling her to cross diagonally was tantamount to telling her that it was OK to ignore pedestrian lanes. It was like teaching by modeling.

       It seems that a little disobedience to the small rule is no big deal. But the verse above is clear: “Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.”

       Romans 13:1-2 says, “Let every person be subordinate to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God…Therefore, whoever resists authority opposes what God has appointed.”

     When we don’t follow this little rule, we are actually disobeying a bigger, more serious rule that has “spiritual” implications. Danny Tariman (dtariman.loj@gmail.com)

Reflection: You don’t want to be called least in the Kingdom of heaven, do you? Start obeying even the smallest of these commands.

Father, please forgive me for taking for granted those seemingly unimportant rules. Grant me the grace to obey You in all aspects of my life. Amen.

Elijah urges the people to make a choice: obey God or reject Him. It is useless to trust God now only to change their minds later on. Discipleship requires a single-minded commitment to holiness. If we waver back and forth on our faith, we will bear little fruit. Let us embrace the life of a true disciple of Jesus.

20 Ahab sent to all the children of Israel and had the prophets assemble on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah appealed to all the people and said, “How long will you straddle the issue? If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.” The people, however, did not answer him. 22 So Elijah said to the people, “I am the only surviving prophet of the Lord, and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. 23 Give us two young bulls. Let them choose one, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood, but start no fire. I shall prepare the other and place it on the wood, but shall start no fire. 24 You shall call on your gods, and I will call on the Lord. The God who answers with fire is God.” All the people answered, “Agreed!” 25 Elijah then said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one young bull and prepare it first, for there are more of you. Call upon your gods, but do not start the fire.” 26 Taking the young bull that was turned over to them, they prepared it and called on Baal from morning to noon, saying, “Answer us, Baal!” But there was no sound, and no one answering. And they hopped around the altar they had prepared. 27 When it was noon, Elijah taunted them: “Call louder, for he is a god and may be meditating, or may have retired, or may be on a journey. Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28 They called out louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until blood gushed over them. 29 Noon passed and they remained in a prophetic state until the time for offering sacrifice. But there was not a sound; no one answered, and no one was listening. 30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” When the people had done so, he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been destroyed. 31 He took twelve stones, for the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the Lord had said, “Your name shall be Israel.” 32 He built an altar in honor of the Lord with the stones, and made a trench around the altar large enough for two measures of grain. 33 When he had arranged the wood, he cut up the young bull and laid it on the wood. 34 “Fill four jars with water,” he said, “and pour it over the burnt offering and over the wood.” “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again. “Do it a third time,” he said, and they did it a third time. 35 The water flowed around the altar, and the trench was filled with the water. 36 At the time for offering sacrifice, the prophet Elijah came forward and said, “Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things by your command. 37 Answer me, Lord! Answer me, that this people may know that you, Lord, are God and that you have brought  them back to their senses.” 38 The Lord’s fire came down and consumed the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust, and it lapped up the water in the trench. 39 Seeing this, all the people fell prostrate and said, “The Lord is God! The Lord is God!”

Psalm 16:1-2, 4, 5, 8, 11

R: Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

1 Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge; 2 I say to the Lord, “My Lord are you.” (R) 4 They multiply their sorrows who court other gods. Blood libations to them I will not pour out, nor will I take their names upon my lips. (R) 5 O Lord, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot. 8 I set the Lord ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. (R) 11 You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever. (R)

Jesus teaches that the Law is deficient. We need to examine it within the context of His love for us. Jesus calls us to look at it through two overarching commandments, namely the love of God and the love of neighbor. By following this, we will see how it gives new life and meaning to the Law.

Teach me your paths, my God, and guide me in your truth.

17 Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

think: Discipleship requires a single-minded commitment to holiness.

Thank You Lord for: __________________

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 1 Kings 17-18 

THE FULFILLMENT OF OUR LIVES

We can say it at once: Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. He Himself is the fulfillment, and this is so, not just in the sense of Him doing and completing them. More than that, Jesus is pointing to His very self, His very person or His very identity as the peak or zenith of the law and the prophets.

       From this premise, we can say that to break the least significant of such commands is to offend God. Conversely, to fulfill and teach others to fulfill them is true greatness, for in that way we glorify God.

         And now, the choice is ours: a make-or-break one. Do we choose to fulfill God’s commands? Or do we neglect, and worse still, defy or break them? Remember: it is not merely a question of obeying or disobeying someone’s directives. We’re dealing here with the very person and identity of the Almighty Lord, the one and only God. He not only commands us to do this and avoid that. He, in fact, takes command of our very lives, and we willingly allow Him to do so.

       May the Lord truly be the fulfillment, not just of the law and the prophets, but of our very own lives. Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB

REFLECTION QUESTION: When you try to obey God’s commands, are you aware that you are allowing Him to take control of your life?

Grant me an obedient heart, Lord, that I may always be willing to obey Your commandment in all my life situations. Amen.