“You have heard the commandment, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ What I say to you is: anyone who looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his thoughts.’ ” —Matthew 5:27-28

Jesus did not believe in working on the sabbath, but He did cause a controversy by healing on the sabbath. He was also not ultra-strict about washing His hands before eating (see Mt 15:2). Moreover, Jesus did not require His disciples to fast until after He ascended into heaven (see Mt 9:14ff). He also stopped an adulteress from being put to death (Jn 8:3ff).
Some people misunderstood Jesus’ actions. They thought He was trying to be popular by being permissive. However, Jesus set the record straight by proclaiming: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets. I have come, not to abolish them, but to fulfill them” (Mt 5:17). Jesus then proceeded to set the highest moral standards in history. He condemned not only murder but growing angry (Mt 5:22). He forbade not only adultery but also lustful glances and thoughts (Mt 5:28). Jesus also opposed divorce although it was accepted in the Bible (Mt 5:32). He even commanded us to love our enemies and to offer no resistance to injury (Mt 5:44, 39).
Jesus is not permissive; He is impossibly demanding. We will be hopelessly frustrated in trying to fulfill Jesus’ moral standards. Our only hope is to come to Jesus (see Mt 11:28) and turn our lives over to Him. We cannot meet His standards, but we can “let it be done” to us according to His word (see Lk 1:38). “He Who calls us is trustworthy, therefore He will do it” (1 Thes 5:24).

Prayer: Father, I must be, but cannot be, holy. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me from this impossible situation.
Promise: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love Him.” —1 Cor 2:9
Praise: Alleluia! Jesus has conquered death for us! Alleluia!

February 16, 2014 by dgcree

The Law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ

From a sermon
by Saint Leo the Great, pope
[ 400 – 461 A.D. ]

The Lord reveals his glory in the presence of chosen witnesses. His body is like that of the rest of mankind, but he makes it shine with such splendour that his face becomes like the sun in glory, and his garments as white as snow.
The great reason for this transfiguration was to remove the scandal of the cross from the hearts of his disciples, and to prevent the humiliation of his voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those who had witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed.
With no less forethought he was also providing a firm foundation for the hope of holy Church. The whole body of Christ was to understand the kind of transformation that it would receive as his gift: the members of that body were to look forward to a share in that glory which first blazed out in Christ their head.
The Lord had himself spoken of this when he foretold the splendour of his coming: Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Saint Paul the apostle bore witness to this same truth when he said: I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not to be compared to the future glory that is to be revealed in us. In another place he says: You are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
This marvel of the transfiguration contains another lesson for the apostles, to strengthen them and lead them into the fullness of knowledge. Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets, appeared with the Lord in conversation with him. This was in order to fulfil exactly, through the presence of these five men, the text which says: Before two or three witnesses every word is ratified. What word could be more firmly established, more securely based, than the word which is proclaimed by the trumpets of both old and new testaments, sounding in harmony, and by the utterances of ancient prophecy and the teaching of the Gospel, in full agreement with each other?
The writings of the two testaments support each other. The radiance of the transfiguration reveals clearly and unmistakably the one who had been promised by signs foretelling him under the veils of mystery. As Saint John says: The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. In him the promise made through the shadows of prophecy stands revealed, along with the full meaning of the precepts of the law. He is the one who teaches the truth of the prophecy through his presence, and makes obedience to the commandments possible through grace.
In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No one should be ashamed of the cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed.
No one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice; no one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then we are steadfast in our faith in him and in our love for him, we win the victory that he has won, we receive what he has promised.
When it comes to obeying the commandments or enduring adversity, the words uttered by the Father should always echo in our ears: This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him.

February 16, 2014 by dgcree

God’s word is an inexhaustible spring of life

From a commentary on the Diatessaron
by Saint Ephrem,
[ c.306 – 373 A.D. ]
deacon

The word of God is a tree of life that offers us blessed fruit from each of its branches. It is like that rock which was struck open in the wilderness, from which all were offered spiritual drink. As the Apostle says: They ate spiritual food and they drank spiritual drink.Lord, who can comprehend even one of your words? We lose more of it than we grasp, like those who drink from a living spring. For God’s word offers different facets according to the capacity of the listener, and the Lord has portrayed his message in many colours, so that whoever gazes upon it can see in it what suits him. Within it he has buried manifold treasures, so that each of us might grow rich in seeking them out.
And so whenever anyone discovers some part of the treasure, he should not think that he has exhausted God’s word. Instead he should feel that this is all that he was able to find of the wealth contained in it. Nor should he say that the word is weak and sterile or look down on it simply because this portion was all that he happened to find. But precisely because he could not capture it all he should give thanks for its riches.
Be glad then that you are overwhelmed, and do not be saddened because he has overcome you. A thirsty man is happy when he is drinking, and he is not depressed because he cannot exhaust the spring. So let this spring quench your thirst, and not your thirst the spring. For if you can satisfy your thirst without exhausting the spring, then when you thirst again you can drink from it once more; but if when your thirst is sated the spring is also dried up, then your victory would turn to harm.
Be thankful then for what you have received, and do not be saddened at all that such an abundance still remains. What you have received and attained is your present share, while what is left will be your heritage. For what you could not take at one time because of your weakness, you will be able to grasp at another if you only persevere. So do not foolishly try to drain in one draught what cannot be consumed all at once, and do not cease out of faintheartedness from what you will be able to absorb as time goes on.