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Monday, July 03, 2006
Alipio: Patchwork religion
By Fr. Jose Alipio
Lifelines
Mt 9:14-17
JESUS came in for a lot of criticism from the religious establishment of his day. Those religious leaders were uncomfortable with change. After all, they were following religious laws and customs that could be traced back to the time of Moses and the prophets. Their founding fathers had laid down the principles and established the institutions that constituted them as a people of God. Any departure from this ancient tradition was seen as a departure from God. They were prepared to welcome Jesus as a great teacher who, like other prophets, would remind them of their religious obligations. They were even prepared to be told that some of their customs needed to be rethought. But what they could not accept was the radical shift in religious sensibility that Jesus represented.
Jesus made it clear that he was not interested in patching up their religious traditions. He saw the need for a more sweeping reformation. In the place of law, he put love. That was the new piece of cloth that could not be sewn to the old garment of tradition. That was the new wine that burst the old wineskins of the past. That's what set Jesus apart from the rest of the great rabbis, who were content to offer commentary on fixed teachings and practices. Jesus offered more than patchwork religion. He offered a whole new way of thinking about God and our relationship to God. God is not a stern Lawgiver who holds us accountable for keeping the rules. God is a loving Father who gives us the gift and the grace to live a brand new life. God offers us that same gift and grace today.
(July 3, 2006 issue)
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