Love and the Law

When discussing our call as Christians, people sometimes draw a false distinction between “the Law” and “Love”.  Some claim that the Old Testament faith was rooted in rules and regulations and by a harsh and legalistic God who was there in essence to enforce the Law whilst faith in the New Testament offers a new understanding of God in which Love does away with everything else and so we don’t have to worry too much about the rules.

However, in his ministry and teaching, Jesus made it clear that he had not come to abolish the Law but to fulfil it.  Many New Testament scriptures point out that the Law alone failed to keep people in a loving Covenant with God, but this does not mean that the Law had to be disposed of.

In the Gospel reading today, Jesus speaks a line which to my mind, hasn’t received much commentary over the years and yet is crucially important.  Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  In other words, one of the ways in which we show our love for God is by keeping to the Law.  In fact a love of the Law had been an Old Testament theme, in particular in some of the psalms, for example Psalm 119 in which the psalmist says, “O how I love your Law, it is my meditation all day long.”

Of course our faith is not a deal or a bargain, but it does involve covenant and promise.  Just as the Lord asks for our love, he also promises, in his love, that he will not leave us orphans and that we will be sent “another Helper,” the Holy Spirit.  As we approach the great Solemnities of the Ascension and Pentecost, we are reminded that our love entails a faithful keeping of God’s Law.  

God bless, Fr Kevin.