(Rom 7: 18-25; Ps 1: Ps 118: 66, 68, 76, 77, 93-94; Lk 12: 54-59)
How could Paul, our beloved Paul, the one who was so intimately touched by Jesus Christ, who devoted his life to our Lord and without whom we may not have our Church today, do any evil whatsoever after his conversion? It seems impossible. Yet he spoke to the Romans confessing this very thing. His “members”, his physical body, are at war with his mind. You see, our beloved Paul, experienced Jesus in his interior and he took delight in God’s law, yet, Paul lived in a human body that is susceptible to sin. This susceptibility greatly grieved Paul; however, he was fully aware of how he would receive deliverance – through Jesus Christ our Lord. Because Paul deeply desired to do good, he was deeply anguished over his sin – so much so that he sought deliverance from his mortal body.
Paul strove to follow the law God gave us because he deeply loved Jesus. We too have been given this law. However, being human we, like Paul, are susceptible to the sin, pain and death that also attacks our members. Fortunately for us we are encouraged to call on God’s Mercy and it is this Mercy that has the power to free us of our sins of the flesh. His Mercy offers divine forgiveness, yet we must present ourselves and ask for this forgiveness. Once forgiven, our sins are covered and they no longer have the power to separate us from God’s great love – how beautiful the Sacrament of Reconciliation is!!!
Jesus in our Gospel also teaches us the importance of living in him and not the world. The people, with all their worldly wisdom and science, could not see “the present time” – kinda like today… You see, with Jesus’ birth, the fabric of the world changed forever. God came into the world as Jesus, fully human and fully God. He walked on the soil, ate of the food, and lived and breathed on the planet we call home. God who gave the law stood in their midst as the man Jesus and they didn’t recognize him – what a shame.
Further, Jesus shed light on the law in today’s Gospel when he said: “settle the matter on the way” lest you be thrown into prison and not released “until you have paid the last penny.” If we live exclusively by the law, if we do not settle our affairs before we see the judge (judgement day…), then we will be held accountable for all of our sins. Remember everything in the darkness will be brought into the light my friends. However, God gives us his Mercy and forgiveness for us to call upon when we have a grievance. Thank goodness, because living exclusively by the law presents an impossible proposition as we are not that perfect. Remember, when we do finally present ourselves to God we will ache to be with him; however, it is our sin that will separate us from him. This sin needs to be settled prior to this most important meeting. Let’s face it, our members are weak, we are tempted by the world, and even though we may want to do right, evil is at hand, war ensues and we sin.
However – we are loved beyond all measure! Jesus told us what to do when we fall short of complete adherence of the law – settle our case on the way to the judge. Can we say forgiveness and Mercy my friends. It is through God’s forgiveness and Mercy that we settle our grievances. By extending forgiveness to our opponent our heart becomes free of the anger, rage, resentment and all the varied grievances we hold toward him. By receiving Reconciliation our heart becomes free of the sin and grievances we carry within. If not settled our judge will be forced to pass judgement over us until our debt is paid. If settled then we become free to fully live the live God desires for us to live.
Today’s Psalm provides us with a beautiful plan to follow as we seek to settle our accounts on our way to the judge. Can you imagine what the world would look like if all God’s children sought to settle their accounts immediately, if we all sought immediate forgiveness and Mercy when we commit an offense against God (i.e. against a child of God – which includes ourselves)? What a beautiful world we would live in as sin would undoubtedly cease to exist. Let us together seek God so that we can trust in his commands, learn from his statutes, receive comfort through his kindness, delight in his law, receive life, and wholly surrender to Him.
Jesus – I love you!
