Every person in the world is subject to rules and commandments. In a good portion of the world, cars are driven on the left side of the road. In the rest of the world cars are driven on the right side. Each country has adopted its own system. The differences were culture driven and developed over time.
In our first reading in Acts we have a blueprint on how we as a community make rules for today. Please note! Commandments are rules that cannot be changed but rules can.
For the life of me I do not see why eating meat from strangled animals. meat sacrificed to idols, incestuous or illegal marriage or drinking blood have anything to do with me. Easy fix . I would have no part of any of it.
But that is not what the Christians in Antioch were disturbed. They were disturbed about another rule. We have to realize that the believers of Jewish origin believed that since Christ was Jewish that all converts would have to follow the Jewish custom of circumcision as adults. This was upsetting to the new believers in Antioch. Some of these Jewish followers of the Way were making a rule that the new adult believers had to be circumcised to follow the Mosaic Code if they wanted to follow Jesus Christ.
It is important to realize that when Jesus was a baby he was circumcised. It was the first time He shed His Precious Blood for us.
This was a stumbling block for the adult men of Antioch, Syria, Cilicia, and others of Greek origin. I am sure all of us could appreciate their hesitancy to have this procedure done, especially with the non hygienic procedures that were prevalent at the time of the early Church.
The Book of Acts gives us a pattern to have rule changes that do not break a commandment. They conveiened the Council in Jerusalem and prayed for guidance from the Holy Spirit. The reading from Acts says, “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities”
This is the solution for us today to go forward when we have a problem. Our generation and future generations have the same answer. The Bishops prayed and the Holy Spirit led them. We have a blueprint from Acts to go forward no matter what the problem.
In the year 2020 we have a similar example. We have a commandment to make holy the Lord’s day and a rule of the Catholic Church is to worship every Sunday and attend Sunday Mass.
Our Bishops have with the help of the Holy Spirit have given a dispensation to the rule, but have not changed the commandment. So rule changes aren’t so terribly different today as in the early Church.
In John in today’s reading we have a commandment that has not changed. Jesus said, This is my commandment; love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
This Gospel message fits nicely with the first reading . Why did the Bishops give us a temporary dispensation from the rules. Because I have called you friends , the rule changed. The commandment did not change but the rule did.
As Christ is my witness , I do miss communal worship. Not sure about how you feel but because I am your friend, I will share the Most Precious Body and Blood of Christ in Spirit. I do this because we are friends. Christ said , greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. For the time being we are long distance friends for the good of the Body of Christ.
Rules change but Jesus words do not.
God Love you Always
Bob Burford
