As a youngster growing up, I recall that when I went out with friends, my mom would tell me to make sure that I returned home before it got to be too dark and too late.
I’d respond in the affirmative, interpreting her request based on my own preferences and lifestyle: too dark meant I couldn’t see, but there was plenty of light from the streetlights; too late meant before I got too tired and exhausted, but I’m a night owl so that meant that I just needed to return home before 1 a.m.
During this exchange with my mom, I already knew what I was doing: I was interpreting her rules based on my own wants and desires. And unfortunately, I don’t think I’m alone in doing that.
In our Gospel reading for July 13, Jesus is asked the following question by a scholar of the law: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” and Jesus responds with two questions, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”
It’s a profound response to the question that was posed. Jesus is asking the scholar to take a moment to reflect and see if he knows the law, and then, if he understands the law. Note that I said that Jesus’ response was profound. Because like a wise parent when establishing rules in the home, it would seem to make sense for the parent to ask the members of the house to tell the parent what the rules are and what they mean. Doing so helps all the members know and understand the rules. Jesus is doing the same thing with this scholar.
An important aspect of our lives is that we sometimes miss opportunities to try to understand, or sometimes willingly choose to be ignorant, of the rules and laws that have been set before us by our parents and guardians, our leaders and governing bodies. Unfortunately, this has also been true with the law that has been given to us by God through his Church.
As a priest, sometimes people ask me why the Church teaches and requires the things that she does. My typical response to those questions is: “Can you tell me how you understand that law and why do you think the Church teaches it?” Sound familiar?
Knowing something doesn’t necessarily mean understanding it, and the encounter the scholar had with Jesus was an opportunity for Jesus to help the scholar understand that which he was learning or already knew, namely the law. In our own faith journey, let’s remember to take a cue from Jesus and not miss opportunities to seek to understand the things that might seem to cause us concern and to help others do the same.
Father Ly is pastor of Presentation of Mary in Maplewood.
Sunday, July 13
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
