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Wednesday 3rd
Week of Lent
Saint Luke’s Institute
March 11, 2015
Saint Luke’s Institute
March 11, 2015
LIMITATIONS OF THE LAW +++++++++++++++++++++
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One of first things I learned in
Canon Law at Catholic University was the limitations of law
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There are three fundamental
limitations of law
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1st, law in self
states letter, what is / isn’t 2B done
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2nd Second, law deals
with externals
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And third, law usually deals
purely w/ minimums
JESUS GOING
DEEPER +++++++++++++++++++++++++
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In today’s Gospel, J says, “I’ve
come not to abolish [the law] but to fulfill it”
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In saying this, he is of speaking
of religious law, not civil law
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And he’s saying that in effect
he’s respecting, but also going beyond the usual limitations of law
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So 1st, J takes us
beyond letter of law 2 its meaning & spirit
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He wants us 2 understand what the
law really means & why it exists & what it really calls us to
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2nd, Jesus takes us
within ourselves
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He leads us beyond mere externals
2 what’s internal…
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He wants us 2 look at R feelings &
also 2B in touch w/ R intentions & motives
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3rd, J takes us beyond
min 2 more of the max
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He leads us 2 think in terms of
doing most good we can or avoiding most evil we can
APPLICATION
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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So, e.g., Jesus speaks of the law
telling us not to kill, but he tells us not even to act out of anger
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This takes us beyond letter 2 real
meaning of law–being constructive & life-promoting in R relationships
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In taking us beyond killing to
anger, Jesus also leads us beyond externals to the internal of feelings,
emotions, and intentionality
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In doing so, he wants us to deal
w/ those feelings
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Thus he takes us from a minimum –
not killing – to a maximum – not diminishing the life of another in any way at
all
CONCLUSION ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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So from a moral or ethical
perspective, Jesus is exposing the heart of his message, of the entire Gospel:
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Namely, to live more
compassionately and to live from within with love
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
