On this third Wednesday of Lent, in our Cycle A of the liturgy, we draw our attention once again to Jesus, who comes as the Paschal Lamb not only to fulfill the will of the Father, but also to be the perfection of the Law that was given by Moses, as we see in the first reading, and to fulfill the prophets.
Moses, along with every single one of the prophets, spoke about the coming of the Christ—where he would be born, what he would teach, his character and personality, his parents, and what he would ultimately come to this earth to accomplish: our salvation through his suffering. He is the suffering servant of Yahweh, as we find, for example, in the prophet Isaiah.
So in the first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses lays out the law for God's people as God had given it to him. And he says: “Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you” (Deuteronomy 4:1).
Now, my brothers and sisters, if we apply this to ourselves, we too—like Jesus—do not do away with the commandments. Rather, we live them. And not only do we live them, but we go beyond them.
For example, the commandment “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14) becomes even deeper when Jesus teaches: “Anyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).
And so Jesus, instead of getting rid of the commandments that he himself gave as part of the Holy Trinity—the Triune God who gives us these beautiful directives and guidance in our lives—actually raises the bar. He asks for an even greater commitment to a life of virtue.
Then in the Gospel, Jesus reminds his persecutors—those who were saying that he had come to do away with everything that came before him—that this is not the case. They accused him because he spoke with authority and performed miracles on days which they believed were reserved for rest.
For example, he healed on the Sabbath. And they asked, how dare this man work on the Sabbath?
Because healing was associated with doctors, medicine, and work, and there was a strict command not to work on the Sabbath. Yet Jesus showed them how they had misunderstood the spirit of the law.
For he said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). And he also pointed out that if someone had a donkey that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, they would immediately rescue it (Luke 14:5).
Yet when Jesus healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, they sought to put him to death.
My brothers and sisters, Jesus was illuminating their hearts and minds regarding the spirit of the law, not merely the letter of the law. For in healing someone on the Sabbath he was actually helping that person to rest—to be at peace, to be relieved.
And this is what the law is meant to do: to help make each other's journey lighter, because life can at times be heavy.
That is why Jesus says clearly: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17).
For it was prophesied that the Son of Man would come into the world and suffer on account of the sins of men. He would be betrayed into the hands of sinners who would mock him, scourge him, crown him with thorns, and put him to death. But on the third day he would rise again.
And after his resurrection, when he walked alongside the disciples on the road to Emmaus, “beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).
So, my brothers and sisters, this is a beautiful sign to us that God is faithful. God is true. God is trustworthy. God keeps his word.
He loves you. He is with you. He will never abandon you. Even when you think he is absent, he is right there by your side and in your heart.
May your love for him grow day by day, and may you come to learn how very close he has always been to you throughout your entire life.
For he is the Lamb of God who has come into the world to set us free and to enter into a loving relationship with each and every one of us.
Praised be Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, who bring nothing but blessings and graces into our lives.
Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph, may their Son—our Lord Jesus Christ—bless you.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Go in peace.
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