On the day I sat down to write this meditation, the epistle for the daily lectionary was Galatians 5:1-15, one of Paul’s diatribes against Christians” observation of the Mosaic law. The note in my study Bible relating to this passage reads: “To seek justification by legal works is futile; . . . Faith alone justifies, but the faith that justifies is not alone—it produces good works through love.” Obviously, there is no place for works righteousness in Paul’s theology. Having read that early in the day and then turning to the lessons for today, I find Moses exhorting the Israelites to choose life, “to obey the commandments of the Lord your God, . . . by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances,” and the psalmist echoing that with “You laid down your commandments that we should fully keep them.” Oh my, what seeming contradictions!

Then I read the gospel. Do you see what I see? Jesus is saying it’s not the letter of the law that’s important; it’s what is in our hearts, our intentions, our motivations for our actions. Paul says in v.14 of the above cited passage: “the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “ (Lev.19:18) Love is the answer! With God’s love in our hearts, we don’t worry about the letter of the law. Rather we act with mercy, compassion, kindness, generosity in all the situations of our lives; we become God’s hands and feet and voice in the world. Just look at Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk.10:25-37)—the Samaritan was under no obligation to help the Jewish victim, but his heart was moved with compassion, and he acted out of love to save the stranger before him. It wasn’t on his agenda; he had other things on his mind, but he saw the wounded man and mercifully chose to do what was needed in spite of the disruption it caused in his life. That is love.

Jesus says, “Go and do likewise.” (Lk.10:37)