It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes from faith. For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham....
As we reflect on Saint Paul's Letter to the Romans we try to appreciate the precise nature of his teaching about faith.
Christians believe our religion has its roots in Judaism. If Protestant Christians see Jesus' movement as a "reformation," Catholics see it as less revolutionary and, given what we know of Jesus, more "evolutionary." Jesus appeared among the Jews like the natural fruit of a tree. If he was unexpected it was because they could not have imagined what the future would bear. But when he appeared, the faithful could only say, "Of course! As the prophets foretold!"
Historically, we know the two religions separated several years after the death of Jesus, but apparently within the New Testament age. This separation may have occurred in 90 AD, at a meeting of Jewish rabbis in Egypt. Or, perhaps the cleaver fell much sooner, at the Council of Jerusalem, when the Peter, James, and Paul agreed that gentile Christians need not be circumcised and that they could eat pork. The precise details of the split are disputed but that it happened is certain.
Some Jews today blame Saint Paul and his teaching about faith for the split. The Jewish religion, as I understand it, (and if I am permitted to attempt such a statement), concerns observance of the Law of Moses. Anyone who reads Psalm 119 must appreciate how intensely grateful and happy Jews are for the gift of the Law. Every single verse of the longest psalm has a word for law: statute, ordinance, command, word, decree, etc. Observing the Law of Moses with gratitude is the sure and certain sign of God's covenant, which was first made with Abraham; and reconfirmed with Moses and the Hebrews, and to every generation since then by Jewish liturgical rites.
That "gratitude" is more than a feeling, of course. It describes an entire way of life. Jesus and the Apostles insisted that the Covenant is fulfilled by belief in Jesus as the Son of God. The ancient covenant has certainly not been scrapped or discarded. Not one letter nor any part of a letter of the Law is cancelled by Jesus! Rather, one satisfies the Covenant's demands by faith in Jesus and by obedience to his Holy Spirit.
Faith is far more than a matter of opinion. (God save us from opinions!) Faith is lived by attentive obedience to the Spirit of Jesus, which we call the Holy Spirit; aka, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. One of the more obvious duties of the Christian is to announce the good news to other people. We do so by our holy way of life and by telling anyone who will listen the story of Jesus. Failing that is miserable failure; we call it sin.
The Christian faith as Saint Paul described it proved to be more mobile and adaptable than the Jewish religion. It didn't require a painful surgery; it did allow people to retain many of their non-Jewish customs; and it was propelled by a manifest joy in the Lord's victory over sin and death. Not to mention the healing, cures, and exorcisms that accompanied the disciples wherever they went. And the spirited courage of the martyrs who would not renounce the Lord even in the face of death.
Twenty centuries later we still struggle to grasp Saint Paul's doctrine of faith. The temptation of Pharisaism is still with us. That is the eagerness to do something rather than believe something. It is a dark belief that I can prove my worth by trying hard, doing good and avoiding evil.
When Jesus invites us as sinners to approach the Eucharistic table and share his flesh and blood, our fears are allayed and our faith reconfirmed. We come again to the Lord, just as I am without one plea but that thy blood was shed for me.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.