March 18, 2011
Friday of the First Week of Lent
By Melanie Rigney
Thus says the Lord GOD: If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced. Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord GOD. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live? And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, he shall die. You say, “The LORD’s way is not fair!” Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? (Ezekiel 18:20-25)
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities, LORD, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered. (Psalms 130:3-4)
Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” (Matthew 5:20-26)
Piety
Jesus, you challenge me. The letter of the law is so much easier to follow than the intent behind it. I humbly ask for the strength to follow your example.
Study
It’s been going on twenty-five years since Jimmy Carter caused a ruckus by saying in an interview with Playboy: “I’ve looked on a lot of women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The interview was published a few weeks before the 1976 election, and Carter raised eyebrows across the country, from folks who couldn’t believe he’d been stupid enough to say something like that to folks who decided not to vote for him because of this revelation.
Even if you weren’t alive in 1976, you’ve probably heard that Carter quote. But perhaps you haven’t heard what followed that soundbite:
This is something that God recognizes, that I will do and have done, and God forgives me for it. But that doesn’t mean that I condemn someone who not only looks on a woman with lust but who leaves his wife and shacks up with somebody out of wedlock. Christ says, don’t consider yourself better than someone else because a guy screws a whole bunch of women while the other guy is loyal to his wife. The guy who’s loyal to his wife ought not to be condescending or proud because of the relative degree of sinfulness.
It’s the same point Jesus makes in today’s Gospel reading, that following the letter of the law isn’t good enough. Don’t be smug about not murdering someone, Jesus says; anger or condemnation of another also is wrong, and who among us has not done that? Settle up those disputes and disagreements in a loving way, he advises; don’t let them fester and grow out of control.
No, that doesn’t seem fair to us, that a murderer and a grudgeholder both will be judged. The situation in today’s first reading doesn’t seem fair either, that a virtuous person who turns to evil gets no “credit” for past good deeds while the evil person who turns to the right path will have those past bad deeds forgotten.
That’s the thing about God. He’s not fair. He’s merciful. And may we all be grateful for that.
Action
Maybe you never voted for Jimmy Carter. Maybe you wouldn’t want to sit next to him at a dinner party. But there’s no denying the Carter Center (http://www.cartercenter.org/index.html) has improved the lives of people around the globe with its peace and health programs. Consider making a donation to the center, or to one of the charities established by another former president.
