[ Today's Readings ]
Before man are life and death, good and evil,
whichever he chooses shall be given him.
The problem is that we don't really want to choose life and good. God stands ready to give us the grace to keep the commandments. We say with Augustine, "not yet." We continue to stretch forth our hand to fire because for a moment it feels good. We don't stretch forth for water because we don't understand our thirst. We prefer to fail on our own than to choose an option given to us by another even if that other is God.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
There is no way around this choice between good and evil. Choosing the good ultimately means choosing Jesus and the grace of transformation he offers. Otherwise we will find that while we could resist sin in the abstract we actually only choose to resist those sins that don't entice us. Jesus is not content to leave the choice at an external level. He tells us what happens when we allow anger, lust, or lying to have a foothold in our hearts.
Hearing Jesus tell us about how are hearts must change makes us begin to feel as though it is no longer truly our own choice. Our thoughts and feelings seem beyond our control.
We speak a wisdom to those who are mature,
not a wisdom of this age,
nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away.
Rather, we speak God's wisdom, mysterious, hidden,
which God predetermined before the ages for our glory,
This is the difference that Jesus can make. He can change our hearts so that we can take every thought captive for him. His Holy Spirit can rule us where once there was only that chaotic tides of emotion. He wants to place in our hearts a new desire for the good. It is a desire that becomes so foundational that we are willing to struggle for it even against great temptations.
Be good to your servant, that I may live
and keep your words.
Open my eyes, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.
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