OBSERVE, JUDGE, ACT -22nd Sunday Ordinary Time, Year B
The Catholic Family Movement, very popular a few years ago, set up their study sessions on the principle of observing, judging and acting. It is a useful principle for all times. Moses used it. James used it. Jesus used it. There are a lot of things in our life and in our world that we need to observe, make judgments about, and follow through with the appropriate action.
We hear Moses appeal to the Israelites in the Book of Deuteronomy. He calls the people to look carefully at the Commandments of the Lord. Like us, they may have thought they knew the Commandments sufficiently well and could recite them from memory. The Commandments have many values and applications behind them and, therefore, require continued study. They are to be observed in the sense of considered and studied, and not just memorized. It’s easy to find many people who have never really studied God’s Commandments in any depth or considered way. They are to be observed in the sense of being put into practice and followed as well. This is more observable to others. This was probably the sense why Moses was calling for observance, so that God’s people would “…give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations…” Moses asked them to compare God’s Law, statutes and decrees, with other systems of law and other religions. He is confident that they would not find a better rule of life anywhere.
James reminds us that God’s Word is a great gift from God. It deserves the greatest consideration and observation of any reality on earth. “He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.” Many seldom observe, in the sense of consider carefully and study, the Word of God. The Word of God gives us the best guidance for our life and the best information on which to evaluate human life and to make judgements of how to live in this life. Some observe God’s Law and Word and judge it clearly superior to any other way of life. Yet they may fail to act on the Word and the Commandments of the Lord. James urges us to observe the Word, judge its power to save and act on it. “Humbly welcome the Word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.” Not to carry through with action is self-deception. “Be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.” The Law and Word of God truthfully understood is for our good, and has power in it. Those who observe, judge, and act on the word know its power and life in their lives.
Jesus observed the observations, judgments and actions of the Pharisees concerning the Law. The Pharisees had fallen into observing a few externals of the Law to the neglect of the fuller law. They were concerned with the washing ceremonies which were traditions which had assumed the importance of the Law of God, in concentrating on the “…tradition of the elders” they had failed to consider some of the deeper dimensions of the Law.
We have our superficial observers of the Law in our tradition as well. Some may be offended by a curse or slang word and unaffected by a great injustice. Some may think the only sin possible under the Fifth Commandment, “Thou shall not kill” is murder. Some in our day fail to observe coming to Mass on Sunday because women stopped wearing veils, which was a custom a few years ago. Some would never think of stealing a candy bar from a store, for that would be stealing. Yet they are not troubled at all by failing to pay their just debts. Pharisees lack a sense of proportion. Small things are blown all out of proportion. Big things are made light of! If our observations are too shallow, narrow, or incomplete, it follows our judgments will be inadequate.
Acting on narrow observations and judgments will not bring about the best results. Superficial observations, judgments, and actions lead many into grater sins and evils. Reality is not dealt with. It can lead people away from the Church and the Lord. As Jesus said using the words of Isaiah: “…in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts”. Jesus added: “You disregard God’s Commandment but cling to human tradition”.
More than we might know, in the Church today, need to go back and observe again on a deeper level the ways of faith, evaluate them more according to the truth of God’s Word, and then act on them. Every Lent many show up for ashes, which they consider more important than the Eucharist. A teenager walked to Church on Ash Wednesday to get ashes last year. He never comes any other time. Such immaturity and lack of proportion and realization could destroy the Christian community if it became too wide spread!
We can ask, if God’s Word and Law have such power and life in it, why do people go against it? Besides being too superficial and not really considering and observing the Word of God in thought, study, judgment and action, the answer to the question is found in what Jesus says and lies in the deep recesses of the human heart. People are often amazed or baffled when they find themselves committing sins of the flesh, sins against justice, having violent thoughts and doing violent actions, being greedy, malicious, envious and proud, and all the other afflictions of the human spirit. We do well to observe, judge, and act on the truth Jesus tells us about the human heart shared by all humans. “From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, un-chastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.” We do well to observe what is in our hearts, consider how such tendencies are to be dealt with in light of God’s Law and Word, and set about to act on God’s Word.
That demands a lifetime of observing, judging and acting truthfully. “He willed to give us birth by the Word of truth…Humbly welcome the Word that has been planted in you…”
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