Ephesians 2
Judaism is a closed, exclusive religion, based on an ethnic society. And, at the heart of it lies the law of Moses. This law defined the life of the Jews of old. The 613 commandments governed not only how to worship but also how to live. The religious and moral customs made the Jews distinctive to their neighbouring peoples. But, when Jesus began his ministry, he constantly challenged their old law and customs. And, as we see in many episodes in the gospel, he embraced foreign people for faith. Jesus praised the faith of the Roman centurion, who asked Jesus only to say a word to heal his slave. The persistent Sidonian woman surprised Jesus by lowering herself down to dogs. St Paul summarizes this expansion in his letter to the Ephesians that he abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.
Christ instead gave us the commandment of love. This commandment imposes the most simplified but also most challenging task on all people regardless of their races, social statuses, and economic powers. That is the unity and harmony of all people. This has been the goal of the Christian society. Although Christian nations developed systems of law, the law has served this high goal as it protected and promoted Christian moral values and spiritual virtues.
From some time on in all Christian countries, however, the law began to overshadow the vision of Christ. Our society has laws and regulations that diametrically oppose the commandment of love. And some laws don’t even make sense to most people because they’re unreasonable. As Jewish scribes and Pharisees manipulated laws for their profit and greed, only a small number of privileged individuals exploit the legal system for themselves in many modern Christian countries. Modern law divides people.
Law governs modern societies. Law is a modern religion. But does it protect and promote human life and the common good? Unfortunately, we cannot give a positive answer to the question.
