| FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL MODERNISM (PART 69) |
| LOVING GOD AND NEIGHBOR February 19, 2024 Today’s readings: Leviticus 19:1-2,11-18 Matthew 25:31-46 Modernists, consistent with their emphasis on the well-being of man, emphasize reaching out to and working with the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized. Well and good. However, they do this for its own sake, that is, for the good of man. In reality, as God intends, these good works are done for the sake of God. Thus the first and greatest commandment is to love God, and from that stems the second, to love one’s neighbor. And so it is that when God gave to Moses the various rules of conduct that would govern relationships among the Israelites, God started by saying, “Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.” (Lv 19:2). Then God gave the various rules of conduct. But in doing so, God keeps the focus on Himself. Thus, in between various rules, God would keep repeating, “I am the Lord.” (Lv19:12b,14b,16b,18c). In fact, from the rule of conduct taken by Jesus as the second greatest commandment, God says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” (Lv 19:18b-c). We know from history, both that of Israel and the rest of the world, how easily man does not naturally look to the good of his neighbor. He wars on him, he cheats him, he speaks ill of him. Teaching love of neighbor, just of itself, will not result in goodwill among men. There has to be a stronger force that can deter evil and promote good, and this is only God. Now part of the deterrence of evil is the fear of eternal punishment, which only God can impose. On the part of humankind, punishment by imprisonment or even the death penalty has not deterred grave crimes. And so it is a great disservice when modernists claim that there is no hell, or if there is a hell, that there is no one in it. This of course is wrong teaching, contrary to the word of God. When Jesus talks of the judgment of the nations, he talks of “the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Mt 25:41b). Yes, there is a hell. And for those whom God will condemn, “these will go off to eternal punishment” (Mt 25:46a). Yes, there are those who are in hell. What was the context of this teaching? It is about Jesus separating and judging people at the end of time, the sheep from the goats. The sheep are those who do good by caring for their fellowmen, while the goats are those who neglect to do so. But Jesus says that what they do or not do to their fellowmen is what they do or not do to him. So again, the ultimate emphasis is on God and not just on men. God identifies with the poor, and the Church has a preferential option for the poor. What we do to the poor, we do to Jesus. It can never be just a focus on the poor by themselves, apart from God. Could it be that we can just feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visited those in prison, but no longer go to Sunday Mass and receive Holy Communion, stop proclaiming Christ, not look to Jesus as the only Savior, be pro-abortion, even bless same- sex couples? Can we then be considered righteous and go off to eternal life? Of course not. But modernists, focusing on man but neglecting the righteousness of God, go in this direction. * * * |
