Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9 / Matthew 5:17-19
To follow instructions and procedures can be quite straight-forward.
Whether we like it or not, whether we agree with it or not, we just need to go along with it.
And if we don’t want any trouble, then we keep to the letter of the law.
And we can become so focused on it that we may not think deeper about it or reflect about the purpose of it.
In the 1st reading, Moses taught the people the laws and the customs that came from God.
And if the people were to keep the laws and customs faithfully, they will become a great nation.
They will also demonstrate to other nations the wisdom and the prudence that came from God.
But they also must not forget that those laws and customs came from God.
Those laws and customs demonstrate that God is with them and they have a relationship with God through those laws and customs.
In the gospel, Jesus declared that He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to complete them.
Jesus completed the Law and the Prophets by becoming man and putting flesh and blood into the Law and the Prophets.
May we too understand not just the letter of the Law but also the spirit of the Law.
Through Jesus, we enter into a relationship with God.
It is in this relationship with God through Jesus, that we will be wise and prudent in our way of life.