On Posting Commandments

Gospel: Matthew 19: 16-22

How many walk away from the Lord sad like this rich man in today's Gospel portion! How many of us are so wedded to what we possess - small or large - that we are unwilling to help someone in need! How many have a derisive attitude toward the poor, suggesting they are unworthy of help, or that it is somehow unjust to use tax dollars to help the poor! That care for the poor was a command to the nation is clear in the Jewish Law...

We cannot in any way claim to be keeping the commandments when we willfully neglect the care of the poor.  We cannot claim to not kill another when we allow the poor to die of starvation, exposure to the elements, or lack of access to health care.  We cannot claim to not steal when we hoard the goods of the earth for ourselves and not provide a coat to one without when we have so many for ourselves.  

So, it might be better for us to actually live the commandments rather than insisting on their outward display.  It would be better for us to care for the needs of the poor as it is the way of actually keeping these commands than have monuments to them for mere ostentation.  All too many people in the rich man's place would not walk away from Jesus sad, but rather proud, haughty, smug, and self-satisfied.