Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law until all things have taken place." (Mt. 5:17-37) Brother Really (BR) decided to visit the newcomer's Bible study group since he gained new insights last week when talking to the priest. However, during the Bible study, he became angry. Fixated on these words by Jesus, "I have come not to abolish the law, but to fulfill," stunned him. His mood changed. The priest asked if he was okay. BR said, "If Jesus did not come to abolish the law, then who is going to abolish some of the crazy judicial laws we have?" "We have laws where abortion is legal. We have laws that protect the rich. And what about our police officers who forget that all lives matter? Really, must they unload their pistols to make an arrest? Can't Jesus abolish at least one or two laws?" The priest shared this thought, "Class, I sympathize with BR's feelings. We have laws that don't make any sense. I pray that God will return soon and save us from many of the systematic injustices in our world. In the meantime, we must use our votes to place people in office who will make a change. We must go to rallies and read up on the candidates. If we want to make a change, we must start by reconciling our differences with each other. This is why Jesus said to leave your gift at the altar and reunite with your neighbor before coming to him. St. Paul said, "[put] away falsehood, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, for we are members one of another" (Eph. 4:25-27). Brother Really, and the class, moved by the priest's words started singing, "Let there be peace on earth and let it began with me!" BR finally understood that Jesus came to pull us together, help us to reconcile our differences with each other, and not abolish the law. Really!
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