(Based on Deut 4:1, 5-9 and Mt 5:17-19 – Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Lent)
In the annals of legislative history…
… a seemingly trivial punctuation mark once wreaked havoc on the U.S. economy.
In 1872, Congress passed a tariff act intended to exempt “fruit-plants, tropical and semi-tropical, for the purpose of propagation or cultivation” from import duties.
However, a printer’s inadvertent insertion of a comma transformed the phrase into “fruit, plants, tropical and semi-tropical”
… (inadvertently adding a comma between the words: fruit and plants)
… And thus, granting all tropical fruits duty-free status!
Importers quickly took advantage…
… flooding the market with duty-free tropical fruits.
>> By the time the government realized the mistake, millions in revenue were lost.
(Source: Tariff Act of 1872, punctuation mishap; historical records of U.S. customs and tariffs.)
A single misplaced punctuation mark had rewritten the law and cost the nation dearly.
>> If one small comma could shake an entire economy, imagine how powerful is the smallest letter of God’s Word!
Jesus tells in today’s Gospel:
“Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of the letter will pass from the Law, until all things have taken place.” (Mt 5: 18)
The ‘smallest letter’ refers to Hebrew letter “Yod”
>> It is the smallest letter of the Hebrew Alphabet.
The ‘smallest part of the letter’ refers to the “thorn of the Yod”
>> It is just a small curve at the top of the letter, a light decoration on the letter “Yod”
Why was Jesus being so specific and particular in speaking about the Law?
>> What was Jesus meaning, by referring to the “tiniest” elements of the alphabet?
Jesus refers to the prime sanctity of God’s Word to His People.
This Word had now taken flesh (Jn 1: 14)
Jesus, the Word Incarnate, came to bring the Law to its fulfilment…
… not to undermine them.
While the Old Law could only show the mistake of the person…
… Jesus, the New Law would grant forgiveness and grace to the one who atones!
While the Old Law could only make the person to realise one’s faults…
… Jesus, the New Law would confer life and salvation to the one who repents!
When we consider the Gospel of St Matthew, we can consider the shift in emphasis:
Stage 1: In the initial part of the Gospel
>> Jesus says, “UNTIL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS AWAY, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of the letter will pass from the LAW, until all things have taken place” (Mt 5: 18)
Stage 2: At the end of the Gospel
>> Jesus says, ” HEAVEN AND EARTH WILL PASS AWAY, but MY WORDS will not pass away” (Mt 24: 35)
There is a progressive shift in emphasis…
… from the LAW to the WORDS OF JESUS.
He is the perfection and the fulfilment of the Law!
This is the Divine Process of the unfolding of the plan of God’s Salvation for the world…
… finding its fulfilment and perfection in Jesus!
But this was not at the expense of the Old Law!
>> The Old Law is to be read, understood and practised, in the light of the New!
>> The New Law casts its illumining light on the Old, revealing life-giving messages!
As the classical saying goes:
“The New Testament is in the Old, concealed; the Old Testament is in the New, revealed”
What is the message for us, in this reflection?
The Great Power in the Promises of God in our life!
>> The Lord assures us, that none of His Promises will go unfulfilled in our life!
He guarantees that, He will bring His Word of Salvation to fulfilment in our life!
What is needed however…
… our openness to trust and believe in His Word!
… our willingness to make necessary changes, in the light of His Word!
The Lord assures us, with much emphasis:
“… Give heed to the statutes and ordinances which I teach you, and do them; that you may live…
… keep them and do them; for that will be your wisdom and your understanding” (Deut 4: 1, 6)
Let us not be afraid to seek perfection in obeying the Law of the Lord and keeping His commandments, remembering…
… that “the smallest details of God’s Word hold Great Power, because even a ‘Yod’ carries the weight of eternity!”Let us know for sure: In God’s Word, there are no small details – only Divine precision!”
God Bless! Live Jesus!
Fr Jijo Jose Manjackal MSFS
Rome, Italy
Email ID: reflectioncapsules@gmail.com