under my roof

Deuteronomy 4:1-8; Ps 15 The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord; James 1:17-27; Mark 7:1-23

"As long as you live under my roof, then you will live by my rules."

These were the words I heard quite often growing up, especially from my father.

My father had one rule, "As Long as you live under my roof, then you will live by my rules."

Dad wasn't joking.  He made sure we understood what was required to keep peace and concord in the family.

I used to think this was just my dad trying to control us and not let us have any fun.  But the older I get the more I realize dad was doing us a favor.

He was firm certainly.  But even in his rules there was freedom.  We knew the boundaries of happiness and fulfillment.

The boundaries were pretty clear.

It wasn't until recently did I truly begin to appreciate my Father and his rule of rules, "As long as you live under my roof, you will live by my rules."

For the first few months as a pastor, I was living in the rectory alone. It was the first time I had a rectory to myself and i was enjoying it.

But about a month into my stay, i was given a couple of other churches to administer and thus an associate.

Quickly i discovered the importance of laying down ground rules in order to keep the peace and concord in the place.

One thing that gets my nerves frayed is leaving dishes in the sink over night when they could have easily been washed and put away.

I found myself speaking the words of my father, "as long as you live under this roof, you will live my rules."  Now we are still working out the kinks in the rectory but nonetheless rules of engagement are essential to peace.  It eliminates the guess work. This way every one knows where every one stands.

Freedom can be found where rules are laid down.

In today's first reading Moses invites the people to remember whose house they are living under, "these are the statutes and decrees which i am teaching you to observe so that you may live, enter in, and take possession of the Land which the Lord is giving you."

In other words God is telling moses to tell the people, "As long as you live under my roof, then you will live by my rules."

The giver of the land is the one who knows how to keep the peace.

Commandments are not restrictive they are liberating.  They eliminate the guessing game. Freedom is found where commands are laid down.

God communicates very clearly.

Things begin to go awry the moment additions and subtractions happen to the word given by God.  The Israelites were taking things away form the law.

The Pharisees and scribes in the gospel were adding things.  In either case they were choosing to make their own rules rather than trust the one's God had given.  They were acting as if they were the owners, benefactors rather than the beneficiaries.

JEsus just wants to set the record straight.  It was time to return to the basics of love and life. Jesus invites them to integrate reality where the external and the internal are moving in the same direction.

JEsus as the word of God has the authority to clarify.  HE also gives that authority to his church.

"You are peter and upon this rock i will build my church.  What you loose on earth will be loosed on heaven, what you bind on earth will be bound in heaven."