# Seeking God, Finding God: The Law of Love in the Third Week of Lent
*2009-03-17*

> Bill Young reflects on Matthew 5:17, explaining how Jesus fulfills—not abolishes—the Law, and invites us to let our faith grow with deeper understanding. He offers a simple Lenten practice and prayer.

## Jesus Fulfills the Law

We begin with Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill.” The Law was more than a set of rules for the Jewish people; it was the summary of all wisdom—human and divine—a complete revelation of God and a guide to right relationship with Him. Jesus does not discard this heritage; He brings a new dimension: the law of love.

## The Law of Love as a New Revelation

Jesus speaks to a Jewish audience already familiar with the Law, inviting them to see it fulfilled in Him. The love command—“Love God and love your neighbor”—makes the Law manifest in the person of Christ. Just as modern believers can appreciate scientific insights like evolution while maintaining a religious worldview, the Jews needed a way to understand the Law anew through Jesus. The revelation of God is never static; newer insights can deepen our first understanding without destroying it.

## Growing in Faith

If we are willing to let our religious insight grow, we are drawn into a deeper comprehension of creation and of God’s ongoing revelation. This growth does not abolish our belief in a creative God; rather, it invites us to mature spiritually, just as Jesus gently calls us to grow up.

## Lenten Practice

Consider a belief in your life that has deepened or changed as you have grown. Reflect on the factors that contributed to that change. Then choose one concrete action you can take this week to deepen another aspect of your faith.

## Prayer

God of understanding, open my mind to hear you tell old stories in new words. Help me to see how your law of love fulfills all that has come before, and grant me the grace to grow in faith each day.

*Jesus fulfills the Law by revealing its ultimate expression in love, inviting us to let our faith continually deepen.*