Readings:
2 Chronicles 8
Sirach 15
1 John 5

2 Chronicles 8

In verse 11 we get a hint at what future troubles Solomon will find himself in. He builds towns and cities, and a house for his Egyptian princess wife. He then moves her from Jerusalem to this house he built in another city because the Ark has been in his father’s house and city, and that made them holy. Apparently, Solomon didn’t think either his wife herself or his marriage to her, or possibly both, were holy and could dwell in the same city as the Ark of the Covenant. It seems like at this very early stage he knew his wives would get between him and God, and so he tried a middle ground and moved her out of the city. It doesn’t work out in the end.

1 John 5

John tells us that we can demonstrate our love of God by keeping his commandments. By this he means both loving God and neighbor, and obeying the moral law. These are not impossible to keep because all of the Ten Commandments are tied directly to loving God and neighbor. If we do the first two, the rest flows naturally from it.

John ties the baptism of Jesus and his passion together in the phrase “water and blood” and this is also for us that in baptism we are baptized into the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection.

In John’s closing remarks he mentions something that seems like it was common knowledge that he’s reminding them of. That is that there’s different levels of severity when it comes to sin, and this makes sense to most people. In every society and culture there are offenses that are petty, and there are offenses that are severe. In the western world these are often classified as misdemeanors and felonies. Once again, this is intuitive to most of us, that some things (say shoplifting) shouldn’t receive lengthy prison sentences even though they are clearly and objectively wrong and illegal. Meanwhile other things (rape or murder) should receive life long sentences.

But for some reason, there are modern Christians who try to tell us that “sin is sin” but that only levels the field to make serious sins (adulatory or fornication) to seem on the same level as minor or petty sins (an unkind remark or maybe a small sin of omission). This does nothing to help people on their path towards holiness and God, it only hinders them and justifies bad behavior. It also is directly contrary to what Saint John is saying in these verses.

Tomorrow’s Readings:
2 Chronicles 9
Sirach 16
2 John 1