Home About Writers Categories Recent Issues Subscribe Contact File Transfer





Father Cleary
Father Richard James Cleary was born and reared in Wichita. After graduation from Cathedral High School in 1947, he attended the seminary operated by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey in Northwestern Missouri. There he came to appreciate the life of the monks and, having obtained the permission of Bishop Mark Carroll of Wichita, he became a monk of that monastery. After being ordained a priest in 1955, his superiors sent him to get his master’s degree at the University of Ottawa, Canada, then to study in Athens, Greece, and then in Rome, Italy, where he obtained his doctor’s degree in Theology. Finally, he spent a year of study at Harvard University. Later, Fr. Cleary was assigned to teach for many years in Rome. In 1998, he returned to Wichita, where he served in parish ministry at St. Mary’s Cathedral and at Blessed Sacrament parishes. In 2001, his abbot (superior) transferred him to Arkansas, where he served as chaplain of the Benedictine Sisters of Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro, and helped in the parishes of northeast Arkansas. In March 2010, he was re-assigned to his monastery, Conception Abbey, Conception, in Missouri 64433. He can be contacted there at, 660-944-2877, or by email: rjcleary@juno.com.
Religion
2003-07-01 16:09:00
Were people less accountable in the Old Testament?

QUESTION: Since God had not yet given His Son to people in the Old Testament, were they ultimately held to a lower standard (less accountable) than people who live in the time of the New Testament who have His Son?

***image1:left***QUESTION: Since God had not yet given His Son to people in the Old Testament, were they ultimately held to a lower standard (less accountable) than people who live in the time of the New Testament who have His Son?

ANSWER: According to Jesus (Luke 12:48): "The servant, who knows what his master wants him to do, but does not get himself ready and do it, will be punished with a heavy whipping. But the servant, who does not know what his master wants and yet does something for which he deserves a whipping, will be punished with a light whipping. Much is required from the person to whom much is given; much more is required from the person to whom much more is given."
   We Christians believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Servant of Jahve-God, foretold by the Jewish prophets. The majority of Jews, even in Jesus' time, were ignorant of Jesus or chose to ignore him. Their culpability, in rejecting the Messiah sent by God, is lessened by reason of their ignorance. Those Jews, who sincerely endeavor to live the Law promulgated by Moses, are pleasing to God and will be saved. In their ignorance of the true Messiah, Jews are less accountable than are Christians, who know Jesus and his teachings and nevertheless choose to ignore Him.
   In revealing His Son Jesus as the Messiah of the Jews, God has bestowed on humanity an immense benefit. Jesus is God's ultimate revelation to mankind. In giving to Christian peoples faith in Jesus and knowledge of him, God gives us Himself and the very best of gifts. Therefore Christians are held by God to a stricter account for their use or misuse of these gifts, than are Jewish people and others, who have not received the gift of faith in Jesus.
   In his epistle to the Romans (chapters 9 and 10 and 11), St. Paul explains something of the mystery of God's choice of the Jewish people as His Own People, their rejection of God's plan for salvation, and then God's choosing the gentile (non-Jewish) people to share the inheritance originally intended for the Jews. In the persons of their ancestors, the Jews were faithful to the ancient covenant with God, while the gentiles went their own way, sinning. Then the Jews sinned grievously in rejecting God's plan for salvation through Jesus. So God, through the holy apostles, invited the gentiles to enter by faith into the community of His people. But now many gentiles are falling away from that faith, and gradually - little by little - the Jews are coming to accept God's plan of salvation. All peoples have sinned and all are in need of God's mercy! And no people, Jews or gentiles, can pride themselves over the other in regard to fidelity to God. "For God has made all people prisoners of disobedience, so that He might show mercy to them all". (Rom. 11:32)

 
The Q & A Times Journal accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.Materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Thank you.
 
Wildcard SSL Certificates