Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Lent
Deu 4:1,5-9
Mt 5:17-19
“…take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life…”
I could not help but let out a small chuckle when I read this verse; it reminded me of a recent role-play session with my classmates. The scenario involved a young adult who wanted to transition from male to female. My classmates — most of whom are not Christian — took on the roles earnestly, doing their best to portray the emotional complexity involved. But what made me laugh quietly was the ‘mother’. Each time she argued with her ‘son’, she kept repeating, “It’s against the God’s law!” Yes — the God’s law. That was what made it even funnier for me.
As I watched them and played my role as the counsellor, I wondered what impression they had of our God. Did they imagine Him as an authoritarian figure in the clouds — keeping score, handing out punishments, always watching for mistakes? Their sincerity touched me but underneath, I also felt a sadness. Because somewhere along the way, many have come to see God’s law as harsh, rigid, and controlling — something that limits, rather than gives life.
But today’s readings reveal a very different truth.
Moses does not tell the people to observe the commandments so that God won’t get angry or to avoid punishment. He says: “Observe them, that you may have life.” The law, from the very beginning, was meant to be a gift. A compass. A way of living that protects the heart, builds community, restores dignity, and keeps us close to the One who loves us.
God’s commands are not arbitrary rules imposed from above. God gives us free will. His commands are the expression of a God who desires our flourishing.
And then Jesus goes even further: “Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the law, but to complete it.” He takes the law out of the realm of external rule-keeping and draws it into the interior space of love. The law is fulfilled — not in perfect performance, but in relationship. Not in fear, but in transformation. In Jesus, the law becomes not a boundary line, but a pathway — one that leads us back again and again to God’s heart.
My classmates’ portrayal of the ‘authoritarian God’ made me reflect on how easily we, too, can fall into similar misconceptions. Sometimes, we experience God’s nudging as uncomfortable, demanding, or inconvenient. But Lent invites us to look again. To see that every command — every ‘yes’ God asks of us, every ‘no’ He gently places before us — is ultimately for our healing and growth. God is indeed our Father, patiently teaching His children.
The law is not meant to restrict life, but to protect it. To shape us into people capable of loving well, living well, and choosing well.
So today, as I sit with Moses’ words, I find myself asking: “Where is God inviting me to observe His ways, so that I may have life?”
“Where have I misunderstood His guidance as control rather than care?”
And how can I live His law in a way that reveals not fear, but love, to the people around me?
This Lent, may God’s law lead us not into rigidity, but into life.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Geraldine Nah)
Prayer: Father, help me to know, experience and remember that You as a Father who is loving and forgiving.
Loving and forgiving are You, O Lord
Slow to anger, rich in kindness
Loving and forgiving are You
All my being bless the Lord
Bless the holy name of God
All my being bless the Lord
Remembering the goodness of God
Thanksgiving: Father, thank You for teaching me each day with Your gentle patience.
Even when I choose to walk away or turn a deaf ear,
You never give up on me.
Thank You for the Father that You are
To a child like me.
OXYGEN 
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