Holy Martyrs Adrian and Natalia (286-305). Vyshhorod Icon of the Mother of God (Our Lady of Vladimir)
Galatians 2:11-16. Mark 5:24-34.
Read Galatians 2:11-16
One of the most important departures of apostolic Christianity from its Jewish roots concerned the place of the law of Moses in the life of the community and in the life of each person.
Among the Jews, the Mosaic law held a primacy of place in the life of the community. After all, this was the law that God handed to Moses by which God’s people were to live, pray, organize themselves, and administer justice. Its importance cannot be understated.
It was a natural tendency among the early Jewish believers of the risen Christ to continue living according to this law and, since following Christ was initially a movement among Jews, expect the Gentile believers—non-Jews—to adopt this law as well.
While the Mosaic law was of paramount importance for God’s people prior to the coming of Christ, there was one thing it could not do: make you right with God; justify you; mend your relationship with God broken by sin.
The law was very good at pointing out to you where you went astray but it could not save you. Therefore, Paul can say with the greatest certainty “by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified”.
No work of the Jewish law or any other good work can justify you or ‘make it right’ with God. What justifies us, what makes us right with God is a heart that trusts in the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord.
So if you really want to know the Lord, throw yourself to the feet of Christ, trust Him with all your heart, give to Him everything that you are and do. By this faith, you will be justified.