If you wish to be perfect (3)

Just got back from mass, where the first reading (from Acts) seemed very apropos to this thread. I think this is all pretty self-explanatory.

The opening:

Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the Brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved.

This causes some turmoil and Paul and Barnabas appeal to teh Apostles in Jerusalem for help. Their reply with emphasis by me:

Since we have heard that some of our number who went without any mandate from us have upset you with their teachings and disturbed  your peace of mind .... It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangle animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.

I think there are two lessons to take from this. The first is that the legal requirements God makes are always realizable objectives and not open-ended ideals. The second is that any time we undertake to interpret on our own initiative, we should beware of causing worry in the people we are interpreting to, including interpretations we make to oursleves.