Matthew 5:21-37
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. 31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.
The Church of the Beatitudes with the Sea of Gallilee in the background.
"It was said... I say..."
We continue our reflection on the Beatitudes according to St. Matthew. Jesus starts His preaching on the mountain by showing us that the foundation of our faithful life with God - and for God - is the ultimate aim and purpose. A foundation built upon God's presence and God's grace transforms the faithful to salt and light, as Jesus Himself is.
Jesus leads believers to personalize their faith using a positive energy rather than the negative form. The Old Testament Commandments say to "abstain from, avoiding trespassing, don't do." Jesus is not abolishing the Commandments. He invites us into a new model of life, to join the depth of the Commandments, return to their roots and implement them as principles for life and a covenant with God.
Don't wait till the act of killing is perpetrated, uproot the first intention that leads to it. Don't surrender to anger, which may end in killing. It is significant how Jesus insists upon dialog to solve differences and conflicts, "Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way..." Matthew 5:25.
Offering a sacrifice to God is good, but not if you are not reconciled with your brother and sister (neighbor), remember that your brother and sister are the bridge leading you to God. "My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise" Psalm 51:17. It should be clear that your intention to offer a sacrifice to God is conditioned by full reconciliation with your brother and sister.
" You shall not commit adultery" that may lead to death, Deuteronomy 22:22. Do not to allow your eye to covet your neighbor's husband or wife, or any other person with exploitative lust. The commandments in old are not abolished, they are reiterated by Jesus. He deals with the root of evil that needs to be abolished. He wants to uproot evil from its foundations before it happens.
The Gospel of this Sunday invites us to consider how we make decisions in our life. Do we check in with our faith when making choices? Or do we follow the different, ever-changing social streams of thoughts and customs in our society? Do we act as salt and light as the Lord expects us?
We are invited to read in depth, to weigh our decisions with Jesus' wisdom, and to act according to the Gospel much more than relying on superficial interpretations of the word of God. It is not easy to live with Jesus, and much more to live as Jesus recommends His faithful to be. Let us remember that without Him, we can't do it. He says to us, "Apart from me you can do nothing" John 15:5.