R1 SIRACH 15:15-20 | R2 1 COR 2:6-10 | GOSPEL MTT 5:17-37

Dear friends in Christ, from the tone of Jesus in the Gospel of today, we can feel the pulse of Jesus, His emotions and His temperament. Today He is not speaking in parables, which is His customary style of teaching; or using the dialogue form of entertaining questions from the disciples, and He would respond. No. Today, He speaks plainly saying: DO NOT THINK/IMAGINE THAT I HAVE COME TO ABOLISH THE LAW OR THE PROPHETS. I HAVE COME NOT TO ABOLISH BUT TO FULFILL. Jesus’ accomplishment of the Law and the Prophets is a consolidation of the law of love.

To have a better grasp of today’s passage, it is pertinent to note that Matthew wrote at a time when the Christian community was facing heavy criticism from the official Jewish leadership. They claimed that the teaching of Jesus was destructive of all that was cherished in Judaism. In fact, one of the prayers read in the synagogues was a formal curse on everyone, especially Jewish Christians, who believed that Jesus is the Messiah.

Jesus’ teaching fulfilled and transcended the law.

Against the backdrop of this tension, the Jewish Christians were expelled from the synagogues, and this expulsion, which was instigated by the Pharisees, increased the hostility of Christians towards them. So when Matthew wrote his gospel, he was so anxious to show that Jesus did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets. Rather, he showed the continuity with the ancient tradition: “YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID…BUT I SAY TO YOU…”.

And so, dear friends, Jesus came to bring to perfection the old law. He not only completed the Law but He also transcended it. Hence, He is the final interpreter of the law and fulfilment of these old laws because without the old, nothing new can happen. Let us look at these teachings in detail:

• Jesus affirmed the old Law in its condemnation of killing, but went much further in condemning the motivation that often leads to killing, viz anger, grudge and resentment. He condemned the use of curse words or calling people unprintable names when we are angry. Even character assassination is also a form of killing.

Jesus, therefore, challenged His disciples to take responsibility and address any misunderstanding before making an offering. This means that reconciliation is more important than sacrifice. The duty to make peace is more urgent than the duty to offer worship to God. If people are not reconciled, then no amount of liturgy is going to disguise that brokenness.

• Jesus’ respect for women was also evident in His teaching on divorce. His condemnation of divorce was directed against the oppressive Palestinian system according to which husbands possessed their wives and got rid of them even for trivial reasons. The legal debate, therefore, was about what reasons the husband could use to file for a divorce.

For instance, according to the strict school of thought, divorce was possible only if a wife was unfaithful to her husband. Whereas, according to the lax school of thought, a husband could divorce his wife, even if she burnt his food while cooking. So, Jesus’ prohibition on divorce puts the husband and wife on equal ranking. Both of them are equally obliged to make the marriage work.

Hence, in affirming the old Law that adultery was wrong, He went much further in saying that a man who looks lustfully at a woman has already sinned with her in his heart. As such, we need to practice self-discipline, self-control and custody of the eye because if the eye does not see, it will not send signals to the brain. No wonder Jesus said: “if your eye causes you to sin pluck it out”.

The bottom-line of all these vices listed by Jesus in the Gospel is embedded in the heart, nursed in our thoughts, desires and manifested in our attitudes. Sin does not suddenly just jump into our lives and begin to occur. It is given a room, a space to flourish. It begins to take root and expand. However, once we are able to identify it, call it out, it will evaporate, it will vanish. Satan hates to be exposed. That is the trick to defeat sin.

Jesus capped this condensed teaching with the call to authenticity by indicating that our YES should means YES, and our NO should indeed mean NO. Our word should be our bond. This is hallmark not just of integrity but of Christian maturity and courage.

True freedom is the capacity to choose good.

Paul, in R2, demonstrated this Christian maturity as he was unapologetic and unequivocal when he spoke to the Corinthians about God’s wisdom, a wisdom that is mysterious, hidden, a wisdom that is not worldly, but is revealed by God through the Spirit. In other words, we can live a life that is pleasing to God by allowing the Holy Spirit to permeate and transform our hearts so that we can make the right choices in life.

These choices, if they align with God’s Will/commandments, will definitely save us, as noted in the R1 – “If you choose, you can keep the commandments, they will save you…he has set before you fire and water; …Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him.”. The choice is ours.

Unfortunately, many people today think that true freedom means doing whatever one desires or wants, anywhere and at anytime. How chaotic would life be if this was the case. True Freedom does not restrict us; rather it is makes us more responsible and happier. True freedom is actually the capacity to choose good. In like manner, holiness is choosing to please God because God is good; and He desires our goodness/wellbeing. Hence, He places before us unambiguous options and allows us to choose because He respects our freedom. He will not coerce us into obedience or manipulate us to do good or be good.

Every day we are faced with a dilemma of choices which signify life and death in subtle ways. It may be the choice of choosing to practice our faith to stay lukewarm; it may be the choice of purifying our desires and hidden thoughts or stay stuck to them; it may be the choice of living in deceit or living boldly in truth and honesty; it may be the choice of holding unto a grudge or resentment or forgive and let go. The small choices we make daily can either build or weaken our aspiration to holiness.

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