Matthew 5:17-37
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny. “You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 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 to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. 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 to have your whole body go into Gehenna. “It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife – unless the marriage is unlawful – causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. “Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.”
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These words from Jesus might sound like “fire and brimstone,” but they’re crucial for His disciples to hear. Remember this His disciples aren’t only the twelve men who accompanied Jesus during His earthly ministry. As followers of Christ, we’re His disciples as well. Needless to say, these warnings and instructions still apply to us today.
This Sunday’s Gospel reading is an important and appropriate one to reflect on, especially before Lent. Jesus gives us a sense of accountability and a call to holiness before we embark on these forty days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. To begin this season of spiritual renewal and deepening of faith, we remember the Lord’s commandments and the consequences of breaking them. Jesus cautions us against straying from the law and encourages us to follow it.
Think of a law that you struggle to uphold. In light of the upcoming Lenten season, consider how you can adhere to it more closely. Jesus says “you are my friends if you keep my commands,” (John 15:14) so by following the commands that Jesus lovingly gives to us, we can love Him more deeply and follow Him more closely. It might sound like a bit of tough love, but in this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus is teaching us how to be better disciples.
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