Today’s Gospel Reading comes from
that rich and powerful Chapter 5 in Matthew’s gospel and it has a lot for us to
take in. For my remarks here today, I will focus just on the first antithesis
that are listed in this passage.
Jesus begins with these words: “Do not think that I have
come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to
fulfill. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes
and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”.
Jesus is saying that the directives and teachings of the
ancient Law and Prophets were only the beginning of what God wanted for His
people. Their holiness was to go much higher than just not killing one another.
So Jesus says:
“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You
shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say
to you that the one who is angry with their brother or sister, will be liable
to judgment; and whoever insults their brother or sister, will be liable to the
council; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to the hell of fire."
Now I am not going to ask you to raise your hand, but
have any of you ever be “angry” with someone? So what is Jesus saying – not
being angry is impossible? It’s interesting to look into the background of the
words “insult” and “fool”. The ancient word for Insult was “Raca”, an Aramaic
word meaning “brainless” – “worthless” – “idiot”. And the word translated here
as “fool” was the Greek word “mōre” from which we derive the word “moron”. Have
you ever heard someone calling another person an idiot or a moron? Maybe even
you?
Jesus is not saying that having the emotion of anger
rise up in you is a sin. Emotions are part of our human nature. It is what you
do with your emotion that Jesus is concerned with. If we do not deal
appropriately with our anger, we could end up harming another and harming
ourselves. As you look around at all the division and conflict dividing our
society today unbridled anger is its driving force.
Was Jesus ever angry? Indeed, he was. In Mark 10 we read:
“Some people brought their children to Jesus so he could bless them by placing
his hands on them. But his disciples told the people to stop bothering him.
When Jesus saw this, he became angry (or often translated indigent) and said,
“Let the children come to me! Don't try to stop them. People who are like these
little children belong to the kingdom of God." Mark 10:13
Here it is the disciple’s wrongdoing that is the focus of
Jesus’ anger and his passion to have them change what they are doing. “So when
you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or
sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and
go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your
gift”.
God wants us to be passionate about the way we live our lives – passionate
about all that is good, passionate about overcoming evil with good. The reason God
starts us off in this world is so that we can be transformed into the image and
likeness of God – to become the children of God. We are here to become saints.
“But I tell you,
love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be
children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and
the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those
who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing
that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than
others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly
Father is perfect.” Mtt. 5:45
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