You have heard, that it was said to our people in the past: Do not commit murder; anyone who
murders will have to face trial. But now, I tell you: whoever gets angry with a brother or sister
will have to face trial. Whoever insults a brother or sister is liable, to be brought before the
council. Whoever calls a brother or sister “Fool!” is liable, of being thrown into the fire of hell.
So, if you are about to offer your gift at the altar, and you remember that your brother has
something against you, leave your gift there, in front of the altar; go at once, and make peace
with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God.
Don’t forget this: be reconciled with your opponent quickly when you are together on the way
to court. Otherwise he will turn you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police,
who will put you in jail. There, you will stay, until you have paid the last penny.
Reflect
During my junior year in high school, the topic of our religion class was morality. We studied
the commandments, the Beatitudes, the Church’s teachings, how to form our consciences,
and how to make a good moral decision. Unfortunately, we tended to exasperate our kind
teacher, Sister Patricia, with constant questions about exactly what we could do and how
close to the line we could go without committing a sin.
That’s the attitude that Jesus is lamenting in today’s Gospel. We have a tendency to want to
know exactly how bad we can be without stepping over the line or how little good we can do
and still have done “enough.” Jesus calls us to go beyond the minimum and to hate evil so
much that we avoid it as much as possible. We should love the good so much that any
opportunity to do what is right fills us with joy. Loving what is good will bring us to the presence
of God who is the source of all goodness.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023