6th Sunday
Sir 15:15-20; 1 Cor 2:6-10; Mt 5:17-37
Beyond the Laws
Some people believe that being a good Catholic means keeping the commandments of the Lord and following the precepts of the Church. Commonly, “good” Catholics ask questions such as: “Is this a sin? Am I breaking a commandment? Is it a mortal sin or a venial sin?” Often, we are haunted by such questions. There is a natural tendency to keep the laws and not go beyond them. In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites us to go beyond the laws and discover the deeper meaning of life and worship.
Beyond the Requirements: A serious accusation made by the Scribes and Pharisees against Jesus was that He went against the Jewish laws. For this very reason, He was later condemned and crucified. But was Jesus a lawbreaker or a fulfiller? In the first century, Jewish Christians questioned whether Jesus was truly the promised Messiah. Matthew, who wrote primarily for Jewish Christians, frequently referred to the Old Testament to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of its prophecies.
In today’s Gospel passage from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus introduces a completely new way of thinking. He teaches beyond the requirements of the Mosaic Law. For the Scribes and Pharisees, external observance of the Law guaranteed personal salvation. Jesus rejects this view. To be a true disciple of Christ, one must go beyond mere legal compliance. Keeping the law without love is like having a body without a soul. It is not enough to obey God’s commandments and the Church’s precepts if one wants to be a genuine disciple of Jesus.
Therefore, Jesus outlines new moral standards for His followers. He perfects the Law by revealing its inner meaning. He gives six striking examples; in today’s Gospel, three are presented: anger and murder, adultery, and false oaths.
A Blazing Flame! The fifth commandment, “You shall not kill,” also addresses anger. One must show respect for life in all its stages, in both word and deed. This includes controlling our anger—the rawest, strongest, and most destructive of human emotions. Jesus describes three stages of anger and the punishment each deserves, advising His disciples not to let anger lead them into sin.
The first stage is anger in the heart, which has two forms: a) a sudden, blazing flame of anger that quickly fades, and b) a simmering anger that lingers within, seeking revenge and refusing to forgive or forget. The second stage is anger in speech—using words that insult or damage another’s reputation. The third and most serious stage is anger in action, manifesting as physical violence or abuse. Jesus teaches that such uncontrolled anger deserves hell as its punishment.
In short, long-lasting anger is harmful, contemptuous speech is worse, and physically harming another person is the worst, for anger can lead to murder. A sad trait of our modern world is that we are becoming an angry and aggressive generation. Witnessing injustice yet feeling powerless to change it often breeds resentment toward society, colleagues, and even loved ones. When people or events fail to meet our expectations, our first reaction is often anger. The question is: how do we handle our anger?
Warnings Against Inclinations: Jesus’ second example concerns adultery, the violation of the sixth commandment. Adultery is more than an external act; its root cause is lust—deliberate, impure, and evil thoughts. Just as a doctor might remove an infected organ to preserve the life of the whole body, Jesus teaches that we must be willing to part with anything that leads us into grave sin or spiritual death. External actions stem from inner motives. As someone once said, “The heart of the problem is the human heart.” From the heart come both good and evil.
The third example Jesus gives is false oaths, a sin against the eighth commandment. A person who is honest in words and deeds does not need to support statements with oaths or swearing. “How forceful are honest words!” (Job 6:25) Jesus urges us to live truthfully in all circumstances, aligning our thoughts, words, and actions with the truth. It is not enough to obey the letter of the law; we must also uphold the spirit and values behind it. Thus, Jesus warns against attitudes, dispositions, and inclinations that lead to deceit.
Life and Worship: The Book of Sirach reminds us that there should be no compromise with the prevailing culture when it comes to keeping God’s law. God never forces us to do good or evil. Obedience or disobedience is our free choice—but we are responsible for the consequences. Choosing to obey God’s laws should lead us to reconciliation with our neighbor as we approach God in worship.
A Christian soldier once ended each day with Bible readings and prayer, paying no attention to his fellow soldiers who mocked and harassed him. One night, while he prayed before a picture of Jesus, another soldier threw a boot at his face. The others laughed, expecting retaliation. Instead, the next morning, the abusive soldier awoke to find his boots cleaned and polished at the foot of his bed.
Believers cannot approach God with anger in their hearts. Reconciliation and faith must go together. Life and worship cannot be separated; each influences the other. Yet how often do we piously attend Mass while harboring resentment toward someone we have wronged? We cannot claim to love Jesus while continuing to hurt others.
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