Matthew 5:17-37

Sirach 15:15-20

Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34

1 Corinthians 2:6-10

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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, thank you for inviting me to enter into a covenant relationship with you as your child. May I always strive to be faithful and docile to your holy will. Help me to hear your powerful voice amid the distracting noise of the world.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Fulfilling the Law and the Prophets: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus announces his intention to fulfill – and not abolish – the Law (the first five books of the Bible) and the Prophets. The word “fulfill” connotes making something bear fruit that it has always potentially contained. And so, Jesus, over a thousand years after Moses mediated the Old Law to Israel, makes the Old Law bear its fruit in its fullness and abundance. In particular, he brings 4 laws to fulfillment. First, the prohibition against committing murder remains, but the seed of its deep truth flourishes in the New Covenant prohibition against getting angry with our brothers and sisters, calling them names, and insulting them, and in the positive admonition to be reconciled with one another. Second, the prohibition against committing adultery remains, but is also refocused on avoiding the sin of lust and any habitual sin that leads to eternal damnation. We need to work to be virtuous and chaste. Third, the law of Moses permitting divorce will be understood by Jesus as a temporary concession given to Israel by Moses. Fourth, the law prohibiting false oaths is brought to fulfillment as a prohibition against any swearing, true or false, to try to convince someone you are telling the truth. Just speak the truth, and such swearing is unnecessary. 

2. Salvation: The First Reading, taken from Sirach, emphasizes our collaboration in the work of our salvation. In its original context, Sirach teaches that we should not blame God when we do something evil: “Do not say: ‘It was God’s doing that I fell away,’” (Sirach 15:11). Sirach, then, affirms that we have free will: “God in the beginning created human beings and made them subject to their own free choice” (Sirach 15:14). We have the power to obey or disobey God’s commandments. Obeying God’s commandments will save us, not apart from faith, but together with it. On the one hand, we have to keep the commandments; on the other hand, we have to trust in the Lord. Choosing between good and evil, between life and death, is compared to choosing between a destructive fire and life-giving water. God is wise, all-powerful, and knows all things. He knows and understands all of our deeds and our deepest motives and intentions. God’s omnipotence and omniscience do not give us a license to sin or act unjustly. We can’t say “God made me do it” or blame God when we choose evil or sin. 

3. God’s Mysterious, Hidden Wisdom: In the Second Reading, Paul speaks to the Corinthians about the difference between the ephemeral wisdom of the world and the eternal wisdom of God. Paul is in awe of this mysterious and hidden divine wisdom. God knows all things from all eternity and has a plan for humanity that the “rulers of this age” were incapable of knowing. The religious authorities and political authorities who crucified Jesus were culpable for their crimes, but had no idea that God would redeem the world through Jesus’ death (see the preaching of Peter in Acts 3:17). Paul goes on to paraphrase two Old Testament passages. He quotes part of Isaiah 64:3: “No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you working such deeds for those who wait for him.” And he alludes to Sirach 1:10 about the Lord supplying wisdom “to those who love him.” Wisdom concerning God’s mysterious and hidden plan of salvation is revealed to us through the Holy Spirit.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, grant me a share of your divine wisdom. I am tempted to look at everything in my life with human eyes and judge things falsely. Grant me your salvation and help me grow in the freedom of the children of God.

Living the Word of God: How am I freely collaborating with God’s grace? Do I seek to know God’s will and plan in prayer? Am I, at times, indifferent to God’s plan?