Gospel: Matthew 5:17-37

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.

‘For I tell you, if your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.

‘You have learnt how it was said: You must not commit adultery. But I say this to you: if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye should cause you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of you than to have your whole body thrown into hell. And if your right hand should cause you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of you than to have your whole body go to hell.

‘It has also been said: Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a writ of dismissal. But I say this to you: everyone who divorces his wife, except for the case of fornication, makes her an adulteress; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

‘Again, you have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not break your oath, but must fulfil your oaths to the Lord. But I say this to you: do not swear at all, either by heaven, since that is God’s throne; or by the earth, since that is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great king. Do not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or black. All you need say is “Yes” if you mean yes, “No” if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the evil one.’

Matthew 5:17-37

Reflection:

The gospel is from Matthew 5:17-37. Here are some related facts that we must abide with the gospel we have today:

• “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.” The Law was and is: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with your entire mind. You must also love your neighbor as yourself”. This is the law the Jesus was talking about. He gave this to us and we should always be grateful for the opportunity to experience this law. Matthew 5:17-37 is disclosing this truth to us.
• Jesus came “to fulfill” the law and this is what the gospel from Matthew 5:17-37 is telling us. Observing external laws is not enough for us. Jesus wants listening hearts, courageous, generous and ready to offer to others. We must have hearts like his. Yet, in the world we live in today, our hearts are full of hatred and corruption. To be a true servant of God, we must vanish away what kills our souls.
• The gospel from Matthew 5:17-37 tells us that Jesus is the absolute law. He is the authority above all. He is the commander but He made sure that He empowers what He has to command us. He is the great model we must follow.
• Human as we are, living in our days at present we are all sinners and we are all servants of God. Yet, we somehow forgot our role in this world all the time. We forgot that this planet we have right now is only temporary. We must not forget that we are to disappear soon like the dust in the wind.
• In Matthew 5:17-37, Jesus gave us the law and He is the law. We must never forget that our almighty savior did us the favors in life to get through it. Everyday is another blessing we must follow. Abiding by the holy law is something we all can do and carry until we die. – Clea | Helpline PH