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Gospel: 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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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After graduating from college, I became a third-grade teacher in one of the lowest performing public schools in the country through a program called Teach for America.
While rewarding, it certainly had its challenges – like trying to get every single one of my students to focus. Some days it felt like the kids would rather watch paint peel, than learn how to multiply or divide.
But one tactic guaranteed to break that slow glaze of boredom was the promise of playing a game. A class favorite was Simon Says.
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“Simon says, ‘Touch your nose.’”
“Simon says, ‘Touch your shoulder.’”
“Touch your head.”
It was hilarious watching the kids police each other. Twenty-two sets of eyes raced constantly across the room, trying to make sure no one else was cheating.
When someone was caught, that person would hoot and holler in self-defense, claiming total innocence.
“Mr. K, he’s lying!” … “She’s cheating!” … “No, I’m not!”
Right or wrong, honesty meant less than victory.
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Haven’t we all been there?
Maybe we cheated in a game as a child. Or we borrowed a neighbor’s answer on a test. Or let a lie slip. Maybe we “forgot” to include something on our taxes or found an opportune loophole year after year.
All this points to a humbling insight about humanity: at some point, we’ve all broken the rules. We convinced ourselves that no one was looking, or that no one would get hurt. So, we did what was easier or more convenient, instead of what was right.
Saint Paul admits to having this struggle himself. “What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but what I hate.”
Why can it be so difficult for humans to follow the rules? To fess up? To take the high road? To follow Christ?
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The Greek philosopher, Plato, likened the human soul to a charioteer whose task it is to drive two different horses. One horse is gentle and mild, obedient to our commands. The other is wild and rebellious.
The name of the first horse is Reason. The second is Passion.
Reason and Passion constantly tug at our flesh.
For example, Reason would say, “I didn’t do what Simon says. I should sit down now. I’m out. Someone else will win.”
But Passion would say, “Nobody saw you! Stay in the game!”… Even, “Lie if you’re caught.”
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It’s our passions that Jesus is addressing in today’s Gospel, which is a continuation of his first public sermon. Seated high up on a mountain, the Lord surrounds himself with his disciples and first followers, sharing God’s vision for humanity with them.
There, Jesus reveals he is more than a dreamer. He begins by quoting the Law of Moses, which was considered eternal and unchangeable. Then he re-interprets it by saying, “But I say to you.”
Jesus is not claiming to be a prophet. In the Old Testament, prophets would always begin by saying, “Thus says the LORD.” By calmly speaking for himself, he is putting himself on par with God.
This alarming claim doesn’t go unnoticed by his listeners who question, “What kind of authority has been given him?”
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At the heart of his teachings, the Lord proclaims that one must not only be externally pure; we must also live with a pure heart.
It’s not enough speak with honesty. We should never even think about telling a lie.
It’s not enough to refrain from harming another person. We should never harbor an unpleasant thought.
It’s not enough to feed the poor. We must also love them.
It’s not enough to know what is right. We must also do what is right with a joyful, generous heart. In fact, Jesus says the person who entertains the idea of doing wrong is as guilty as the one who does what is wrong.
“So, be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect,” he says. An impossible standard without the help of divine grace.
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As we prepare for the holy season of Lent, where might the Lord be directing our attention? What part of our heart may be deafened to his voice, hardened by anger, or caught in sin?
You might say, where does Passion overcome Reason?
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Simon says, “Let Christ control your heart.”
Only then can we be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.
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Image credits: (1) The Sermon on the Mount, by Carl Bloch (2) Ready Child (3) Augsborg Fortress