REFLECTIONS TODAY Mt 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 into 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.” Fulfillment of the law Matthew was writing at the time when his community was grappling with its own identity. The Christian community started with a band of Jewish disciples, but later would gradually open to the Gentiles. Then Paul and his fellow missionaries sought Gentiles and formed communities of those who “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thes 1:9). The path to unity between the Jewish Christians and the Hellenists (those who came from Greek background) did not always run smooth. The Jewish converts thought that for the Gentiles, the path to Christ is through the observance of the Law of Moses. The Hellenists, on the other hand, felt they did not need to observe circumcision or the kosher diet. The Council of Jerusalem took place to address these differences (Acts 15). The believers in turn looked back to Jesus and examined his stand vis-à-vis the Law of Moses and the Prophets. Today’s Gospel, part of the Sermon on the Mount, presents Jesus’ teaching about the Law. Jesus says he has not come to abolish but to fulfill. To fulfill the Law, however, does not mean a literal enforcement of the Law in the least detail. Rather, it points to the heart and spirit of the Law in the “new age” ushered by Jesus’ public ministry, death, and resurrection. Jesus’ further explanation reveals the intent of the Law that protects the individual, the community, the women, and the institution of marriage. In a series of antithesis, Jesus enumerates the root causes of disruptive behavior. Anger and insults can easily lead to violence and even murder. And in a culture where public honor is highly valued, conflicts and disputes can be avoided if reconciliation is expediently done for restoring harmony between individuals within the community. Similarly, the control of anger can be applied to mastery of desires, which is the antidote to lustful thoughts that could lead to sexual union outside of marriage or adultery. On the issue of divorce — where the male perspective is given more prominence as if the man has the sexual and domicile rights over the woman (like property rights) — Jesus sees the union of marriage more than just a legal contract; rather, it is based on mutual fidelity and companionship as envisioned by God from the very beginning: “They are no longer two, but one flesh” (Mt 19:6). Vows and promises made in marriage are in keeping with the integrity of a person, who honors his own word when his “yes” means “yes,” and his “no” means “no.” Likewise, they also reflect one’s covenant with the Lord. Anything on the contrary is evil. Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2023,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.