Season of
Denha
Fifth Sunday: MATTHEW 5:17-26
JESUS IS THE FULFILLMENT OF LAW
INTRODUCTION
This gospel passage is a section from the
Sermon on the Mount (Mt cha. 5-7) which is a collection of discourses of
Jesus for his followers. It directs how a Christian should live to
inherit the kingdom of heaven. The Pharisees and scribes accused Jesus
of disregarding the laws that they strictly practiced. However,
according to Jesus, these adversaries were the wrongdoers because they
had deviated from the spirit behind the laws and misguiding the people
according to their false interpretations and man-made traditions. So,
Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets. He advised his disciples
to surpass the misleading spirituality of the scribes and Pharisees.
In the second part of this passage, Jesus corrects and perfects
the teachings people had heard. He illustrates how those who nurture
anger, call others false names with contempt, or do character
assassination will have to face judgement. So, we have to reconcile with
fellow humans before we approach the Lord with our sacrificial offerings
and before facing our death when God will pronounce the particular
judgement.
BIBLE TEXT
Teaching About the Law
(Mt 5:17) Do not
think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come
not to abolish but to fulfill. (18) 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. (19)
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. (20) I tell you, unless your righteousness
surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the
kingdom of heaven.
Teaching About Anger
(21) “You have
heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and
whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ (22) 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. (23) Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there
recall that your brother has anything against you, (24) leave your gift
there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and
then come and offer your gift. (25) Settle with your opponent quickly
while on the way to court with him. 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. (26) Amen, I say to you, you will
not be released until you have paid the last penny.
INTERPRETATION
Teaching About the Law
The Jewish aristocrats condemned Jesus as a
lawbreaker. They accused him of disregarding ritual purifications and
breaking the Sabbath observance. Whereas Jesus here speaks on the Law
with respect and severity and illustrates spiritual applications of them
which the Pharisees and scribes had ignored.
(Mt 5:17) Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Do not think
that I have come to abolish the law or the
prophets.
The question presumes the misunderstanding of
the Pharisees, scribes, priests, and other elite Jews who criticized
Jesus for not keeping the Sabbatical observances and acting against
Jewish traditions. For them, Jesus, who became influential, was
misguiding people and facilitating them to disobey the law and prophets,
claiming that he was the Messiah.
There was no prophet in Israel for about five
centuries after Prophet Malachi who lived around 450 BC. During this
intertestamental period with no prophet, the Jews developed different
groups and interpreted the Holy Scripture according to their own
interests. They taught their ancestral traditions as divine laws and
made people’s lives unnecessarily burdensome (Mt 23:4). Jesus objected
to this and tried to reinstate the God-given laws to their original
intentions. That caused conflict between Jesus and the Jewish groups.
According to Jesus, the ceremonial laws attributed to the ancestors were
not binding. So, Jesus refers here to the misconception about him as a
destroyer of the Law and Prophets and an abolisher of the ancestral
traditions.
Do not think that
I have come
to abolish the law or the prophets.
Unlike all other humans, the incarnation of
Jesus had a purpose. He came to redeem the world and save the people who
had deviated from the covenantal relationship with God. Other leaders in
Israel, like the priests, prophets, and kings, came to realize their
role only after they were born and when God selected them for their
mission. Starting with Adam, God revealed the arrival and mission of the
Messiah. Angel Gabriel foretold Mary the mission of Jesus, “He will be
great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will
give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house
of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Lk
1:32-33). The prominent leaders and even some publics had misunderstood
the purpose of Jesus’ ministry.
Do not think that I
have come to abolish the law or the
prophets.
The Law and the Prophets stand for the Old
Testament, that also contains other writings.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
The Jews had various understandings of the
Law. It can be the 10 commandments, the Pentateuch, the law and
prophets, or the oral and scribal laws. The laws that Jesus objected was
on this fourth class of laws that were the interpretative laws of the
scripture scholars. The Jewish scholars derived 613 laws based on the
first five books of Moses. “We learn from the Talmud, Makkot 24a, there
were 613 mitzvot stated to Moses in the Torah, consisting of 365
prohibitions corresponding to the number of days in the solar year, and
248 positive mitzvot corresponding to the number of a person’s limbs” (https://mag.rochester.edu/exhibitions/rochester-rabbis-respond/).
Such laws were burdensome for the people, and they lacked the genuine
spirit of God, the lawgiver. Since there were 613 laws, a scribe asked
Jesus: “Which is the first of all the commandments?” (Mk 12:28). On
another occasion, Jesus rebuked the scribes, “Woe also to you scholars
of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you
yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them” (Lk 11:46).
Jesus came to fulfill the law by extracting
the genuine spirit behind the God-given laws. He summarized the Old
Testament teachings, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your
heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest
and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your
neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two
commandments” (Mt 22:37-40). Jesus told the Pharisees and scribes, “‘How
well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your
tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and
‘Whoever curses father or mother shall die.’ Yet you say, ‘If a person
says to father or mother, ‘Any support you might have had from me is
qorban’ (meaning, dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more
for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God in favor of your
tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things’” (Mk
7:5-13). Thus, Jesus purified the contaminated religion of the time with
better values. He did not go against the Law and the prophets. Besides,
he redefined the Mosaic laws and prophetic teachings, and perfected them
by instituting a new Israel, the church.
(18) 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.
Jesus used the Hebrew word, “Amen,” or even
twice as “Amen, Amen, I say to you” (John 3:3) at the beginning of
important statements. The meaning is “truly, truly, I say to you” or “I
solemnly tell you the truth.” By these phrases, Jesus affirmed the
truthfulness of what he said. He was the only one who knew all the truth
because he came down from heaven and he was one with the Father.
Here the emphasis is not on end of the heaven
and earth but the permanence of the law. As long as the heaven and earth
exist, the law of God also shall remain without loss of its content.
The Letter Yod (Yud) (י),
the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet (Aleph-Bet) with a numerical
value of 10, is the smallest letter of the Hebrew language. Little
strokes on the letters helped to identify the difference between the
letters. Misplacing a minor point on a letter could make a distinct
sense. For example, the Hebrew letters shin (שׁ
sh) and sin (שׂ s)
look similar but different in meaning depending on the position of the
stroke. Therefore, the scribes were extremely vigilant in writing and
copying such letters. If a mistake happened in transcribing, the whole
sheet was destroyed. Jesus, when used this common phrase of the time,
meant that he was careful in preserving even a minute element of the
law.
Jesus did not abolish any of the God-given
laws like the Ten Commandments that are permanent. However, he
questioned the later developed wrong applications, traditional
practices, and ceremonial rituals. Jesus interrogated, “Why do you break
the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? (Mt 15:3). When
the Pharisees and scribes questioned Jesus, “‘Why do your disciples not
follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean
hands?’ He responded, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as
it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts
are far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human
precepts’” (Mk 7:5-7).
By healing the sick and casting out demons on
the Sabbath day, Jesus emphasized the importance of mercy over worship
(Mt 9:13). He rebuked the unreasonable traditions of the Jews and
rectified the faults in the practical applications of the laws. Though
he seemed to be a lawbreaker for the Jewish leaders, he corrected and
perfected them.
This expression means that the law will
remain as long as the heaven and earth exist. “It is easier for heaven
and earth to pass away than for the smallest part of a letter of the law
to become invalid” (Lk 16:17). Jesus was not talking about the end of
heaven and earth but was emphasizing permanency of God’s commandments.
Since even a smallest letter or the smallest
part of a letter is important in the law, breaking even a minor
commandment or teaching others to do so is a serious offense and will be
punishable. By commandments, Jesus was denoting the divine commandments
and not the human precepts falsely developed based on them. Jesus
mentions “the least of these commands” because the Pharisees might have
classified the laws as greater and lesser. For Jesus, all the laws are
significant.
Since this teaching of Jesus was part of the
sermon on the mount, this must be addressed to his disciples and those
who would follow him. If they disregard the commandments, they will
misguide others to break the laws through their dishonest lives. Those
who do so or teach them against the commandments, will be least in God’
kingdom. It can be a denial in the kingdom, or a lower position in
heaven based on the gravity of one’s failure.
A disciple will be great in the kingdom of
heaven only when he or she keeps the commandments and teaches the same
to others. Role models are necessary in the church and their preaching
will be effective.
Jesus revealed that there will be different
grades in the kingdom because Jesus will judge us based on our actions
in this life. St. Paul wrote, “Whatever you do, do from the heart, as
for the Lord and not for others, knowing that will repay each person
according to what they have done” (Colossians 3:23-24). Jesus promised
the apostles, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the
new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will
yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel”
(Mt 19:28).
By “you,” Jesus meant not just his disciples,
but all his listeners at the sermon on the mount. The people who were
familiar with the Scribes and Pharisees were included in this. They
might be admirers of the scribes as experts in the Law, and Pharisees as
elite Jews who were scrupulous in practicing the Jewish rituals.
The scribes were initially copiers of the
Holy Scripture when there were no durable writing materials and copying
devices. They were serious in copying the Bible without error. Later,
they also became interpreters of the Holy Scripture and experts in the
judicial procedures. Though some of them were priests like Ezra (Ezra
7:5-6), some Levites and common people also became scribes. The Jews
respected them because of their knowledge in the Bible, dedicated
service, and adherence to the Laws. They gained authority among the Jews
and joined Pharisees in opposing Jesus for his liberal approach to
man-made laws. Some of them were members of the Sanhedrin and wise
scribes were also known as Rabbi.
Pharisee in Hebrew means “separate” or
“detach” because this group had separated themselves from the ordinary
people in their strict religious observances. The origin of Pharisees
was after the post-exilic times, when there was a thirst for maintaining
the purity of Judaism according to the written laws and oral traditions.
They opposed the Hellenistic influence in Judaism. They gave importance
to the traditional rituals that were not in the Mosaic laws but were
handed over by the elders of the post-exilic generations, claiming that
they were also of divine origin. Though some Pharisees appreciated the
teachings of Jesus and invited him for dinner (Luke 7:36-50, 14:1), many
of them objected him because Jesus did not strictly follow their
man-made rituals and traditions.
A righteous person is one who is morally true
or justifiable. In the Biblical sense, righteousness is the state of
being right in front of God. God is righteous (Psalm 11:7) and He will
judge our righteousness (Is 33:22). The humans are weak and have the
tendency to slip away from righteousness. This weakness started from the
time of the first parents. However, there have been righteous people
specially mentioned in the Bible.
In order to understand righteousness, let us
see the reasons for considering some as righteous in the Bible. Abel was
righteous because “by faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than
Cain’s” (Hebrews 11:4), “Enoch walked with God” (Gen 5:22) and hence he
was righteous (Gen 5:24). “Noah was a righteous man and blameless in his
generation; Noah walked with God (Gen 6:9). “Abram put his faith in the
LORD, who attributed it to him as an act of righteousness” (Gen 15:6).
Besides, Melchizedek (Heb 7:1-2), Lot (2 Peter 2:7-8), Job (Ezek
14:14,20), Daniel (Ezek 14:14,20), Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, and
the prophets (Heb 11:32-33) are presented as righteous during the Old
Testament period.
In the New Testament times, Zechariah and
Elizabeth were “righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the
commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly” (Lk 1:6). Joseph,
the husband of Mary (Mt 1:19), Simeon (Lk 2:25), John the Baptist (Mk
6:20), Joseph of Arimathea (Lk 23:50), and Cornelius (Acts 10:22) are
others specially mentioned as righteous. So, all who keep their fidelity
to God and walked according to God’s ordinances are righteous.
No human is perfect because all have sinned
(Rom 3:10, Rom 5:12, 1 Jn 1:8,10) “There is no one on earth so just as
to do good and never sin” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Only God is perfectly
righteous and Jesus who is God incarnate. Those who are called righteous
gave priority to God instead of sin. Only by the merit of Jesus we have
access to heaven. “For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know
sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor
5:21). That was the purpose of Jesus coming into the world as Christ.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone
who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (Jn
3:16). At the resurrection, all whom Jesus select for reward will be
considered righteous (Lk 14:14).
While observing the ceremonial and
traditional practices, the hearts of the Pharisees and scribes were not
with God. Jesus criticized their duplicity. “The scribes and the
Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and
observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their
example. For they preach but they do not practice” (Mt 23:2-3). He
pronounced woe to them: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you
hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on
the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of
filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are
filled with hypocrisy and evildoing” (Mt 23: 27-28). Jesus presented
them also as “blind guides of the blind” (Mt 15:14).
The scribes and Pharisees claim themselves to
be righteous. From God’s perspective, they are not. Jesus calls them
hypocrites (Mt 23:13, 15). The scribes and Pharisees rejected Jesus and
denounced his teachings. A Christian cannot be like them. They have to
be righteous in the genuine sense. “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your
‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one” (Mt 5:37).
The Kingdom of Heaven is the rule of the
Almighty over the entire universe with no territory because everything
belongs to God with no border. “The LORD has set his throne in heaven;
his dominion extends over all.” (Psalm 103:19). In a specific sense,
Israel was the kingdom of God because God’s kingdom is a spiritual rule
over the lives and hearts of those who remain faithful to Him. Jesus
reconstituted it, forming the church with Jesus as its head. This
kingdom is spiritual, and that is why Jesus said to Pilate: “My kingdom
does not belong to this world.” (John 18:36). The church is only a
foretaste of God’s kingdom that will happen later in its fullness when
the time of redemption is over and when the time of judgement will
happen with the second coming of Christ. God will govern this kingdom
that is eternal, peaceful, free from any struggle, and is open only for
the faithful children of God. “In the lifetime of those kings the God of
heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed or delivered
up to another people; rather, it shall break in pieces all these
kingdoms and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever.” (Daniel
2:44). Thus, the Kingdom of God has different stages. It was initially
established in the world at large, then among the chosen people of
Israel, Jesus renewed it later by establishing the church, and it will
reach perfection with the second coming of Christ.
Jesus had clarified the eligibility criteria to enter the kingdom of God. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7:21). Jesus has specified practical examples of this in his discourse on the last judgement. “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me… Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.” (Mt 25:34-36, 45). This altruistic approach of mercy was lacking among the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus exhibited the acts of mercy throughout his public ministry.
Teaching About Anger
(21) “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’
You have heard that it was said to your ancestors
The ordinary Jews who came to listen to Jesus
at the sermon on the mount were illiterate. They had heard the laws and
their interpretations from the synagogue services or from the scribes’
preaching. These laws were attributed to Moses, who received them
directly from God and communicated that to the Israelites. They taught
these to their descendants and handed over them in written and mostly in
oral form. The scribes of the post-exilic period also transmitted their
interpretations and applications as oral traditions. As time went by,
these practices had deviated from the intention of God, the lawgiver.
The questioning of Jesus was not on the Mosaic teachings, but on the
false interpretations of the post-exilic ancestors.
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus presented
six examples of laws that the people were familiar and gave his
interpretation with emphasis on the intentions rather than actions. They
are:
1. “You shall not kill; and whoever kills
will be liable to judgment” (Mt 5:21)
2. “You shall not commit adultery” (Mt 5:27).
3. “Whoever divorces his wife must give her a
bill of divorce” (Mt 5:31).
4. “Do not take a false oath, but make good
to the Lord all that you vow” (Mt 6:33).
5. “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a
tooth” (Mt 5:38).
6. “You shall love your neighbor and hate
your enemy” (Mt 5:43).
Jesus negated the contemporary views on each
law and redefined them with God’s intentions behind such teachings. He
did not negate the ancient doctrines, but the teaching and practices of
the Jewish leaders manipulating the laws and presenting them as of
divine origin. According to Jesus, God’s righteousness differs from the
human views. God judges by actions and the intentions that trigger them.
You shall not kill
Better translation for “You shall not kill”
(Ex 20:13) is, “Thou shall not commit murder.” God justified killing in
certain circumstances in the Old Testament, such as war and death
penalty. In order to inhabit the promised land, God asked Israelites to
kill the natives. God killed the firstborn of the Egyptians when the
Pharaoh rejected the liberation of His people after enough warnings.
Jesus taught forgiveness and mercy rather
than retaliation. He also instructed to do good for the enemies. “Love
your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you” (Lk 6:27-28). So, the early Christian
community did not wage war or retaliate when they faced severe
persecution. They prayed like Jesus did at the cross, stating, “Father,
forgive them, they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34). When the enemies
stoned Stephen to death, “he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud
voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’; and when he said this,
he fell asleep” (Acts 7:60). St. Paul advised the Romans, “If your enemy
is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for
by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.” (Rom 12:20).
The Catholic Church teaches, "God alone is
the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any
circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent
human being" (CCC-2258). Catechism of the Catholic Church
addresses some of the end-of-life issues:
1. Legitimate defense: “If a man in
self-defense uses more than necessary violence, it will be unlawful:
whereas if he repels force with moderation, his defense will be
lawful.... Nor is it necessary for salvation that a man omit the act of
moderate self-defense to avoid killing the other man, since one is bound
to take more care of one's own life than of another's” (CCC-2264).
2. Capital Punishment: “The Church teaches,
in the light of the Gospel, that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible
because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person’,
[Francis, Address to Participants in the Meeting organized by the
Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, 11
October 2017] and she works with determination for its abolition
worldwide” (CCC-2267).
3. Intentional homicide: “The fifth
commandment forbids direct and intentional killing as gravely sinful.
The murderer and those who cooperate voluntarily in murder commit a sin
that cries out to heaven for vengeance” (CCC-2268). “The fifth
commandment forbids doing anything with the intention of indirectly
bringing about a person's death. The moral law prohibits exposing
someone to mortal danger without grave reason, as well as refusing
assistance to a person in danger” (CCC 2269).
4. Abortion: “Human life must be respected
and protected absolutely from the moment of conception” (CCC-2270).
5. Euthanasia: “Whatever its motives and
means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of
handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable”
(CCC-2277).
6. Suicide: “Suicide contradicts the natural
inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It
is gravely contrary to the just love of self. It likewise offends love
of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with
family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have
obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God” (CCC-2281).
whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
Moses had instructed the Israelites to
prepare for their entry into Canaan, “In all the communities which the
LORD, your God, is giving you, you shall appoint judges and officials
throughout your tribes to administer true justice for the people” (Deu
16:18). Each city in the ancient land of Israel had a court or
Sanhedrin. For Jews, one judge was not enough for the
court. The minimum number of judges required was three in small villages
of less than 120 men. If the number was higher in a village, a Sanhedrin
or court of 23 judges formed the judiciary. The Great Sanhedrin in
Jerusalem, comprising 71 was the supreme court of the Jews. Thus, there
were three classes of courts: The Great Sanhedrin, the Lesser Sanhedrin,
and the Court of Three or Seven. The judiciary interrogated the culprits
and pronounced judgement. Thus, the judges in each community were
handling complaints and injustices. Those who purposefully killed other
humans were put to death (Lev 24:21, Num 35:16). The Sanhedrin, the
supreme council in Jerusalem, reserved the right to decide the severe
punishment of stoning to death.
(22) 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.
I say to you
While the prophets and scribes started their
quotes from God with the phrase, “Thus says the LORD” or “There is a
teaching that,” Jesus started his statements with the phrase, “I say to
you” as an authoritative teacher. While prophets were spokespersons of
God, Jesus was God, and he spoke with authority. His listeners noticed
it and were amazed at such a speech. The report of the sermon on the
mount concludes saying, “When Jesus finished these words, the crowds
were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having
authority, and not as their scribes” (Mt 7:28-29).
whoever is angry
The judiciary of the Israelites were looking
only at the act of murder. Jesus went beyond that and presented hatred
and anger as the cause of murder. Besides the act of murder, he gave
importance also to the resentment and the intention behind it even if
the murder did not take place.
Anger can be a natural and quick response
that dies down instantly (thumos in Greek), or a deep-rooted and lasting
anger that sustains for long (orge in Greek). The second type is more
dangerous and can lead to revengeful acts. According to Jesus, such
nurtured anger is punishable. St. Paul instructs, “Be angry but do not
sin; do not let the sun set on your anger” (Eph 4:26).
Anger against sin does not come into this category. Jesus expressed anger against sin. He enraged against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees (Mark 3:5) by droving out the merchants and money changers (John 2:14-16) from the Temple. The anger against sin is not what Jesus meant for judgement, but lasting anger based on the hatred of others. Christians should avoid ongoing anger or hatred that can lead to murder. “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him” (1 Jn 3:15).
whoever says to his brother,
We need to take the usage of brother in a
broader sense here because all humans are children of God the Father,
and all are to respect one another.
‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin
Raqa, is a scornful word that derives from
pride in oneself and hatred to another. Its meaning is brainless, or
worthless idiot. Verbal abuse, an outcome of hatred, is serious than
anger. That is why it would be referred to the Sanhedrin, the higher
court of the Jews. Even contemptuous words shall be liable for last
judgement at the second coming of Christ who said, “I tell you, on the
day of judgment people will render an account for every careless word
they speak” (Mt 12:36). In a reverse sense, Christians should love and
respect one another. We must honor the life and dignity of all persons,
regardless of their weakness.
whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
The fool lacks wisdom. The words fool and
wisdom in the Bible have meaning different from our ordinary usage.
Proverbs 1:7 says, “Fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Psalm 14:1 adds, “The fool says in
his heart, ‘There is no God.’ Their deeds are loathsome and corrupt; not
one does what is good.” Such a person who purposefully denies God and
leads sinful life cannot inherit heaven. In the Biblical sense, calling
someone fool is a character assassination, slandering the person’s
spiritual and moral integrity, and damaging his reputation. The one who
does so is liable for eternal punishment in hell.
fiery Gehenna
Fiery Gehenna is a metaphorical presentation
of eternal punishment for the sinners. Literal meaning of Gehenna is
"the valley of the sons of Hinnom." Though unknown today, Hinnom must be
the name of someone who lived in ancient Israel.
Gehenna is a deep and narrow valley in the
southwest of Jerusalem that was famous for idolatrous worship of Molech
where children were sacrificed (2 Chronicles 28:3). Pagan worship and
child sacrifice were strictly forbidden for Jews, though some of them,
including King Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:1-3) sacrificed their children as
burned offering to the false god (Jeremiah 19:4). So, this valley was
cursed. King Josiah later stopped the sacrifices there (2 Kings 23:10).
Later, Gehenna became a place of waste
disposal that was burned, including the dead bodies of animals and
criminals. Because of the dumped refuse of the city, it was also a place
of worms and maggots. Since the fire kept burning there all the time,
this place became a symbol of an everlasting destruction of sinners in
the life after death. This shows the gravity of punishment that waits
for those who dissolute others and allege them as fools in the Biblical
sense.
(23) Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, (24) leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
if you bring your gift to the altar
God had instructed through Moses, “Three
times a year, then, all your males shall appear before the LORD, your
God, in the place which he will choose: at the feast of Unleavened
Bread, at the feast of Weeks, and at the feast of Booths. They shall not
appear before the LORD empty-handed, but each with his own gift, in
proportion to the blessing which the LORD, your God, has given to you”
Deu 16:17). Proverbs 3:9-10 reminded them, “Honor the LORD with your
wealth, with first fruits of all your produce; Then will your barns be
filled with plenty, with new wine your vats will overflow.” So, the
Israelites had the custom of bringing offerings to God when they
approached Him for worship.
Though the priests burned a portion of the
offerings at the altar, they distributed the rest of the gifts (1) to
maintain the tabernacle and later the Temple, (2) to support the
Levites, and (3) to help the poor. “At the end of every third year you
shall bring out all the tithes of your produce for that year and deposit
them within your own communities, that the Levite who has no hereditary
portion with you, and also the resident alien, the orphan and the widow
within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied; so that the LORD,
your God, may bless you in all that you undertake” (Deu 14:28-29).
there recall that your brother has anything against you
When people brought the offerings and waited
for the priests to inspect and accept them, they had enough time to
reflect on their deeds. Then they could examine their relationship with
fellow humans. Even if one thought he had nothing against another, and
remembered the grievance of another towards him at the altar, he had to
resolve that complaint before offering the sacrifice. Humans have a
natural tendency to justify themselves and find fault with others.
leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother
One goal of Temple sacrifice was the
remission of sins. It has to start with the reconciliation of the
opposing people. The disruption in the human relationship will disturb
one’s correlation with God. So, Jesus taught, “When you stand to pray,
forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly
Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions” (Mk 11:25). A
deliberate vengeance or hatred is to be rectified before offering the
sacrifice.
If the conflict is based on a
misunderstanding, that needs to be clarified. If one damaged the
reputation of another, he has to rectify that. If one has cheated or
caused damage to another, he has to compensate for that. God will accept
our sacrifice only after we restitute for the damage. So, reconciliation
with one another and with God, and reparation for the injustice done are
prerequisites for sacrifice to God. Jesus taught forgiving others is
required for God’s forgiveness. He said, “If you forgive others their
transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not
forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions”
(Mt 6:15-16). Our sacrifices become ineffective if we do not reconcile
with others or do not compensate for the damages we have caused.
then come and offer your gift.
Our forgiveness, reconciliation, and
reparation become complete when we return to God and resume the
sacrificial offering. A good relationship with others alone will not
save us, but we need to keep our faithfulness and loyalty to God through
our worship. The reconciliation should take place in our daily lives. It
cannot be prolonged. However, even at the moment of sacrifice, if we
remember any hurt feeling of another, we need to address that also, and
then return to offer the sacrifice. God expects cleanliness of hand and
purity of heart from the offeror. “Who may go up the mountain of the
LORD? Who can stand in his holy place? The clean of hand and pure of
heart, who has not given his soul to useless things, what is vain. He
will receive blessings from the LORD, and justice from his saving God”
(Psalm 24:3-5).
(25) Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. 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.
The imagery of Jesus now turns from the
Temple setting to a law-court
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.
The presumption here is that the judge had
summoned a culprit and his opponent to the court. The judge will punish
the culprit if he does not settle out of court before their appearance
in the court of law. So, the chance for reconciliation was going to end,
and he has to act soon. If the culprit avoids this last chance, the
judge can put him in prison.
Jesus suggested a quick settlement because
the time is running out before the accused and the adversary reach the
judge. So also, in our spiritual life, the time is running out and we do
not know when God will call us back to him for our particular judgement.
When we face death, our chance for improvement of our lives will be
over, and God will judge us based on our merits and demerits. The
earlier we reconcile, the better chance of reconciliation and prevention
of future damages. So, now is the time for reconciliation because we do
not know whether we get an opportunity for it tomorrow.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge
The guilty person will be weak in front of
the judge. The opponent, in this case, is powerful because justice is in
favor of him. He will hand over the guilty to the judge who will make a
right decision.
The judge when we apply in spiritual life is
God. Unlike human judges, the divine judge is just and omniscient. We
cannot establish ourselves as innocent if we are guilty.
the judge will hand you over to the guard
The prison guard will execute the judgement.
In the Kingdom of God, angles will be the guards who do it.
you will be thrown into prison.
Imprisonment is the punishment for the
guilty. The prison must be an interim period for compensating for the
damages done.
(26) Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.
In this allegory, the guilty person did not
get capital punishment or a perpetual imprisonment. He was condemned to
be in prison until the compensation is fully met. Depending on the
seriousness of the offense, his term can be short or long.
When we apply this example in the spiritual
context, we are approaching God, our judge, at the end of our life in
this world. Though He will reward us for our faithfulness to Him and our
good deeds for others, we cannot reach heaven with rivalry in our life.
If we do not attempt for reconciliation or settle any damage done, we
will be punished. The punishment period depends on the seriousness of
our offense. This implies purgatory because the imprisonment is not
permanent like hell, and most people are not saints or sinners at the
time of their death. They are not worthy of going directly to heaven and
not grave sinners to go to eternal punishment in the hell.
MESSAGE
1. Jesus subjected himself to the law (Gal
4:4). While keeping the genuine laws, he perfected the adulterated ones.
Let us also follow God’s precepts, the teachings of the church, and the
civil laws, understanding the genuine spirit behind them as the love of
God and respect for others.
2. Jesus promised, “whoever obeys and teaches
these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt
5:19). Let us also comply with the laws and teach others, especially our
children, to respect the laws with proper understanding.
3. Teaching the commandments of God is best
implemented by our practicing Christian devotion and charity. Jesus
requires these as requirements for our entry into the kingdom of heaven
(Mt 5:20).
4. Jesus equates lasting anger against others
with murder because nurturing it can grow in our mind to hurt the
enemies. Though anger against sin is beneficial to correct others, it
should not last long to cause undue damage to others.
5. Contemptuous bullying and character
assassination are serious offenses. Love and forgiveness should be the
characteristic of us as Christians regardless of the weakness of others.
Let us win our opponents with our gracious acts than revenge towards
them.
6. Enmity and injustice to others are hurdles for our entry into the kingdom of heaven. Our days in this world are counted and are decreasing day by day. Let us resolve any issues we have with others at the earliest.