Mt 5:20-26
[Jesus said to his disciples,] 20“I
tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
21“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ 22But
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.
23Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, 24leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25Settle
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. 26Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”
Reflection:
BE RECONCILED WITH YOUR BROTHER.
Jesus expects the righteousness of his disciples to surpass that of the
scribes and Pharisees. This implies purity of intention and cleanliness
of heart. Our mind and heart must be cleansed of hatred and bitterness,
freed from resentment and revenge. Religion is not a private matter but
a community affair. Our relationship with God is lived and experienced
in our everyday dealings with our fellow men and women.
The Gospel invites us to look into our
hearts. We are to be always ready to forgive, to reconcile, and to heal
the wounds of division. We are to get rid of anger in our hearts, of
our vindictiveness, and of self-justification. We are to be peacemakers.
Who are the people in my life
with whom I must reconcile?
with whom I must reconcile?
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