GOSPEL, Matthew 5: 20-22, 27-28, 33-34,37
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘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. ‘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. ‘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. All you need say is “Yes” if you mean yes, “No” if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the evil one.’
WORDS FOR LIFE
- Jesus tells us that he hasn’t come to remove the Law which God gave to Moses but to fulfill it. He wants the disciples to discover the real meaning and intention which God had given to the Law but which with the passing of time was becoming lax in its application to life.
2. The Commandment he deals with first is the fifth which reminds us to respect both the physical and moral dignity of the individual.
3. The Commandment he talks about next is the sixth which deals with matrimony. We are encouraged to renovate our love everyday, to win over our espouse and not to allow our relationship to become stale and lukewarm. We should avoid situations which might compromise our love and feelings.
4. The last Commandment he discusses is the second one where our answer should be clear – either yes or no.
