Mt. 5:17-37
In today’s gospel, we see Jesus present his redemptive mission as the fulfilment of everything. The greatest criticism levelled against Jesus during his public ministry was an accusation that he broke the laws of Moses and prompted others to do the same. In fact, his intention was to perfect the law of Moses by restoring its original intent as intended by God. At that juncture in Jewish history, people were not keen on the spirit of the law, instead stressing the legalistic aspects. It was clearly demonstrated in Jesus’ instruction on the Sabbath law. It had gotten so bad that people were afraid to provide humanitarian aid for fear of breaking the Sabbath law. Jesus gives them the correct understanding of the Sabbath: that it is meant for men. We could consider it a paradigm shift in the religious realm.
Jesus teaches them that the righteousness of a person should not be legalistic like that of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes. Instead, it should be moderate, which would be balanced with love and compassion for our fellow brethren. Traditionally, murder was condemned in the Law of Moses. Jesus gives them a new dimension: not only can physical abuse make one accountable before the Lord, but even verbal abuse makes one culpable. He gives them the new insight that sacrifice will not be pleasing to God without reconciliation. We need to get rid of our grudges in order to grow in love, and reconciliation should be our life’s work.
Another typical example of the legalistic mentality of Jews was manifested in their laws concerning divorce. In the book of Genesis, we read that God said: “So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”( Mt. 19:6) Then how did the laws of Moses grant them the right to divorce? It was because of the hardness of thier hearts. Jesus exhorts them to get back to the original plan of God, which is the union of man and woman, and no one can separate their conjugal love and union. We see in Matthew’s gospel that, in the case of sexual immorality, we must understand it in the context of the first century background, where incest was common among gentile Christians. That was the only exception; later, this exception was misinterpreted to mean that one could divorce even in cases of marital infidelity. In Jesus’ opinion, they must accept each other despite their flaws. Jesus, through his own passion and perfect obedience, restored our grace to fulfil the divine will in our lives.
Finally, Jesus warns them about the power of words. Words are powerful, and no one has authority to make a vow in God’s name or in one’s own head because the Lord who fashioned us has more authority over us than we do. Therefore, our intentions should be authentic, and we need not use God’s name in vain or our own selves.
As we reflect on this gospel passage today, let us examine and see if we are affected by the legalistic mentality. Is it love that drives us to obey the law? Even when our brothers violate the law and seek acceptance, we should be able to forgive and accept them. We should not be overly worried about the breaking of the law. All the same, we are empowered and strengthened by the meritorious sacrifice of Jesus. Therefore, let us follow the law with love in our hearts.