J
esus tells us in today’s Gospel that:
“Do not think that I have come to
abolish the law and the prophets; I
have come not to abolish them but
to fulfil them” (Matt. 5:17). Jesus did
not come to abolish the Old Law, but to
bring it to fulfilment. He restores, perfects
and raises the precepts of the Old Testa-
ment to a higher order.
Prophet Jeremiah prophesied long
before the coming of Jesus that a day
would come when God would place his
law within the hearts of his people, a time
when they would no longer need to read it
on stone tablets for it would be written in
their hearts (Jer. 31:33). In today’s Gospel
Jesus keeps this promise by showing how
his teaching differs from the Mosaic Law
and how it does not abolish the law but
fulfils it.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites his
audience to a new and higher morality,
the fullness of the law as prophesied by
Jeremiah. In this, Jesus moves contrary
to organized religion of his time. The
Pharisees and the scribes multiplied and
increased and even exaggerated the laws,
and made the knowledge of the laws to be
very hard and difficult for the people. They
were not interested in the spirit of the law,
rather what mattered most for them was
the external and outward keeping and
observance of the law. Jesus, by way of
contrast, worked from the principle of the
law inward, to attitude, spirit or frame of
mind. For Jesus, the law is made for man.
The law is at man’s service not man made
for the law. The approach of Jesus as far as
the law is concerned, is law made simple,
law simplified but with greater challenges.
Jesus does not reject the Old Testament,
but he clarifies its meaning. He goes to the
heart of what the Old Law demand. His
emphasis is on mercy, not legalistic minu-
tiae, on far reaching love, not destructive
petty details; and on positive commitment,
not prohibitions. He came to fulfil the Law
and the Prophets. He came to give the
Old Law flesh and all the riches the Law
had originally. Jesus wanted a conversion
of heart that goes deeper than any merely
external observance of laws.
In Jesus’ teaching today, after pointing
out the correct spirit of the Law, Jesus
gives four out of many possible examples
of where his more demanding way of life
applies: anger, adultery, divorce and oath
- the fifth, sixth and eighth command-
ments.
First, Jesus interprets the command-
ment against murder which says: “thou
shall not kill” as a command against anger
saying: “You have heard that it was said
to the men of old, ‘You shall not kill; and
whoever kills shall be liable to judgment’”
(Matt. 5:21). All life comes from God
and is sacred. “From the moment of its
conception life must be guarded with the
greatest care, while abortion and infanti-
cide are unspeakable crimes” (Gaudium
et Spes, no. 51, cf. “ed. Abbott”, p. 256.)
Jesus continues to tell us: “But I say to
you that everyone who is angry with his
brother shall be liable to judgment; who-
ever insults his brother shall be liable to
the council, and whoever says, ‘You fool!’
shall be liable to the hell of fire” (Matt.
5:22). The root of hurting others, killing
or fighting is anger. Jesus is both a good
theologian and a good psychologist. In
medicine the mind is as important as the
body. To be healthy, the mind and body
must work harmoniously. For the avoid-
ance of heart attacks and for overall good
psychical health, one’s basic attitude needs
healing. This is a sound theological truth:
that the sinfulness of the deeper attitude
has the potential for manifesting itself in
many acts unless it is revealed, claimed
and brought to the Lord in the confes-
sional. Jesus, therefore, forbids the anger
which broods, refuses to be subdued, and
seeks revenge. To the degree of anger,
extending even to thoughts, there are
corresponding degrees of punishment.
Not only must we pardon those who
have offended us; we must be the first to
seek reconciliation. Jesus says it is impos-
sible to engage in an authentic worship, at
peace with God, until we are at peace with
our neighbour.
In his second example, Jesus points to
the basic attitude that leads to offending
act: namely, deliberately entertained lust-
ful thoughts saying: “You have heard that
it was said, ‘You shall not commit adul-
tery.’ But I say to you that everyone who
looks at a woman lustfully has already
committed adultery with her in his heart”
(Matt. 5:27-28).
It was also said: “Whoever divorces his
wife, let him give her a certificate of di-
vorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who
divorces his wife, except on the ground
of unchastity, makes her an adulteress;
and whoever marries a divorced woman
commits adultery” (Matt. 5:33-35).
By this Jesus is making further demand
of his followers on what they see, hear,
touch and feel. The attitude of mind, the
inside, is very important in keeping any
law. We must have a healthy attitude and
respect toward women who are also made
in God’s image and likeness. Before this
time the interpretation of the law was for
the good of the man. A woman could
be divorced by such trivialities as not
being a good cook or not having a proper
head covering. So Jesus, in declaring the
inviolability of marriage as God’s ultimate
intent for human society, supports the
position of women as well as men in the
marriage contract.
Lastly, Jesus focuses on oaths saying:
“Again you have heard that it was said
to the men of old, ‘You shall not swear
falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what
you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not
swear at all, either by Heaven, for it is the
throne of God, or the Earth, for it is His
footstool, or Jerusalem, for it is the city of
the great King” (Matt. 5:33-35). It is not
enough simply not to swear falsely. We
must also cultivate inner purity expressed
in the direct language of “Yes” when it is
“Yes”, and “No” when it is “No “
“From the Sermon on the Mount on-
wards, Jesus insists on conversion of heart;
reconciliation with one’s brother before
presenting an offering on the altar, love
of enemies and prayer for persecutors,
prayer to the Father in secret, not heaping
up empty phrases, prayerful forgiveness
from the depths of the heart, purity of
heart and seeking the Kingdom before
all else. This final conversion is entirely
directed to the Father” (CCC 2608).
The first reading tells us: “If we choose,
you can keep the commandments, and
to act faithfully is a matter of your own
choice. He has placed before you fire and
water; stretch out your hand for which-
ever you choose. Before each person are
life and death, and whichever one chooses
will be given” (Sir. 15:15-17). Man is free.
The Creator has given him the capacity
to know the truth, and in particular the
truth regarding good and evil. He has giv-
en him freedom: the ability to choose. He
ought to choose what he knows to be the
true good. Yet he can choose against the
truth. He can do evil. Truth and goodness
open to man the way of life. Evil and sin
open the way of death.
The divine law expresses what is truly
good and thus must be the principle of
human conduct. God has revealed this
truth to men. He has written it even in the
hearts of those who do not know Revela-
tion (cf. Rom.2:15).
God is the principle and ultimate source
of all laws, because he is the source of
all good. Law is for the good of man.
Therefore God is the first source of the
law. Today, Jesus has shown us on how to
keep God’s law.
God is especially the source of the law
of Revelation. Whence the confirmation
of the indestructible force of the divine
law in the words of Jesus: “Not an iota,
not a dot, will pass from the law until
all is accomplished” (Matt. 5:18). Hence
the fervent prayer of the Psalmist in our
Psalm today: “Blessed are those whose
way is blameless, who walk in the law of
the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his
decrees! With all their hearts they seek
him” (Psalm 119:1-2).
May God grant us the grace to keep his
laws and ordinances so as to be a holy
people after God’s heart through Christ
our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a happy
Sunday and a fruitful week ahead. Rev. Fr.
Christian Ehimen Usifoh.
