Thursday of 10th Week in Ordinary Time, Yr. II: reflection

Theme: Exceeding righteousness

Reading: Mt 5:20–26

In the gospel reading of today, Jesus invites all of us who are Christians and have a better knowledge of him to live a better and distinct lifestyle from those who know him less and those who do not yet know him. Matthew captioned this different exemplary lifestyle expected of Christians as ‘exceeding righteousness’.

Jesus is challenging us to speak, behave and live better than those who do not know him. Thus, it will be against the Christian faith if a Christian justifies his mistakes with the popular slogan of ‘others are doing it’. All Christians should rather measure their actions against the standard set by Christ.

Today’s gospel reading highlighted a few instances where Christians ought to make a difference in the world. There is a law that forbids everyone in the society from killing other people. But Jesus wants Christians to do more than just observing this law; he wants them to go beyond its letter to prevent, heal, or eradicate that which drives people to kill, which is anger. According to Jesus, anger is the same as murder because a person who harbors anger for another has already killed and buried that person in his heart. If the emotional state of anger is not set aside, its physical manifestation, which could lead to physical death, is inevitable.

He also wants his followers to show a particular difference in the process of reconciliation. While some people may sit in their homes waiting for someone who has wronged them to come and apologize, Jesus commands his disciples to always leave whatever they are doing — even if it is a Thanksgiving sacrifice to God — to go and get reconciled with a brother or sister who is angry with them; He wants Christians to always take the first step towards reconciliation.

Dear friends, Jesus wants us to be pacesetters in better ways of doing things as well as transformers of wrong attitudes in the society. We ought to be bearers of light wherever we are.

May God grant you a blessed and fruitful Thursday. St Anthony of Padua, Pray for us.

Fr Isaac Chima