sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time / A
Lectio divina on Mt 5, 17-37
Blessed are those who walk in the law of the Lord
Lectio divina on Mt 5, 17-37
Blessed are those who walk in the law of the Lord
Invoking
O God, you reveal the fullness of justice in the new law based on 'love is' that the Christian people, gathered to offer the perfect sacrifice, is consistent with the demands of the Gospel, and for every man to become a sign of reconciliation and peace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Read
17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets: I came not to abolish them but to give its full completion. 18 Verily I say unto you: until they are past the heavens and the earth, it will not be one iota or one dash of the Law, until all is done. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. Who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 I tell you, in fact, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 21 You have heard it said by them of old "Thou shalt not kill, and whoever kills shall be submitted to the court." 22nd I tell anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to legal proceedings. About says to his brother: "Stupid", will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, "Crazy," will go to hell fire. 23
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave there thy gift before the altar, it should be 'first be reconciled to your brother, and then back to offer your gift. 25 will soon agree with your opponent while you are traveling with him, because the adversary deliver thee to the judge and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown in jail. 26 Verily I say unto you will never get out until you have paid the last penny! 27 You have heard it said: "Thou shalt not commit adultery." 28 But I say to everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, and cast it from thee: in fact you should lose one of your members than that your whole body thrown into Gehenna. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away: in fact you should lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
31 was also said, "Whoever divorces his wife must give the act of repudiation." 32 But I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except in the case union illegitimate adulteress and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 33 you have heard that the ancients were told, "Do not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord." 34 But I say: Do not swear at all, neither by heaven, it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, because it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King 36 no even swear by your head, because you do not have the power to make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say, "yes, yes," "no, no" more than this comes from evil. "
A moment of meditative silence so that the Word can enter into us and enlighten our lives.
useful steps to meditation
Is 57.15, Lk 16.17, Jn 8.5 to 24; At 18.13, 21.28, Gal 3.17 to 24; Mt 3:15; Ps 40 0.6 to 8; Is 42.21; Rm 8.4, 4.4 to 5 Gal, Hebrews 10.3 to 12, Dt 23.21 to 23, Sir 15, 16-21 [gr. 15, 15-20], 23.16 to 22 Mt, Jn 8:44, Ephesians 4.25, Mt 15.19; Col 3.9, 2 Corinthians 1.17 to 20; Col 4.6.
We understand in the context of the Sermon on the Mount speech which surprised the authority. Jesus tells them with force the need for a life of being children of God and brotherhood to all.
Jesus beginning with Moses giving the Law on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24.9), suggests the commandment of Jewish law. This he does by the Master. Its location - sitting - recalls the attitude of Jewish rabbis who interpret the Scriptures to his disciples. Jesus himself had given the authority to remove from their "treasure things new and old."
The message of Jesus in this initiative focuses on happiness in the biblical sense, which places man in right relationship with God and, therefore, the totality of life: happiness tied to the reality of the kingdom of heaven. In the second part is to develop the theme of "justice" the kingdom of heaven (5.17 to 7.12).
The evangelist Matthew describes Jesus' fulfillment of the law for us because he is the last word of the Father (Heb 1:1). Paul tells us that "he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law ... Fulfilling of the law is love "(Rom 13.8 to 10).
Meditation
vv. 17-18: Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets: I came not to abolish them but to give its full completion. Verily I say unto you, until you have passed the heavens and the earth, it will not be one iota or one dash of the Law, until all is done. The items contained in these verses are addressed to some law-abiding, not only in its literal sense, but still in the spiritual sense, and feared that Jesus had the intention to overthrow the institutions established by God among them.
In these words Jesus makes a statement: his coming is to fulfill "the Law and the Prophets", a word common to refer to the Scriptures. The "Law and the Prophets", as measured by other passages in the Gospel (cf. 7:12; 11,13), express the thought of Jesus, God's will revealed in the Ancient Covenant. Jesus says, just like the rabbi, that no man can change the law so desired by God and protected by God not pass a single iota of the Law. The iota is the greek alphabet that stands for the Hebrew letter yod, the smallest of the Hebrew characters.
Jesus came not to abolish the Law but to carry it out. What is completed can not cease to be, but comes to be, precisely, in the conduct. The law made is not inconsistent with the law, but it is the full flowering. Jesus and his obedience and practice through the passion, death and resurrection has fulfilled the law.
vv. 19-20: Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. Who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. In fact, I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
The verse is full of verbs that lead to the teachings of Jesus do the will of the Father (Mt 3.13 to 4.11). It is interesting to note that Matthew uses the verb to do, perform, only to Jesus, only he fulfills the Law, only himself with the characteristic fullness. Herein lie its authoritative call, which for us becomes a "sending" a task to accomplish in full the Law: "I tell you ..." (v. 18:20).
Referring to what has been said, we have here the scribes and Pharisees who did not comply with the law, because they set aside their traditions, and put into practice only externally. Scribes and Pharisees, two classes of individuals who, from two different points of view, regarded Jesus as a subversive of the law and the prophets.
The yeast of the scribes, the Pharisees, Sadducees and also was attractive because the perfection of the performance of the proposed law, and then the approval of God and why Jesus said that their righteousness, that is the core inspiration of their precepts, was false and did not lead to heaven but to hell (Mt 23.13 s).
So they pretended to be in vain righteous, and Jesus declares that those who wish to enter the kingdom of heaven must be holier than them, without a justice higher than that of the Pharisees, we can not be part of his Church, neither in this world nor in the world to come.
The "justice" in question here is not what we are charged for the faith, but rather a just and holy life that is the consequence of the first. So if we want our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, agrees that it has its place in our hearts, and made manifest in our lives.
vv. 21-22: You have heard that the ancients were told, "Do not kill, and whoever kills shall be submitted to the court. " But I say to every one who is angry with his brother will be subject to legal proceedings. And whoever says to his brother: "Stupid", will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, "Crazy," will go to hell fire.
Here Jesus begins to address the issue of sibling relationships, to expose the true meaning of the commandment. The Lord does not forbid in a way absolutely angry. Anger, when directed against sin is permitted. "Be ye angry, but sin not," says St. Paul (Ephesians 4:26). Jesus looks at the hypocritical Pharisees "with anger" (Mark 3:5). He speaks here full of anger of hatred against his brother. In completely new perspective of the Sermon on the Mount, any lack of love for the next involves the same guilty of murder. In fact, the anger, the anger, contempt of the other is rooted in a heart devoid of love.
In this case, anger is sinful, it is disobedience to the sixth commandment is the murder that takes place in the heart, although not yet come to blows. "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer" (1 Jn 3:15).
Human life is sacred because it was created by God and has as its main aim is to return to God Only God is the Lord of life from its beginning to its end; anyone, under any circumstance, claim for himself the right to destroy directly an innocent human being (Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 2258). For Jesus not only killing shattered the law, but also with all those actions that seek to destroy or "defeat" the other.
Jesus shows here that God's law is "judge the thoughts and intents of the heart ', which is not only intended to punish violent acts, but even though the wicked arrangements from which they proceed. He leads the pact at its source, the spirit that produced it, and fight sin in its source, hypocritically spared by the Pharisees.
vv. 23-26: So if thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, it should 'first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come to offer your gift. Will soon agree with your opponent while you are traveling with him, because the adversary deliver thee to the judge and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown in jail. Verily I say unto you will never get out until you have paid the last penny!
These four verses contain a practical application of the teachings of Jesus on the sixth commandment. Although our first duty is to make our worship of God, Jesus, to demonstrate the importance and necessity of reconciliation, says that the offender, even though he was about to make his worship of God should withdraw until he had confessed his wrong to his opponent, and had not been reconciled with him. It is not just a question of asking forgiveness is an urgent need to reconstruct the fraternal relations for the sake of my brother is good. Jesus says, 'Go before "... First of all, before praying, before donating, before the other take the first step, there is the movement of my heart, my body to the other. That go to the other aims the reconstruction of the tear, a movement that tends to reconciliation.
mutual forgiveness and reconciliation are a condition for participating in the worship of them is not possible without the relationship with God
vv. 27-28: You've heard it said: "Thou shalt not commit adultery." But I say to everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
The sixth commandment (Exodus 20:14) also refers to the ninth: "Do not commit adultery." The desire of women on this verse does not refer to a simple thought but about a sinful. This is not only to married women but also unmarried. Gaze which Jesus speaks is not produced by a fleeting thought, immediately suppressed by a holy vigilance, but it is a direct gaze from the will of man in order to stir up in himself and in others impure passions. Examples of these 'looks' sinful severely condemned by the Bible there (cf. 2 Sam 11:2; Dan 13:20).
Against the 613 precepts of the Law numbered by the rabbis Jesus, taking the Old Testament, points out that the commandment is but one embraces every act and every moment of life: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself. " It is from this commandment that "depends on the whole Law and the Prophets "(Mt 22, 37-40).
vv. 29-30: If your right eye causes you to sin, and cast it from thee: in fact you should lose one of your members than that your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away: in fact you should lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. 'Cava your eye cuts your hand, "Jesus uses a particularly strong language to underscore the seriousness of the threat posed by the look sinful. He applies his teaching to each. These are strong images, which are also related to the sixth and ninth commandments, that Jesus probably did not use, but were clear in relation to circumcision. You must locate and remove from the heart any thought or feeling states that, although tied to our nature, prevents us from achieving the full dignity of God's will for our body. So what is to draw, to be cut is not a part of the body, but the lust which feeds and grows through the eye and hand.
The metaphor is probably taken from the surgical experience, and in any case is suitable as an illustration of the subject, since it is known to everyone, when the body's health is compromised by a member, do not hesitate to cut to avoid death. It is better to refuse the satisfaction of a lust bad in this life, saith the Lord, who indulge in the power of sin, which leads to destruction.
vv. 31-32: It was also said: "Whoever divorces his wife must give the act of repudiation." But I say unto you, whoever divorces his wife, except in the case of illegitimate union, the adulteress and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
ancient times, the divorce was normal for various reasons, the Lord forever excludes any form of divorce. This is adultery for both sources, if you said, and also for their new spouses. The prescription is clear and admits of no exceptions. Describes only the case of concubinage in the text greek (pornéia) indicates prostitution, is as idolatry, as is the practice of selling one's body. While the corresponding term in Hebrew is zenût (lewdness, fornication), a derogatory term by which the rabbis called the marriages invalid, such as contracts between relatives, forbidden by the Mosaic law (cf. Lev 18), but allowed the right-greek Roman.
Matthew writes for a Jewish environment and elsewhere do not find the same problem (cf. Mk 10:1-12, Lk 1 Cor 16.18 and 7.10 to 11). The law indissolubility, then, according to Matthew, should not extend to unmarried 'name from God. "
vv. 33-35: You've also heard that it was said to the ancients: "Do not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord." But I say: Do not swear at all, neither by heaven, for it is God's throne, nor by the earth, because it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King is
Here again the 8th commandment (Exodus 20:7), Jesus refers to various passages of the Pentateuch in which you give the rules for the regulation of the oath (cf. Lev 19.12; 30.2 Nm). The practice of swearing, common to all people, was to call God as a guarantee of truth. But since the circumstances of life gave many opportunities to use the oath, it was easy to abuse or carelessness or failure. Now Jesus with the words "swear not at all", requires that every oath is included at all (cf. Sir 23:9). Oath is an act that requires consistency with life, but then among honest people, who have unity of life, there is no need to swear, just the word. Teaching of Jesus echoes the warning of the apostle James: Above all, my brethren, do not swear either by heaven, nor by the earth and do not make any other oath. But your 'yes' be yes and your 'no' no, in order to avoid condemnation. (James 5:12).
vv. 36-37: Do not swear by your head, because you do not have the power to make one hair white or black. Let what you say, "yes, yes," "no, no" more than this comes from evil. " The oath, roughly speaking, a promise is accompanied by an invocation of the deity called as a witness to what they say. The Jews swore by heaven (as recommended by Philo) for the Holy City and other realities related to Jesus, God forbids any oath so that man can not have either of God (vv. 34-35), nor of himself (v. 36). You can not bind Because God does not belong to us and even ourselves because we belong to Him
This reflects a very common oath among the Jews: the oath in his own head, as if to say, "for my life!", "For 'my soul. " That is: That I might die if this is not true! Our Lord forbids to swear so, and gives the reason: "because you do not have the power to make one your white or black hair."
The word "power" in the text has the sense of greek "revolutionize the hair color, not edit them with paint or chemical preparations.
The sense of the verse is obviously the one that comes from finding that having no power over our lives represented by the "head" (head), that God alone can shorten or lengthen, we are guilty for that oath, swearing by the Creator as our own.
This discourse of Jesus is not pure humanism and everything is treated from the standpoint of God's truth one man is in line with the "yes" and "no" who speaks with the roots of his feelings and his thoughts.
The Gospel in the mind of the Church Fathers
"I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter
the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 5.20), if not avoided, ie not only those minimum precepts of the law begin to form man, but even these added by me, that I did not come to abolish the law but to perfect it, will never enter the kingdom of heaven. But you tell me: "If before, talking about those minimum precepts, said that the kingdom of heaven shall be called least everyone who has transgressed one of them and taught others to do so, and will be called great anyone who has observed and will be taught to do so - then it will already be in heaven because it is great-what need to add more than the minimum precepts of the law, if those who observe them and teaches them can already enter the kingdom of heaven, for it is great " ? That ruling, "Who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 5, 19). Must be interpreted in the sense that now I will. Your righteousness exceeds that, he says, that of the scribes and Pharisees, because if there will be no more enter the kingdom of heaven. So those who transgress these commandments and teaches so minimal, it will be called the least: those who observe these precepts small and thus teach, it is not believed to be already large and suitable to the kingdom of heaven, yet not so small as one who violates them. Because he is big and fit to the kingdom, must do as Christ taught and now teaches, what is required that his justice is greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees. The righteousness of the Pharisees is not to kill, the justice of those who enter the kingdom of God is not angry for no reason. Do not kill so it is the least and those who transgress will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. Who then will look great and will not be immediately suitable for the kingdom of heaven, but will rise to some degree already. Instead it will be perfect if you do not be angry without reason, and observe whether this will be far from killing. So who teaches us not to be angry does not transgress the law that commands us not to kill, but rather perfects it, to guard the innocence outside, is not killing, and the heart giving scope to anger. (St. Augustine, bishop, Speech 1.9. 21).
Note again at this point, as Jesus validates the old law, making a comparison between this and the new: he shows that are of the same lineage, which have the same origin, they more or less, are of the same gender. He therefore rejects the old law, but wants to develop it. If the old law had been poor, Christ would not have bothered to implement it nor to improve, but I would totally rejected. You might wonder why the old law, though good in itself, does not lead to more men "Kingdom". I answer that, obviously, it does not save as men who live after the advent of Jesus Christ, because they are now, having received a grace far greater than before, must therefore support the toughest battles. But all those who lived before Christ and were faithful followers of the old law, you are saved. Jesus himself says in the Gospel: Many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 8:11). And we see that the rest of Lazarus, while enjoying the great joys of heaven, resting in the bosom of Abraham (cf. Lk 16). In short, all those who shone in the Old Law of vivid light, shone in his life for having translated his precepts. If this law had been bad, or had an author other than God, Christ at his coming, would not have made. If he had consented to do it only to attract Jews and not to show the same origin and refinement between the old and the new law, then why not have also tried to improve the laws and customs of the Gentiles, to attract the same How? So it is quite clear that if the old law has ceased to save men, not because it was evil, but because the time has come where the precepts must be higher. If the former is less perfect for the new, that does not mean that it is evil: if so, his sentence would fall equally in the second. And, in fact, if we compare the knowledge that we now have the new law with the knowledge we have in the Hereafter, the present one is partial and imperfect, and certainly disappear when sopravverrà the sky. When it came to that which is perfect - says Paul - what is imperfect will be abolished (1 Cor 13:10): This happened to the old law, he entered the new one. For the same reason, we should not despise the new law, the fact is, that it must stop when we are in heaven and "that which is imperfect will be abolished." We say that it is great and sublime, in fact, rewards promised by this law are far greater than those promised by the ancient and in it the grace of the Holy Spirit is far more abundant. God, therefore, rightly demands that we more fruits and gifts. He now promises no more a land flowing with milk and honey, or a long old age, or a large number of children ol'abbondanza of bread and wine, and large flocks of sheep and oxen, but it promises same sky and heavenly things, the dignity of being sons of the Father, brothers of the only begotten Son, his heirs, partakers of His glory and kingdom, and a host of other rewards. Paul makes us understand clearly that we have received aid much larger, when he says: There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and live, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, because the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8 0.1 to 2) (John Chrysostom, Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew )
Evagrius said: "It is something alien to the monks angry, and sad people," and again: "If anyone has won the` anger , he won the demons, but if he is defeated by this passion, totally alien to the monastic life, with what follows. What shall we then say to ourselves, that we do not stop even to anger and all `anger, but sometimes we go up to the grudge? What's more, if we do not cry this miserable and inhuman conditions? Watch therefore, brothers, and we help ourselves, under God, 'to be freed from bitterness of this ruinous passion. Sometimes one makes a "Metania" to his brother because of the two, obviously, there `has been upset or friction, but also after the" Metania "remains saddened and thoughts against him. No, he should not be considered of little importance, but must cut away as soon as possible. It is resentment, and c `is a need for much supervision, as I said, penance and struggle not to dwell at length on these thoughts and is in no danger. In fact, doing the "Metania" to fulfill this precept, it is, yes, remedied all `anger at the time, but has not yet fought the resentment, and so he is left with resentment against his brother, why else is the grudge, the other` s wrath, anger and other disturbance in the other. I tell you an example, because you understand better. Who starts a fire at first has only a piece of charcoal, which is the word of the brother who has grieved here is just a piece of charcoal: that is never the word of your brother? If the bear, turn off the coal. If, however, continue to think, "said` Why me? I can easily answer! If he had not wanted to grieve, there `s going to say. You'll see! So am I. I can afflict them, "here, you've made a bit of pieces of wood or similar material, as one who lights the fire, and you did smoke, which is the disturbance. The trouble is this upheaval and a clash of thoughts, which awakens the heart and makes aggressive. Aggressiveness is the Impulse to repay their debt to those who have grieved, that becomes even daring, as he said the `" abbas "Mark:" The malice entertained thoughts aggressive makes the heart while away with prayer and hope the makes contrite. " If it had borne the little word in your brother, you could turn off, as I said, even that small charcoal, before the birth of the disturbance. But even this, if you want, you can turn it off easily, as it begins, with silence, prayer, with a "Metania" done with all my heart, and if you continue to smoke irritates and excites the strength of your heart to think, "Why would you have said? I can easily answer, "for the battle itself, so to speak, and the collision of thoughts the heart wears out and becomes hot, and then raging anger. Anger is a bubbling of the blood that surrounds the heart, as St. Basil. Here was born the anger is what we call quick temper. But if you want you can turn it too ', before it becomes anger, but if you continue to disturb and upset, you come to find someone who has put more wood on the fire and the fire flares up more and more, and so then comes the fire, which it `s wrath. This is what `s said" abbas " Zosima, when asked what it means to the sentence that says: "Where there` s anger quiets the battle. At the beginning of the disturbance, when it begins, as we have said, to bring some spark and blow smoke, if just one criticizes himself and makes a "Metania" before they go on and become angry if they remain in peace. But after that came the anger, if not it is quiet, but still troubled and irritated, it is find, as we said, giving as a wood fire, and continues to burn until it produces large fire. How, then, the embers of charcoal coals and get put away and will last for years without damage and rot, even if there jumps above water, so `s wrath, if it lasts over time, becomes ill and then, if no blood is spilled, you can not depart from it. Here, I told you the difference, good care, 'cos you've heard that it is the first disturbance, so that `s the anger, the` anger, resentment. See how one word you will come to an evil so great? For by now he had turned the blame on themselves, if he had not wanted to justify himself, and in exchange for a single word mention two or five to return evil for evil, he could escape all these evils. For this, I always say, when the passions are young, cut away before it `s need to strengthen, at your expense and then suffer. One thing it is tearing at a small plant and a `other uproot a large tree. (Doroteo Gaza Instruct . 8, 89-91)
Some questions for personal reflection and comparison
How do I live the precepts of God's law as a law of freedom or as an obligation that makes me slave?
As Christians we have the mission of giving practical expression to that which animates us from within. What is the assurance that we are giving our trust in God?
In life I'm always open to Jesus' request for a greater justice? I am aware that they are not yet in full justice? I compared the act of God?
My Justice is committed to imitate something of God's justice, his generosity, his creativity? How do I live in society
the commandment not to kill? In my gift to the altar, I give more importance to God or to his brother? My talk is sincere and full of deceit, hypocrisy?
And the commandment which refers to marital relations? And the sincerity in relationships and actions?
Let's pray before the word leaves illuminated by it. The Psalm invites us to obey the law of the Lord with all the personal commitment. The new practice of justice to enter the kingdom of heaven can not only come from a commitment to individualism, but from a family dialogue and consistent with the Word of God (from Psalm 119 (118)
Blessed is he who is healthy in its way
and walk in the law of the Lord.
Blessed is he who keeps his teachings
and seek him with all my heart.
You
promulgated
because your precepts to be observed in full.
are stable in my ways
keep your commandments.
Be kind to your servant and I live,
will keep your word.
Open my eyes because I
consider the wonders of your law.
Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees
and will keep it until the end.
Give me understanding, that I watch over your law
and look with all my heart.
contemplative act
The fundamental choice of all our existence is in our freedom or God in Christ, or away from him, deprived of true freedom and love. "If your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 5:20).
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