Matthew 5: 20-26 Reflection

Gospel Mt 5:20-26

Jesus said to his disciples:
"I tell you,
unless your righteousness surpasses that
of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven."

"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment,
and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,
and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,
and the judge will hand you over to the guard,
and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you,
you will not be released until you have paid the last penny."

The tone of our gospel reading today captures one of the most basic themes of Lent: reconciliation. It calls us not only to be reconciled with our enemies, but moreso, with our own (lost) selves and with God. Certainly, there are many junctures in our life that we encounter “ruptures” that need reconciliatory actions. They vary depending on our level of spirituality, personal knowledge, wisdom and faith, and the intensity of the situation. But in reality, really, there are times when we are caught up in difficult moments in choosing our available options to get reconciled.

Looking at the life of Jesus, we will be amazed how his life became our way to be reconciled with the Father. Though we were sinners, God, in Jesus Christ, favoured to become like us, except sin, to initiate reconciliation. Even how much infidelity, greed, and pride we make, God never lost the courage to find and search us. He has found himself always wanting for us even amidst our unworthiness. Everyday He comes to us with open arms, nailed on the cross for our sake.

Today, in this season of Lent, may we be reminded once again what reconciliation breeds – it brings us back to the HEART of God. Let us imitate Jesus by becoming beacons of reconciliation in our own families and communities. It must be difficult but God never said it’s impossible.