Friday of the First Week of Lent
“20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 21 You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment, and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council, and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny” Matthew 5:20-26.
It seems to me, and to us all, I believe, that all our lives include inherent rewards and punishments. And I believe that this problem, the core problem in life, lives within each human person. Jesus is inviting us all, deep within the realm of our human consciousness, to be ready to be invited by Jesus Christ beyond mere external observance of our rights and wrongs to our inner attitudes, to our inner motivations, judgements, and opinions. If what lies within each of us is wrong or negative, then we are already in “hell”. And if we can “exceed the holiness of the scribes and Pharisees, we will be in heaven now, alive in the Kingdom of God, now and later.
I think this is what Jesus is saying in the text above. But don’t read into this text a threat or a prize, but rather an invitation to human consciousness and the dignity of our free will. I believe this is what Ezekiel meant when he said: “21 But if the wicked turn away from all their sins that they have committed and keep all my statutes and do what is lawful and right, they shall surely live; they shall not die” Ezekiel 18:21.
Look again at what Jesus said above: “21 You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment, and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council, and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire” Matthew 5:21-22.
Pray that you can be like Jesus.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.
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