Word to the Wise
Thursday, June 12, 2014 - Thursday in the 10th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Kgs 18:41-46 and Matt 5:20-26]I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter 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......
Jesus begins to indicate his standards for discipleship! He begins with saying that those who were supposed to be models for living God's law are sadly lacking in their ways. One can fast forward to Matthew 23 for a more complete indictment! Their observance was completely external and self-serving. The real standard goes much deeper and demands sincerity of a profound sort.
It is not enough to avoid killing, one must go to the root of violence inside oneself. Furthermore, when one is alienated by violent feelings against another, reconciliation is a necessity! This will be made very clear in the prayer that Jesus will give to us later on in the Sermon [6:9-15] and in the parable of the Unforgiving Servant later in the gospel [19:21-35]. The anger within must be confronted before it breaks out into violent acts. That anger can be sinful when it is motivated by a desire for what another has or fear of competition for something. [The writings of Rene Girard are worth our attention in this regard!]
Discipleship means confronting the violence that can dwell in us and being reconciled when we are alienated from another because of these feelings. Already the Sermon on the Mount can make us squirm in our seats! AMEN