Sixth Sunday of the Year: A: February 12, 2023

 THE FULFILLMENT OF THE COMMANDMENTS

First Reading: Sirach 15: 15-20

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 2: 6-10

Gospel Reading: Matthew 5: 17-37

   *First reading is from the book of Sirach. The Lord God is always good to us humans. He has given us the freedom to choose between good and evil. But the Lord God wants that we should always use our freedom with a sense of responsibility.

   *Second reading is from the first letter of St. Paul to Corinthians. Paul tells the Christian community at Corinth that salvation through the cross of Christ is God's marvelous plan for the world. He gives us a future vision too: What no eye has seen, nor ear has heard, all that God has prepared for those who love Him. 

The letter of the Law and the spirit of the Law                                                             Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. Jesus reinterprets the ten commandments given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. The new Moses - Jesus- reinterprets and gives us a new vision and a new understanding of those commandments. 1. Jesus confirms the law in its condemnation of killing. Jesus then goes deeper in condemning the motivation that leads to such a crime - that is anger. He instructs us that reconciliation is far more important than offering sacrifices. The duty of making peace with the offended person is more urgent than the duty of giving worship to God. 2. Jesus confirms the law that adultery is a sin. But He goes much deeper by teaching us that a person looking lustfully at another person has already sinned in his/her heart. A person's sinful intentions and dubious attitudes are equally sinful as the sin itself. 3. Jesus gives us a clear teaching on divorce too. The law of Moses permitted a husband to divorce his legally wedded wife.  But Jesus clearly states that divorce on any such grounds is unacceptable in the eyes of God, except on the ground of unchastity. Expectations of Jesus from His followers are certainly very demanding and challenging. On our own, we have to humbly accept that, we cannot measure up to His standards. But be sure, that with the grace of God, we can certainly measure up to the standards set by Jesus.