Homily, 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

6th Sunday of the Year A

Readings: Sirach 15:15-20; 1 Corinthians 2:6-10; Matthew 5:17-37

Does this sound a bit familiar. You interview for a new job and decide to take it. You’re looking forward to it, not only for the better pay, but also because you think the work is a good fit for you. For the first few months, everything goes as planned. You’re happy and your boss is happy. But then something happens. Your boss starts asking you to do things that were not part of the deal, things that were not part of the expectations that were laid out in the interview process. At first you go along not wanting to rock the boat, and certainly not wanting to jeopardize your job. But soon frustration and bitterness set in. And maybe even a certain amount of anger. Eventually, you decide to tell your boss what you’ve been thinking for some time . . .. “None of these things you are having me do were in the job description!”

Most of us like to know exactly what is expected when we sign on to work somewhere. Or when we begin taking a particular course in high school or college. Many of us simply don’t want any surprises, we don’t like changing of the rules as we go along.

I wonder if the disciples felt that way as they heard their friend and teacher Jesus elaborate on God’s commandments in the Gospel reading, we just heard from Matthew. What was Jesus up to? Was Jesus really changing the rules? 

It is against the law to kill, but Jesus commands that we also repent of anger and verbal attacks. The law forbids adultery, but Jesus calls his disciples to repent of the sin of lust. Even when Jesus says that the whole law can be summed up with the great commandments of loving God and loving our neighbor, he calls us to deeper commitments and sacrifices. 

Jesus is not giving us a pass on the commandments of Moses, but rather calling us to the virtues that make holiness possible. 

The Law of Moses made the people of Israel different from the nations around them. Jesus extols and honors the law of Moses, but he also draws people into a deeper appreciation of what the commandments mean, and why they exist. In other words, Jesus taught that fulfilling God’s law is not only by obeying the letter of the law, but more importantly, by living the true spirit of the law, which is love. After all, God’s commands are given to us, not to burden us, but to help us learn the way of love, and become members of the family of God. Everything boils down to the heart, for God looks into the heart. Love, indeed, should be the sole motivation and driving force in our life. Jesus extends the meaning of the law to include an interior disposition, and not just exterior actions. 

So often in many areas of our lives we can just get by, maybe through luck or maybe through cleverness and shrewdness. But we are called to do much more than merely not getting into trouble of one kind or another. There is a difference between being faithful to a spouse and simply staying married to the same person. There is a difference between being a good driver and never having an accident. There is a similar difference between upholding laws and fulfilling the law. The state law is there to be upheld. God's Law is given to be fulfilled. 

God’s grace and mercy are not simply aids to help us keep up appearances but calls us to that depth of character and authenticity, which makes us “the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world". It is not good enough to avoid lying; we must be truthful. It is not good enough to avoid being frugal; we must be generous. It is not good enough to avoid injuring others; we must heal others. We should try not to simply ‘get by’ in life. We should strive for more! Jesus cautions us; “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 5/20)