Our Father in heaven

 

 "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.  In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

 

- Matthew 6:7–15 

 

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).   In yesterday's reading, Jesus began speaking of practices which strengthen and express our faith, and how we should conduct ourselves through these practices.  Jesus spoke of three spiritual practices we need for our faith:  almsgiving (charitable deeds), prayer, and fasting.  He taught, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them.  Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.  And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.  For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.   Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. . . . Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance.  For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

 

  "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."  Today's reading appears in the Gospel between Christ's words on prayer and those on fasting found in yesterday's reading, above.  We're given this as a separate reading as it includes what is known as the Lord's Prayer, or the Our Father.  Here Jesus has begun speaking against hypocrisy in faith practices, and in particular, in prayer.  And continues by speaking against vain repetitions.  Hypocrisy blocks a true personal communion with God in prayer, and neither can vain repetitions establish such a communion.  My study Bible comments that God doesn't need our "babble."  To partake of this communion, it notes, both silence and words are necessary.  So, therefore, we pray always (Luke 18:1) and without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  Moreover, my study Bible notes that Christ does not condemn the use of many words per se, but is rather teaching us that words must express a true desire for communion with God.  In the following verses, Jesus teaches us specific words to repeat (the Lord's Prayer).  So, it's not repetition itself that is condemned here, but rather vain repetition.  Many psalms, prayers, and hymns of the Church have been repeated for countless generations in the worship of God "in spirit and truth" (John 4:23).  

 

 "In this manner, therefore, pray:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name."  My study Bible remarks that the Father-Son relationship within the Trinity is a revelation of our potential relationship with God.  Christ is the Son of God, and He grants us the privilege of calling God Our Father by the grace of adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  As a "son of God," each Christian is called to love, trust, and serve God as Christ does the Father.  My study Bible asks us to note that God is not our Father simply because God is our Creator.  God is only Father to those in a saving and personal relationship with God.  This is a communion coming only by the grace of adoption (see John 1:13; Romans 8:14-16).  

 

 "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  The whole of the Sermon on the Mount is meant to be teaching us about the righteousness of the kingdom of heaven.  Here the prayer Christ gives us shows us our loyalty, and the true desire for God's kingdom to become manifest in our world, as part of our lives.  In St. Matthew's 12th chapter, Jesus will comment, "For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother" (see Matthew 12:47-50).  How do we know what God's will is?  At the Last Supper, Jesus told the disciples, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:7-9).  So, we follow the teachings He has given us.

 

"Give us this day our daily bread."  My study Bible comments that "daily" here is a misleading translatio of a very particular Greek word.  This word is ἐπιούσιος/epiousios. It seems to have been coined specifically for the Gospels.  It literally means "above the essence," or "supersubstantial."  So, the expression daily bread isn't meant simply to ask for today's food or bread, for earthly nourishment.  This indicates, as my study Bible puts it, the bread for the eternal day of the Kingdom of God, for the nourishment of our immortal soul.  Of course, this living, supersubstantial bread is Christ Himself.  The Eucharist embodies this concept in sacrament as instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper.  In Christ's prayer, then, we're not just asking for material bread for physical health, but for the spiritual bread of eternal life (see John 6:27-58).  

 

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  My study Bible remarks that this request to be forgiven is plural, and directs us to pray always for the forgiveness of others.  This term debts is a reference to spiritual debts (see Matthew 18:21-35).  

 

"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.  For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen."  My study Bible comments that God tempts no one to sin (James 1:13); temptations come from the evil one, the devil.  It says that temptations are aimed at the soul's giving in to the sinful passions of the flesh, such as lust and anger, which Jesus has spoken of in the Sermon on the Mount as leading to sin (Romans 7:5).  No one lives without encountering temptations, my study Bible notes, but we pray that great temptations, tests beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13), should not come to us.

 

 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."  My study Bible notes that Jesus insists on mutual forgiveness between people as a foundation or precondition of God's forgiveness.  It says that those who do not forgive are not forgiven -- period.  This is a teaching which is repeated in the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35), which concludes with the same teaching.  To not forgive others is to willfully flee from the forgiveness of God for ourselves.   

 

Forgiveness always seems to be a tricky question.  In a commentary by Fr. Stephen De Young on the Sermon on the Mount, he indicated that the teachings in this Sermon are difficult for all of us.  In the final verse in chapter 5, Jesus taught, "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (see this reading and commentary).  Clearly, perfection -- and the perfection of our Father in heaven at that! -- is a tall order.  But we are meant to grow throughout our lives in our faith.  This is a bar we seek to continually be approaching throughout our lives.  It's not one where we press a button and are automatically at the goal of the fullness of faith and union with God.  The constant practice of repentance is understood as a constant movement toward God's light in its fullness.  This is a lifelong learning and growth, with plenty of setbacks and stumbling for all of us to learn from and through which to grow in faith and reliance upon our Lord.  So, when we approach forgiveness as Jesus teaches us, it can be daunting.  It's important to understand that the word for "forgive" in Greek means "let go."  It's similar to a bank letting go of a debt, erasing it off the books.  So, in this sense, we can understand Jesus' commands for forgiveness as an extension of His teachings calling on us to refrain from practicing vengeance earlier in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:38-48).  When we are willing to "let go" of a debt, we can let it go to God.  This seems to have the effect of clearing the decks, so to speak.  If we're not focused on retribution, we're free to ask God and pray for the proper way to move forward within a difficult situation or circumstance.  What if the other person continues in hostile behavior?  What if they never apologize?  What if a situation can't be easily rectified or remedied?  All of these questions can be brought to God in prayer -- without seeking tit for tat or "an eye for an eye."  This is one tremendous advantage of forgiveness; it gives us clearer sight, and hopefully a clearer head as well through which to approach a problem.  It also helps to prevent us from landing in deeper trouble than we otherwise might.  Christ's words and teachings are clear, that whatever it is others might be doing, He wants us not to engage in the same evils, but to "keep our noses clean," so to speak.  This is because we are His, we are His followers, His children, His disciples, and that must not just count for something, but be distinguished by the ways in which we conduct our lives and seek to please God first before any other demands or pressures we might feel.  Again, learning to be Christ's disciples is a lifelong process.  We are meant to grow in our faith.  But in the process, as my study Bible indicates, we become sons of God by adoption, we grow as people, and we find we are capable of so much more strength in following His commands than we expect.  As Jesus has said, "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).  If one keeps up acquaintance with popular science and psychology, we read frequently about the importance of neuroplasticity of the brain.  This describes the capacity of our brains even physically to change, adapt, and repair injury.  It's an important concept in the study of dementia, and other diseases of the brain.  But if our popular and significant science focuses on this plasticity of brain in physical and psychological terms, imagine what is therefore possible for us in soul and spirit with God's help.  What Jesus is teaching us about growth in discipleship is only confirmed through modern science and the understanding of change and adaptability of the brain on physiological terms.  So let us proceed with all the tools available for us through our faith -- through prayer, Scripture, the practices of the Church, worship, and our constant transformation through a sense of lifelong repentance.  That is, a lifelong process of turning toward God, finding God's light for us leading the way to our own transformation as God's children by adoption.  For this is where and how the Light of our Lord leads us and teaches us to process and live our lives.   Let us practice what He teaches us in faith, seeking always the deeper communion with Our Father in heaven.  Lest we be tempted to believe that forgiveness means that we tolerate any and all things, consider that Christ brought into this world a spiritual battle against the one He called "the father of lies" and "a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44).  Jesus' teachings for us are, in effect, the ways to wage spiritual battle, to combat evil at its source.  Let us become the true children of God our Father.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But you, when you pray, go into your room and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly

 

 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them.  Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. 

 

"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.  For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.   Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

 

*  *  * 

 

 "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance.  For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

 

- Matthew 6:1–6, 16–18 

 

 We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).   In our readings for last week, Jesus' teachings focused on what it meant to "exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees."  On Saturday we read that Jesus taught: "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.  You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

 

  "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them.  Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven."  As we begin reading chapter 6, the Sermon on the Mount turns toward teachings about the three most basic aspects of spiritual living.  These are charitable giving, prayer, and fasting.  My study Bible comments that these three disciplines relate directly to God's righteousness.  

 

"Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward."  Here the original meaning of the word "hypocrite" is significant.  In the ancient plays, actors wore masks indicating the particular disposition of the character they were playing.  "Hypocrite" refers to acting behind a mask, outwardly indicating one thing but hiding a true disposition (In Greek, hypo- is beneath or below; kritos derives from a verb meaning expressing an attitude or judgment.)  My study Bible explains that hypocrites are play-actors practicing piety for show, desiring to please other human beings rather than God.  It says that, wearing masks of compassion, inwardly they are heartless.  Their reward is the applause of men (meaning other people) and nothing more.  

 

"But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly."  My study Bible comments that God is not impressed with what others think of us, nor by what we think of ourselves.  God will reward good deeds when they are based on pure motives of the heart. 

 

 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.  For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.   Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."  Here My study Bible notes that the hypocrites miss the spirit of prayer, which is an intimate, personal communion with God that leads the the vision of God's glory (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Hypocrisy effectively blocks out this communion and this vision.  True prayer isn't simply telling God what God already knows and then telling God what to do about it.  Neither is it appearing pious in front of others.  True prayer is humble (go into your room), personal (pray to your Father), and sincere.

 

One thing becomes very clear in today's reading, Jesus makes a great difference between what we do to be seen by others, and what we do in private.  The mask of a hypocrite allows a person to express one thing while hiding an internal reality, perhaps even from themselves.  Just as Jesus taught in the previous chapter that we are to go beyond the words of the Law in identifying causes of sin -- such as the anger or insult that leads to murder, or the lust that leads to adultery --  here He goes to the heart of the hypocrisy that prevents us from truly establishing a depth of relationship with God that we need, and the integrity He teaches us.  First He teaches, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them.  Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven."  Here there is a direct correlation between avoiding public display and receiving a reward from our Father in heaven.  Jesus is asking us to distinguish participation in the kingdom of heaven from participation in a worldly way, discerning between the rewards of God and the rewards of a life lived for worldly gain and approval.  Jesus takes this principle into prayer also.  He says, "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.  For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.   Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."  We notice the repetition of the word "secret" -- to pray He advises to go into an inner room and shut the door, praying to our Father "who is in the secret place" and "who sees in secret."  Here is a hint about the kingdom of heaven, which Jesus elsewhere teaches "does not come with observation" but is within us (see Luke 17:20-21).  This teaching is linked to Christ's teaching regarding swearing oaths, found in Friday's reading, when He taught us to "let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.'"  They have in common an emphasis on personal integrity and purity (Matthew 5:8).  That is, a heart that is the same from the inside to the out, where the outer action is consistent with an internal devotion to God.   The word for "room" here is ταμεῖόν/tameion; it indicates an inner room not seen from outside, a secure room for valuables, a treasure room.  In modern Greek, this word is currently used to mean a cash register.  So Jesus indicates a kind of image of inner treasure in this secret place, with our Father who sees in secret.  As He preaches through the Sermon on the Mount, we find this progressive emphasis on the heart, the truth of the inner life and our devotion to God, connected to a growing purity within the self and ongoing repentance through faith as we're led, and the depth of relationship possible only in this way with our Father who sees in secret.  From anger and lust, to a depth of internal connection with our Father, we seek the purity of heart by which Jesus says we will see God.  Jesus gives us the structure of our souls and psyches, how faith works, and teaches that it is hypocrisy which will deny all of that to us, and will counter the depth of relationship possible with God.  So the question we ask ourselves is what we will seek -- the glory from men or the glory from God?  We may note the consistency of the Gospels on this topic, as St. John tells us sadly, "Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43).  In today's world, due to developments in technology, we are more saturated with imagery than ever.  We can watch endless streams of television shows and films at any time and with the immediate touch of a button; we chat on open screen with thousands, even millions, of people.  Life is more focused than ever before on appearance before others through these means, even pleasing a crowd that may notoriously turn on anyone, where behind a different kind of a mask, insults and threats may proliferate.  These are great temptations for all kinds of sins and errors which Jesus names in the Sermon on the Mount, particularly anger and lust to name just two we've reviewed.  The language of excess is far more aggressive than letting our "Yes" be "Yes" and our "No" be "No."  The pressure to participate in life that seeks approval of image is more subtle, myriad, and perhaps insidious than ever.  But all the more caution to be given -- and wisdom to be cherished -- through Christ's words.  Let us find His way to the inner room, spending time with our Father who is in the secret place, and who sees in secret, and cultivating the inner life of the Kingdom we so deeply need, and avoiding the temptation to lose it.  Clearly Jesus teaches that our Father will work openly in our lives as well.

 

 

 

You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth"

 

 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. 

 

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

 

- Matthew 5:38–48 

 

 We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).   Earlier in this sermon, Jesus taught the disciples, "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."  In recent subsequent readings, Jesus has been teaching exactly what this means.  Yesterday we read that He taught, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is ore profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.  Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'  But I say to you, do not swear at all:  neither  by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'  For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."

 

  "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away."  My study Bible notes that in contrast to the Old Testament (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21), Jesus warns us not to resist violence with more violence.  It says that evil can only be overcome by good, which keeps us free from compromise with the devil and can bring our enemy under the yoke of God's love.  My study Bible includes a story of one of the desert saints.  He once found his hut being looted of its few possessions; he knelt in the corner praying for the bandits.  When they left, this monk realized they had not taken his walking stick.  He pursued them for days until he could give them this stick as well.  When they saw his humility, they returned everything to him and were converted to Jesus Christ. 

 

 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?"  My study Bible explains that if we are freed from hate, sadness, and anger, then we are able to receive the greatest virtue, which is perfect love.  The love of enemies isn't simply an emotion, but it includes decision and action.  As my study Bible puts it, it is to treat our enemies as the closest members of our own family (see 1 John 4:7-21).  

 

"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."  According to my study Bible, this is the summary statement of all that has preceded so far in the Sermon on the Mount.  A Christian can grow in the perfection of the Father (Ephesians 4:13; 2 Peter 1:2-9).  This is shown by imitating God's love and mercy (see also Luke 6:36).  

 

 My study Bible sums up the teachings in today's reading in this way:  "An eye for an eye" -- a graphic way of seeing justice from a human perspective -- becomes "turn the other [cheek]" and "love your enemies."  It frames this as teaching that we must not only forsake vengeance, even when it is just retribution, but we must seek to treat others as God treats us, with mercy and grace.  Given this thought, it's very important to understand that in the Old Testament, "an eye for an eye" was in fact meant to be a limiting corrective for overarching, excess violence and cycles of revenge and retribution.  We read in the Old Testament of Lamech, a descendant of Cain.  He bragged to his wives in a song, "For I have killed a man for wounding me, even a young man for hurting me. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold" (Genesis 4:23-24).  Noah was the son of Lamech, and the flood came to the earth because of the violence and evil which proliferated among humankind (Genesis 6:1-8).  Therefore what we see and receive through Christ's teachings is the reversal of that previous reality and multiplication of sin, an antidote to it all; Jesus prescribes for us holiness as the response to world beset with problems of evil and multiplying sin and violence.  And in this is our salvation; this is what He brings to us.  The Incarnation of Jesus Christ, who is fully God and fully human, brings to us the capacity for holiness in His life lived among us, and our own nature capable of taking on the qualities of the divine, becoming more like God.  For this we have the Incarnation, including Christ's Ascension, in which human flesh becomes a part of heaven, divinized.  Jesus has sent us the Helper, the Holy Spirit, meant to lead us into the fruits that Jesus wants of us (Galatians 5:22-23).  This is our calling from Christ, to become divinized to the extent that we can, through process of faith unfolding in our lives, by rejecting that which we find in ourselves which is incompatible with that calling and internal work of the Holy Spirit in us.  It is in this context Christ teaches, "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you . . ." in yesterday's reading (see above).  This process is called theosis among the Orthodox, and we are meant to grow in it, a lifetime process, the working out of our salvation (Philippians 2:12).  It's not something we invent, or devise for ourselves, it's not simply an intellectual process or belief, but it's the living of faith, using all the tools and structures given to us in Church and Tradition (including Scripture), and it's also a mystical process, depending upon the leading we find within our sacraments, that of Holy Baptism which confers the Holy Spirit, the Eucharist, and all others included.  This is a process whereby we become a part of what Christ called His family when He said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother" (see Matthew 12:48-50).  All these tools and practices in the Church, including prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, are meant to help us to seek God's will for us, to find where it is we are called, to first seek the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 6:33).  For this must be our orientation and our salvation.  Lest we be concerned about the conditions Jesus' teachings seem to impose upon us, it should be understood that among the early Christian martyrs there were many soldiers.  They were not burdened by their faith to stop being soldiers in the Roman Empire, but died as martyrs for their faith by a refusal to participate in worship of the Emperor (as example, see the Forty Martyrs of Sepastia).  Jesus' teachings here are against vengeance, and favor mercy, but they don't preclude justice.  Instead, they teach us about a proactive kind of righteousness.  They teach us about the avoidance of unnecessary harm or aggression.  To turn the other cheek, to go the extra mile, to love an enemy does not mean that we are meant to suffer abuse or be blind to what is just.  But Jesus teaches us instead that we have God to serve first, and love upholds truth and justice as well.  It is not a teaching on submission to evil, but rather one that rejects the cycle of personal vengeance and retribution that produces of itself unnecessary evil.  It is through righteousness that evil is countered; this would include the protection of the innocent and defense against abuse and harm.  Additional evil is what Jesus is preaching against.  Additionally, the teaching in Greek may also closely be translated, "Do not resist the evil one" rather than an "evil person."  Indeed, this is the way the passage was read by St. John Chrysostom.  In some sense, his reading separates sin from sinner.  In that perspective, we are to understand that evil is not defeated through conventional means of retribution, or return of evil, but only through righteous behavior.  Whatever way we understand Christ's teachings, He is telling us that our circumstances don't determine who we need to be, but we need to remember always that our prime job is to be the children of our Father, and loyal to our calling. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you

 

 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is ore profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

 

"Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. 

 

"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'  But I say to you, do not swear at all:  neither  by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'  For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

 

- Matthew 5:27-37 

 

 We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  In yesterday's lectionary reading, Jesus taught the disciples, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.  And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council.  But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.  Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."

 

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."  My study Bible explains that the issue here is not the God-given mutual attraction of men and women, but the selfish promptings of lust.  Lust is related to covetousness.   It explains that sin does not come out of nature, but out of the distortion of nature for self-indulgence.  Moreover, thoughts that enter the mind involuntarily are not sins, but temptations.  They become sins only when they are held and entertained. 

 

"If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell."  My study Bible explains that this imagery is not to be taken literally, but it refers to decisive action to avoid sin and to continue in purity.  Jesus will repeat these admonitions in Matthew 18:8, within the context of a teaching on discipline in the Church, and avoidance of abuse.  My study Bible comments that this action also refers to harmful relationships which must be severed for the salvation of all parties (see Luke 14:26; 1 Corinthians 5:5).  

 

 "Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery."  In contrast to the easy access to divorce under the Mosaic Law, and because of the misuse of divorce in Christ's time, my study Bible says, Jesus repeatedly condemns divorce (see also Matthew 19:8-9) and emphasizes the eternal nature of marriage.  The possibility of divorce on the grounds of sexual immorality shows that marriage can be destroyed by sin.  My study Bible adds that in the Orthodox Church, divorce is recognized as a serious sin; however, the Church allows divorce and a second marriage as a concession to human weakness and as a corrective measure of compassion when a marriage has been broken.  A third marriage is permitted under specific, limited circumstances.  In the early Church, reasons for divorce were expanded to include threat to a spouse's or child's life and desertion, but in all cases acknowledging the spiritual tragedy of such a circumstance.  

 

 "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'  But I say to you, do not swear at all:  neither  by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'  For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."  My study Bible comments on these verses that trust cannot be secured by swearing an oath by things that are not in a human being's possession anyway, but only by simple integrity.  

 

In our reading from Wednesday, Jesus taught, "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."  In yesterday's reading, He began with the statute against murder, and expanded upon His meaning regarding exceeding the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.  He gave instructions regarding anger without a cause, and incitement such as insults to others.  In today's reading, Jesus expands first of all on the statute against adultery in the Mosaic Law, and begins to teach us what it means with regard to this to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.  It's not adequate, in His gospel, simply to outwardly obey commandments in a legal sense.  Jesus goes more deeply into our psyches, into the start of adulterous behavior and thinking.  Notice that He is speaking to men here, as well as when He directs His teachings about divorce and oaths.  In Christ's society, men were the main actors, so to speak, who could initiate and obtain divorce, make decisions for families, take action against an opponent.  In the context of lust, which we understand to mean a kind of selfishness or covetousness, Jesus speaks of cutting off what may seem to us like an integral part of ourselves and who we are, learning to deal with passions and impulses, and not simply outward obedience.  It's in this context that He teaches, "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell."  If we examine this teaching closely, we come to understand that Jesus is speaking of desires and impulses that lead to harmful action, those things that hurt community, social and personal life, even crime.  A "right eye" may gaze at what doesn't belong to oneself, with greed, envy, or an impulse to take what's not yours.  A "right hand" reaches out to grasp something not lawful, or to hit or strike another, to reach for a weapon, to take hold of a person who's someone else's spouse.  Jesus is, of course, not speaking literally of amputation, but giving a figurative example from medicine as it was commonly known at the time, when a diseased eye or hand perhaps needed to be amputated in order to stop disease or infection from spreading to save the life of a patient.  In this way Jesus speaks figuratively of our psyches, our souls and spirits, the inward body of our psychological makeup.  As noted above, He will repeat this same teaching and figurative illustration when He warns His apostles about abuses and scandals endangering the "little ones" in His future Church (see Matthew 18:6-9).  Jesus teaches us to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees through our own potential for change and self-mastery, to give up habits and impulses that seem to be so integral to ourselves that their difficulty to cast off may feel like an amputation of a precious part of our body.  But Christ calls us all to a kind of discernment and decisive strength to cast off what we don't need in order to save our souls.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment"

 

 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.  And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council.  But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.  Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."

 

- Matthew 5:21–26

 

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught the disciples, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

 

  "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.  And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council.  But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire."  My study Bible tells us that this repeated formula in Christ's Sermon on the Mount but I say to you is a statement of total, divine authority (Matthew 7:29).  Christ is the Creator of humankind and also Author of the Law; as the Lord He can speak with this authority.  While there is anger which is not sinful (Psalm 4:4; Mark 3:5), here Jesus is forbidding sinful anger, and He identifies it with murder.  The council is the supreme legal body among the Jews.  Hell is in Greek γέενναν/Gehenna.  In Jewish history, my study Bible explains, Gehenna was the Valley of Hinnom.  It became a place of forbidden religious practices (2 Chronicles 28:3; Jeremiah 32:35).  King Josiah put an end to these practices (2 Kings 23:10).  By Christ's time, the valley had become a garbage dump that smoldered endlessly.  Because of these associations, Gehenna acquired the connotation of eternal punishment in the afterlife.  Hell is the final condition of sinners who resist God's grace.  

 

"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."  Peace with other believers, my study Bible says, is a requirement for worship (Mark 11:25).  The liturgical "kiss of peace" at the beginning of the eucharistic prayer is a sign of reconciliation and forgiveness, a preparation of the faithful to offer the holy gifts at the altar (1 Corinthians 16:20; 1 Peter 5:14).  See also Jesus' formula for mutual correction in the Church, in Matthew 18:15-20.

 

"Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."  My study Bible points out that St. Luke places this teaching in the context of the end of the age (Luke 12:57-59).  Here Jesus teaches it in the context of reconciliation surrounding the Liturgy.  Delay in reconciliation allows for the spread of animosity and other evils (Ephesians 4:26). 

 

Forgiveness and reconciliation are important concepts in the Church, and it's important to note that these are two different words for two different things.  While we are all commanded to forgive, it's not always possible to reconcile.  For example, this is true of an abusive or harmful situation, in which two parties may conflict to the extent that harm is created, or abuse is tolerated.  But forgiveness is the "giving up" of sin in the same sense that a debt can be forgiven, as we'll read in the following chapter of this sermon (Matthew 6:12).  We do this in the context of prayer before our Father in heaven.  As shown in Jesus' teaching on mutual correction (Matthew 18:15-20), reconciliation calls for steps beyond forgiveness.  In today's reading, Jesus seems to teach us the importance of guarding against offenses, and also the reparation for offenses.  We read in the Gospels examples of such reparation and reconciliation, for example, in the story of Zacchaeus the chief tax collector (Luke 19:1-10).  In the story of Zacchaeus, it must be understood that tax collectors were despised within the Jewish society, for they were fellow Jews who worked for the Romans, routinely taking more than was necessary for paying tax and using the power of the Roman state to practice extortion for their own benefit.  In Zacchaeus' case, when Jesus comes to Jericho where he lives, and calls upon him, Zacchaeus states, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  Of this reconciliation, a reconstitution of community, Jesus says, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."  But nonetheless, we can always practice forgiveness, the "giving up" or "letting go" (as the word literally means in the Greek), as Jesus teaches us as part of the Lord's Prayer, or the Our Father.   Here in today's passage, Jesus places the emphasis on the aggressive act of anger which is unjustified, and provokes unnecessarily through insult or injury of some kind.  Raca is an insult implying a person is empty-headed; "you fool" is the translation of an insult implying mental deficiency, undevelopment, lack of intelligence.  In Greek, it is μωρος/moros, from which we derive the English word moron.  In modern Greek, this word is used to literally refer to an infant.   One imagines that such demeaning insults mean something additionally significant within a social or public context.  Christ's comments just prior to the ones in today's reading spoke of the Law and the Prophets, and Himself as fulfillment.  If we think about the Law given by the Lord to Moses, we understand the important community emphasis on those laws; they weren't simply made in order to teach individuals what to do and how to act within an individual context.  The Law was made to create a community of God's people, and the prayers and practices of the Temple were designed to ameliorate the effects of sin in community.  The blood of sacrifice that was to be sprinkled upon the altar was for purification (not payment) -- and this is another prefiguring of Christ and His Blood shed for us.  Therefore we see this particular sin of anger without cause, and the casting of insults upon others within community, as akin to murder.  It destroys relationships and relatedness, and we are to understand righteousness as right-relatedness. In today's reading, Jesus begins to explain to us why and how we are to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.  Christ's gospel is part of the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, but it extends beyond a legalistic scrupulosity of simply following the rules.  Instead, we're to begin to come to terms with the inward passions that drive harmful actions, and of course this will correspond to the action of the Holy Spirit, the Helper, which would come to us as a gift of Christ's fulfillment of His mission (John 16:7-11), and as part of Christian Holy Baptism.  Within the context of community also comes the need for reconciliation and forgiveness.  But this is done within a community meant to be "the people of God."  The remedy for sin is holiness, not payment.  This is where Christ is leading us, and what the Incarnation as salvific remedy for the world is all about.  The fire of hell is the same purifying fire that is the Holy Spirit, and our experience of that depends upon our orientation to where He leads, our acceptance of the repentance to which we're called.  

 

 

 

For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven

 

 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

 

- Matthew 5:17-20 

 

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew chapters 5 - 7.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

 

 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."  My study Bible comments that Jesus fulfills the Law in Himself, in His words, and in His actions by, first of all, performing God's will in all its fullness (Matthew 3:15).  Moreover, He transgresses none of the precepts of the Law (John 8:46; 14:30).  He also declares the perfect fulfillment of the Law, which He is about to deliver to the disciples in this sermon.  Finally, Jesus grants righteousness -- which is the goal of the Law -- to us (Romans 3:31, 8:3-4, 10:4).  He fulfills the Prophets by both being and carrying out what they have foretold.  

 

"For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled."  Assuredly is a translation for the word "amen."  Coming from Hebrew, rendered in the Greek αμην/amin.  My study Bible says that this word means "truly," or "confirmed," or "so be it."  Here it's used by Jesus as a solemn affirmation, which is a form of an oath.  Jesus' use of this word at the beginning of certain proclamations (rather than at the end, as in our prayers) is unique and authoritative:  He is declaring His words affirmed before they are even spoken.  A jot (ιοτα/iota in Greek) is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet (it corresponds to the English "i"); a tittle is the smallest stroke in certain Hebrew letters.  So therefore, the whole of the Law is affirmed as the foundation of Christ's new teaching.  All is fulfilled is a reference to Christ's Passion and Resurrection.  

 

"Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."  My study Bible comments that righteousness according to the Law is a unified whole.  So, therefore, the observance of all the least commandments is to observe the whole Law, while the violation of the least commandment is considered a violation of the whole Law.  

 

In today's reading, Jesus declares that His disciples will not be able to enter heaven unless their righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees.  According to St. Hilary of Poitiers,  Jesus therefore "bypasses what is laid down in the law, not for the sake of abolishing it, but for the sake of fulfilling it."   Jesus emphasizes here that He comes into the world within a fairly strict tradition, within the lineage of the inheritance of the Hebrew Scriptures and Mosaic Law, and in fulfillment of all that is predicted in the prophets.  According to my study Bible, He is alluding to the fulfillment that will only be completed through His Passion and Resurrection.  There are many places in the New Testament where we read of Christ's fulfillment of prophesy, such as when He cleansed the temple.  In St. John's Gospel, we're told that the disciples came to understand this as fulfillment of the psalmist's words, "Zeal for your house has eaten me up" (see John 2:13-17; Psalm 69:9).  He fulfills the Law through His righteousness, as when He was baptized by John the Baptist, and John wanted to refuse Him, because clearly He needed no baptism of repentance.  But Jesus told the Baptist, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."   Whereupon completion of His baptism, the revelation and manifestation of the Holy Trinity occurred (see Matthew 3:14-16).   It's important for us to remember that in the completion of Christ's mission of the Incarnation, His Passion, death, and Resurrection, this sacrifice is what makes possible the setting right of all things in this world.  Through the Incarnation, Christ defeated death for all of us, and enables us to emerge from the effects of a sinful world into a life of hope, of reconciliation with the Lord, and to enter and participate in His life that He offers to us.  It is in all of this that we understand Christ as the fulfillment of all the aims of the Law, and all the foresight of the Prophets who awaited such a One as Christ.  He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).  He became the suffering Servant and Man of sorrows, humiliated and abused for love of us, even becoming the lamb led to the slaughter (Isaiah 53).  In these and so many ways, He is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.  But there is more to the story here, as we are asked, as His disciples, to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.  He calls upon us to be like Him, to fulfill the commands that He gives us, and to find His way for us.  For He has gone before to show us the way, and invite us to participate in His life and mission as we can, and enter into the labors of those who came before, and who will come after (John 4:38).

 

 

 

 

You are the light of the world

 

 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  

 

 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

 

- Matthew 5:11-16 

 

At this relatively early stage in Christ's ministry, St. Matthew reports that His fame has already gathered to Him many multitudes, especially due to His miraculous healings (which include the casting out of demons).  Yesterday we read that, seeing the multitudes, Jesus went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."   This beginning of the Sermon on the Mount gives us Jesus' Beatitudes, and we continue today.

 

  "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."  My study Bible comments that those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  It explains that the Greek for be exceedingly glad means literally to "leap exceedingly with joy."  See also Acts 5:40-41.

 

  "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  My study Bible says that salt and light give us a picture of the role of disciples in society.  Salt has preservative powers, is necessary for life, and gives flavor; from these qualities it had religious and sacrificial significance (Leviticus 2:13; see also Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5).  To eat salt with someone meant to be bound together in loyalty, covenant.  As the salt of the earth, my study Bible says, Christians are preservers of God's covenant and give true flavor to the world.  Also, we know that God is the true and uncreated Light.  In the Old Testament, light is symbolic of God (Isaiah 60:1-3), of the divine Law (Psalm 119:105), and Israel in contrast to all other nations.  In the New Testament, the Son of God is called "light" (John 1:4-9, 8:12; 1 John 1:5).  My study Bible comments that light is necessary both for clear vision and for life itself.  Faith relies upon this divine light, and believers become "sons of light" (John 12:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:5) who shine in a perverse world (Philippians 2:15).  In many Orthodox parishes, the Pascha (Easter) Liturgy begins with a candle being presented and the invitation to "come receive the Light which is never overtaken by night."

 

Salt and light are given as two images of what Christians are to be in their societies, and in the world.  Salt, as my study Bible explains, means covenant.  It means loyalty.  It is a binding agent, a fixative, and hence it had great significance in the ancient world, besides being a necessity for life, and a preservative for food. But Jesus also speaks of salt in terms of flavor.  How we live our faith matters, the nature of our covenant and loyalty, our capacity to adhere to faith is crucial.  It gives a particular enhancement of flavor to the world, and in Jesus' illustration, makes all the difference.  It brings something essential to the table, so to speak, within the societies which Christians inhabit.  He speaks of the faithful as the salt of the earth (meaning our planet, the globe), implying an element that is worth the effort to dig for, to value, and to consider an important part of the composition of our world and the life of the Creation.  (See this article on Halite, natural rock salt.)  At the same time, He speaks of believers as the light of the world.  This word translated as world is κοσμος/kosmos in the Greek, and it means all of Creation, the universe and everything in it.  It comes from a root in Greek that means adornment, decoration, God's beautiful order.  It's related to the concept of a jewel or jewelry, so we can imagine what light is to a jewel in this context.  If God's beautiful order and creation needs light, then faith and faithful believers are that light.  As my study Bible teaches, we know that Christ is the original "uncreated" Light, but Jesus is speaking of light that illumines all of the creation.  In this context, the faithful are a light that illumines what God has made.  So the effects of faithful living by Christ's gospel make the world more clear to us, show us where we are and what the world is truly like, illuminating the facets of a jewel created by God.  Light is indispensable for us to find our way, and in this context, forms an illumination that guides the way for all, no doubt rooted in the spiritual fruits that Jesus says cast glory upon God.  If we take a good look at the fruit of the Spirit as named by St. Paul, we can correlate such virtues with all of the qualities that Christ names in the Beatitudes in yesterday's reading, above (see Galatians 5:22-23 for the fruit of the Spirit).  Such things form the light that shines in the world before all people, that illumines and glorifies God, as we reflect the light given to us in our faith.  In this light, we are able to see the purposes for which we've been blessed with God's creation, hold it in right relationship, and even to bless the world with its illumination, showing what is possible in the light of Christ.  Let us remember our loyalty and our light -- where it comes from and to whom we are dedicated, for "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17).  In the following chapter, as Jesus continues this sermon, He will give us the prayer known as the Lord's Prayer, or the "Our Father."  Here, in today's reading, He is teaching us what it means to be the salt and light of "our Father" in this world, and to reflect God's glory back to Him.  This is what it means to be His faithful disciples, to live the gospel message He gives us in this sermon.  Let us be true to His teaching, and remember how important and essential we as faithful are to the world in His sight.