Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."

- Matthew 6:19-24

 We are reading through the Sermon on the Mount, which began with the Beatitudes, the blessings of the Kingdom.   In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught about prayer:  "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."

 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."   My study bible says that by attaching oneself to treasures on earth, we cut ourselves off from heavenly treasures.  We may become slaves to earthly things rather than free in Christ.  Jesus zeroes in on a focus here:  what is it that is our treasure?  The heart of discipleship, my study bible says, lies in disentangling ourselves from the chains of earthly things, and attaching ourselves to God, the true treasure.

"The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"   Here again, the emphasis is on focus.  The mind (nous in Greek) is the spiritual eye of the soul, my study bible says.  It illuminates the inner person and governs the will.  To keep the mind wholesome and pure, it says, is fundamental to the Christian life.  Jesus seems to be saying that, as with our treasure above, whatever it is we focus on becomes the guiding principle for what we become.

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  When we try to serve two masters, we attempt to maintain an attachment to both earthly and heavenly things.  We must recognize our need to make a choice.  Both demand full allegiance.  Mammon is an Aramaic term denoting riches; it is about what we put our trust in as the measure of things.   This is once again about our focus.  Wealth is not evil by nature, but because of the control it has over people, my study bible tells us. 

 Jesus seems to be telling us that we have to make a choice; that human beings by nature are worshipful beings.  Furthermore, our choice in life is between two masters.  We will be in a relationship of servitude to one or the other.  In the context of the ancient world, perhaps this was easier to see.  Hierarchies were more clearly a part of every day life than we may think about today; rulers were kings and emperors.  Our hierarchies and ranks are a little more subtle, but nevertheless remain.  If one is employed in one place, then loyalties become important.  The same is true of loyalty to a country, or a mission to which one has signed on.  We still form alliances and allegiance.  The distinction here between God and mammon is important to understand.  If material things -- our bodies, the beauties of the world, the creatures in the world -- are created by God, then matter itself is not bad or evil.  To use the word mammon is to give us a sense of the material as isolated from God and God's purposes and meanings.  This is material as something we worship, a form of idolatry.  Christ is asking us what we put first, and He's telling us that what we put first -- what we treasure -- is going to determine who we are.  It will be the very heart of us.  It will claim identity in us.  The whole of this created world, including the intelligence with which we're blessed to make of our world what we will, is all a gift from God.  Material life, our bodies, the things that constitute matter -- all of these things are intrinsically good.  But they are good within the purposes God wants and teaches for them.   In the Gospels, the Greek word for "the world" is kosmos.  One of its root meanings is "adornment."   That teaches us something about a relationship to the material world.  A purely materialist outlook becomes slavery merely to the material, and ignores the true and full nature of the inner life.  Jesus puts it very clearly:  where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also.   Do we treasure the heavenly treasures, like the things that add up within this Kingdom in which we participate:  charity, prayer, love, nurturing, the good things of God, a true love of beauty, and sharing the love God teaches us in all forms of charity?  Do we follow the self-mastery God teaches us in making good decisions about our impulses?  A purely material focus is one that degenerates into selfishness as motivation, that only knows demands, and in which we slavishly follow those demands.  We lack the mediation that a deeper relationship with God confers, a life in Christ will teach us, a richer spiritual understanding can give us for the true "enrichment" of our lives.  Here is the very center of our choice:  the heart.  In the ancient world, and in Scriptural writing, the heart is the center of a person.  It is the place where the soul and spirit and all that we are meet.  It is where our intelligence and character reside.  This is an awfully important thing to hand over to trust in a false god, and in idolatry.  It is essentially precious, the very thing that makes up who we are.  We entrust our identity to the best, the fullest, the absolute of goodness, truth, and beauty -- because we want to be children of that Father.  Where and in Whom do you entrust yourself?  In what do you trust to give your full loyalty?  This is a serious and important question and it all depends on our perspective, the one we choose.  Jesus puts it in stark terms, and gives us the spiritual truth of our understanding.  We can choose that light, or the darkness of ignorance about it.  He's given us the tools and the way to participate in the Light; let us be a part of it for all that it will share with us and make of us.

If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses

 "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, which began with chapter 5 of Matthew's Gospel (The Beatitudes).  Yesterday we read that Jesus 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."  Yesterday's reading then skipped over the verses specifically on prayer that we are given in today's reading.  Jesus continued preaching about spiritual practices:  "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 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.  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."  Jesus gives us the prayer of all Christians, often called The Lord's Prayer, or the Our Father.   We note the very first given in this prayer:  the phrase "Our Father."  My study bible says that the Father-Son relationship within the Trinity reveals our own potential relationship with God.  Christ, who is the (eternally begotten) Son of God, grants us the privilege of calling God Our Father by the grace of adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).   As a "son of God" (where sonship, applying to both male and female believers, confers inheritance), each Christian is called to love, trust, and serve God as Christ does the Father.  My study bible adds that it's important to note that God isn't our Father just because God created us.   Father confers a sense of relationship in that we are in a saving and personal communion with God, one that only comes by the grace of adoption (see John 1:14; Romans 8:14-16).   Let us take note that immediately coupled with the address to Our Father, the prayer emphasizes the theme of the Sermon on the Mount, the kingdom of heaven and its manifestation in us and among us "on earth as it is in heaven."

"Give us this day our daily bread."  Daily, my study bible tells us, is a mistranslation of the Greek word epiousios, which literally means "above the essence," or "supersubstantial."  The expression daily bread, we should understand, doesn't simply indicate bread for the present day, nor is it simply about earthly nourishment.  Rather, this phrase is about the bread for the eternal day of the Kingdom of God, the nourishment of our immortal soul.  The living, supersubstantial bread is Christ Himself.  We're not simply asking for material bread for physical health, but rather the spiritual bread of eternal life (John 6:27-58).  Again, we must note the seamlessness of the context of Jesus' preaching and message of the Gospel:  the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  We note here that this request for forgiveness is plural.  My study bible says that we are directed, in other words, always to pray for the forgiveness of others.  Debts refers to spiritual debts, as does "trespasses" further on. 

"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." God tempts no one to sin (James 1:13); my study bible tells us that temptations are from the evil one, or the devil.  It notes that temptations are aimed at the soul's giving in to the sinful or selfish passions of the flesh (Romans 7:5).  None of us lives without encountering temptations, but we pray that great temptations, or 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."  Jesus emphasizes mutual forgiveness between people as a precondition of God's forgiveness.  It's irreducible:  if we don't forgive, we're not forgiven.  Jesus repeats this teaching in the parable of the unforgiving servant (18:21-35), concluding with the same teaching.

What is forgiveness?  Jesus teaches us proper disposition throughout the Sermon on the Mount, giving us the blessings of the Kingdom in the Beatitudes, teaching us to be salt and light, giving us what it is to truly fulfill the Law and the Prophets (in this reading; and this one on murder, on adultery, divorce, and swearing; and on justice), teaching us about spiritual practices of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting (see yesterday's reading, above).  All of this is within the Gospel message of what it means that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (4:17). In today's reading, we're given the central gem of the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord's Prayer or the Our Father.  In it, we're not only taught to pray, but the prayer also gives us basic general guidelines for what it is to live in and be a part of that Kingdom, even as we live in this world and practice our faith.  We are first of all under one Father, who is also Christ's eternal Father.  We become children of this Father not by birth or creation, but by the grace of adoption.  We pray for the manifestation of the fullness of God's kingdom -- and this is clearly linked to the will of Father being done "on earth as it is in heaven."  This is extending and claiming the world as the realm of God the Father and all that this means for us.  We ask for the daily bread that succors and gives us the true life of this Kingdom, the life in abundance promised by Christ (John 10:10).  We ask that our spiritual debts be forgiven, as we also pray for others to be forgiven and seek to practice that forgiveness ourselves, understanding the link between these things.  We pray that we may not be tempted, but also that we are delivered from the one who enslaves and causes pain (the root of the word for evil in Greek means "pain").  And our prayer is underscored with Jesus' clear pronouncement about forgiveness, which is linked to His earlier teaching in the Sermon to "love your enemies" (Wednesday's reading).  True righteousness is the practice of love.  (Let us recall that a rebuke can also be a form of love.)  So in that context we are given a strong warning, a certain maxim, that the failure to practice forgiveness will mean the failure to receive it or realize it.  Forgiveness, if we take it in the context of "debts," means to give up something.  A debt is something we owe to others, or they owe to us.  To give it up is not to demand payment.  We choose not to go after the pound of flesh, and find God's way for living through a difficult situation instead.  To forgive trespasses is similar; someone has gone where they shouldn't have gone, crossed an appropriate boundary of behavior.   But to give up that charge is to give it to God, not to trespass in return, but to seek God's way instead for moving forward and for righteousness in our lives.  This doesn't mean we leave justice behind (we may take the example of Zacchaeus as one who restores what he has taken from others), but it does mean we move forward into concepts about justice we may not have considered before.  It means we go forward into our faith, and forward into deeper dependence upon God, and life in the Kingdom.   While forgiveness may not necessarily mean full reconciliation, it does mean that we seek His way for our lives, we seek to walk in the ways of the Kingdom, and we give up thoughts of personal vengeance; justice and righteousness still apply.  Repentance is still a part of this life (Jesus gives a formula for discipline in the Church later on in Matthew 18:15-20, after which Peter asks how often he must forgive a brother who sins against him in verses 21-35.)   The fullness of the kingdom is an active, growing, inter- and intra-relational love, one that must flow through us and within us, with God as mediator.  It is a method for life in the Kingdom, one in which we live and move and have our being in this love that is the true fullness of the Kingdom, and permeates every moment if we but turn to it.  We may find that in the fullness of this citizenship, we come to understand a wisdom that isn't possible otherwise, learning discernment, prudence, and forms of love we may have thought were not available to us nor possible for us.  Let us continue to learn, His way, and pray for help for our growth in His Kingdom.  We always have prayer to turn to for help to do so.

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

 "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 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, which begins with the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5.  Yesterday 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.  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."  In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins speaking about three basic aspects of active spiritual life:  charitable giving, prayer, and fasting.  These three disciplines, my study bible says relate directly to God's righteousness.  The original meaning of the Greek word hypocrite is actor:  from hypo means "under," and kritos which means "mask."  (In the ancient theater, actors wore masks for their characters.)   My study bible says that here, hypocrites are play-actors, practicing piety for show -- desiring to please other people rather than God.   They wear masks of compassion, but inwardly are heartless.  Their reward is the applause of men and no more; since what they seek is merely the glory of men, they have their reward.  But God is not impressed by what others think about us; neither is God impressed by what we think about ourselves.  My study bible says that God will reward good deeds when they are based on pure motives of the heart.  Once again, the fullness of this Sermon has been an emphasis on the inner condition that His type of faith brings as righteousness, and here that emphasis continues even in discussion of outward practices of faith.

"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."  The hypocrites, my study bible says, miss the spirit of prayer, which is an intimate and personal communion with God which leads to the vision of His glory (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Hypocrisy will block out this communication and this vision.  Again, those who pray merely to be seen by men already have their reward.  Christ's emphasis in prayer is on true communion of the heart, something hidden (secret) from others.

"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 is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."  To keep a sad countenance is to show off one's fasting as a kind of external display.  To fast is to abstain from something in order to put God (and one's relationship with God) first.  My study bible says that for such a person, the compassion of God outshines physical discomfort, that fasting is for spiritual growth and the glory of God, not to be seen by those around us.  We should keep in mind that fasting does not simply indicate abstinence from food.  Fasting is about self-denial in all areas of life in order to be more detached and less driven by passions and impulses; that is, not to be merely controlled by such.   St. John Chrysostom writes, "What good is it if we abstain from eating birds and fish, but bite and devour our brothers?"

What are spiritual disciplines?  What are they for?  Who could argue with the practice of charity or almsgiving, prayer, or fasting?  But Christ invites us to think more deeply about what these things are for.  As spiritual discipline, the practice of charity is all about connecting the love of God with love of neighbor.  The two must go together.  So often people seem to separate these things, as if it is truly possible to love God but practice selfishness.  There is no righteousness without a true inward and outward component of how our faith works, how communion with God must work in us and in our lives.  Jesus makes it clear here just how we fail to make a life where both are operating:  by focusing on the reward we get "from men," that is from an audience, like an actor.  Do we do our works of charity for the rewards we receive from the world in recognition?  The same is true of other practices, like prayer and fasting.  Prayer is meant to strengthen and build the true communion of faith.  As we grow in what we know and understand of God, so our own understanding of ourselves must be shaped and grow.  We begin to call into question the things that make us smaller, so to speak, that limit us from being what God calls us to be, the things that diminish the image in which we're created.  Perhaps even more powerfully, we called toward something greater.  Prayer should take us into depths that expand us toward God, that help us cultivate wisdom, patience, meanings, and the varied expressions of love including care and responsibility.  To fast is to learn a type of self-mastery that says that we have some choice in what we do and how we act according to our own impulses.  Seeing what we think others have that we don't, we may feel, "I want that."  But turning to God gives us pause and interruption.  What's good for us? What's dignified?  What teaches us integrity?  As human beings, we are capable of such selfless and wise behavior, and fasting -- which is also possible in varied and many forms -- helps us to grow in that practice and understanding and to develop our lives accordingly.  Each of the disciplines, as taught by Christ, can work in a give and take with our inner lives, where a purity of the heart becomes not only a great benefit but facilitates who we are as human beings within the communion we have in the life of Christ.  To make our appearance to others, our "glory before men" the goal of almsgiving, prayer, or fasting is to remain those who already have their reward, and the emptiness that goes with it, where we truly miss the mark of spiritual life.  Jesus offers us real "life," the life in abundance that grows because we live in this communion that He emphasizes, wherein the state of the heart becomes the core of spiritual integrity.  How will you grow through the practices He offers us?

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, beginning with chapter 5 of Matthew's Gospel.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus 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 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.  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."  Jesus quotes from Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, Deuteronomy 19:21.  But in contrast to these demands for equal retribution as justice, Jesus warns not to resist violence with more violence.  My study bible says that evil can only be overcome by good, which keeps us free from compromises with the devil and can bring our enemy under the yoke of God's love.  Here Jesus calls for an assertive, proactive, and consistent turning to the good, to expressions of God's love. 

"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?"   To be free from hate, sadness, and anger, my study bible says, means that we will be able to receive the greatest virtue:  perfect love.  The love of enemies, it tells us, isn't merely an emotion, but also includes decision and action.

"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."  This is the summary statement of all that has preceded it in the Sermon on the Mount.  We may grow in the perfection of the Father (see Ephesians 4:13), which is shown by imitating God's love and mercy (Luke 6:36).

What does it mean to be perfect?  Or rather, what does it mean that Jesus teaches us that "you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect"?  I think it's important that we first note the future tense of "you shall."  This is a statement about growth in the likeness of the One in whose image we are created.  Jesus teaches us about love, the essence of what God is and what characterizes God.  (See 1 John 4:7-21 for an exposition on the love of God, and how that love is also to characterize our relationships among those who love God).  Our discipleship, therefore, is a kind of striving toward something, a full likeness of our Creator, one in which we grow in the kind of love that we learn from God.  St. Paul will speak of the gifts of the Spirit (Who is also God), which are manifold, in 1 Corinthians 12.  What is important to note is that each complements the others, making up community through those who are growing in God-likeness, and each is for the community.  More importantly, St. Paul speaks to us of the fruits of the Spirit, which emphasize character, the inner life of a person, which Jesus has so far emphasized in our recent readings from the Sermon on the Mount:  love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 22:23). "Against such there is no law," He adds, making a kind of connection with Jesus' themes here about the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.  Each of these qualities are manifestations of the love of God, for in God, Who is love, will be those things that make for good, true, and perfect life.  True righteousness comes from participation in this love and sharing it with others.  When Jesus teaches us that we "shall be perfect," even as our heavenly Father is perfect, He teaches us what manner of children we shall be, what it is to grow in the pattern of the One whom we call Our Father.  This is the faith He offers us, the life He offers us, the discipleship He offers us.  There is a great emphasis in these recent passages on the internal fulfillment of obedience to the external rule.  It's easy to read today's passage and think that it somehow bypasses justice, or perhaps tells Jesus' listeners that they are simply to be victims of the violent.  But this doesn't coordinate well with His other teachings, nor with the depth of love.  Sending them out on their first apostolic mission, He will tell His disciples to be "as shrewd as serpents and simple as doves" (10:16).  He makes us aware that God's justice will account for every word (12:36).  He does not shrink from telling the truth to His detractors, who clearly do not seek the perfection of God the Father ("You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do" - see John 8:44).   He rebukes those whom He loves (Hebrews 12:6, Proverbs 3:11-12), in several instances to His disciples.   But Jesus is clearly giving us direction and even dimension to our lives when He teaches us to be like our Father, and to grow in that likeness, even unto perfection as the command and goal.  He clearly teaches us to rely on God's love, and to refrain from vengeance (which also belongs to God; see Romans 12:9).  In that love is to be found all that is good and just and righteous, the true and the beautiful, what human beings need for good lives filled with the abundance of life He promises.  He gives us the way, by allowing us to participate in His life and His Resurrection, and the Cross as well.  And lest we forget, this is a Sermon all about life in the kingdom of heaven, even as we live in this world, and it began with the blessings of that Kingdom.  How do you find the answers in His love -- and the goal of God's perfection -- for your life and struggles today?

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 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.

"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, which begins with Matthew chapter 5.  Yesterday we read that Jesus taught:  "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, leaven 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."  In yesterday's reading, Jesus quoted and then elaborated on the statute against murder.  In today's He quotes the statute against adultery (Exodus 20:14, Deuteronomy 5:18).  My study bible says that the issue here is not the God-given mutual attraction of men and women, but rather a selfish prompting of lust.  It says that sin doesn't come out of nature, but rather out of the distortion of nature for self-indulgence.  When we have thoughts that enter our mind involuntarily, that is a temptation, not a sin.  But something becomes a sin only when such thoughts are held and entertained.  The key idea here is selfishness.  To lust after something or someone is to desire possession.

"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 says that the imagery here isn't to be taken literally, but rather refers to decisive action to avoid sin and to continue in purity.  Jesus will use similar imagery in 18:8.  If we think about the eye in the context of what Jesus is saying, this is about how we look at things.  Do we desire selfish possession?  To get something (or someone) in order to use it in some way?  The hand reaches out to grasp and grab; again Jesus' reference is to a form of theft, prompted by an indulgence in desire.  We begin within ourselves, not with the simple letter of the Law, in order to prevent loss of the soul, and life in Christ.  Jesus suggests a voluntary sacrifice of what can feel like a true part of ourselves, in order to truly save ourselves.  My study bible calls it "decisive action to avoid sin."

"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."   Jesus' words are in contrast to the easy access to divorce under Mosaic Law, and He also references the misuse of divorce in His time.  He repeatedly condemns divorce (see also 19:8-9, in which Jesus speaks of the "hardness of your hearts"), emphasizing the eternal and holy nature of marriage.  Here the possibility of divorce on the grounds of sexual immorality tells us that, like other things, marriage can be destroyed by sin.  The early Church would extend some grounds for divorce.  Jesus' emphasis is on relationship and relatedness; not on possession.

"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 says that trust cannot be secured by swearing and oath by this that are not in a person's possession anyway.  Only simple integrity creates trust.  Once again, there is an emphasis here on the internal, not the external.  A type of purity of heart is referenced here, in which our external actions reflect an internal condition.

What is personal integrity?  What does it mean to each person?  In Christianity, we follow the teaching of the Old Testament, that we are each created in God's image.  What does that mean exactly?  Jesus as eternally-begotten Son of God, Incarnate as human being, gives us an image of God via His human life.  (See John 14:8-9, in which Jesus says, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father").  As such, we who are created in the image of God have an integrity to cultivate that reflects our capabilities to become more "like God," with qualities we learn from Christ.  Jesus speaks against pure selfishness as motivation in life, and so the cultivation of who we truly are is not about a selfish demand for acquisition and possession.  To feel an attraction for someone is "natural" in the sense of what is given by God.  To take this into a form of desire for possession or use, and to cultivate that within ourselves, is not.  Jesus speaks against divorce in terms of the "hardness of hearts" He mentions in 19:8, not as a consequence of abuse in a marriage, but rather as a consequence of simple displeasure with one treated as a sort of property.  (We should remember that only men could initiate divorce.)  Jesus emphasizes the process of the internal shaping the external, and the need to understand ourselves and change what needs changing to more truly reflect this image in which we were created.  "Hardness of heart" surely indicates a failure of growth, of wisdom, of righteousness.  The powerful injunction to swear no oaths reflects this emphasis on real integrity and what that means.  It isn't a question of simply reflecting one's desires, but rather a question of fidelity to the image in which we're created.  If our "yes" means "yes," and "no" means "no," then we are not false to others.  We reflect a type of fidelity to our own meanings and values; we testify truly to ourselves and our character.  Jesus' emphasis is on the cultivation of such character.  The drastic images of self-mutilation teach us that we must cut off self-centered impulses that lead us away from the true image of the self as creation of God.  We're headed in the wrong direction with a kind of selfish goal or drive.  Rather than living a righteous or right-related life, this will lead us to abuse, to the breaking of relationship.  Being true to a bond of relationship also falls into the category of speaking truly without need of swearing by an external.  The emphasis here is on the heart, the center of the self -- and the clear teaching is the malleability of that heart, our capacity for growth and change and repentance, to more truly reflect the image in which we're created.  How do you turn to Christ for help with that?  Does integrity of this sort count in your life?  Does it make a difference in your world and community?

But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall 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, leaven 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 reading through the Sermon on the Mount, beginning in Matthew chapter 5.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught:  "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 says that this formula (but I say to you) which Jesus will repeat in the Sermon is a statement of total, divine authority (7:29).  As the Creator of man and the Author of the Law, Christ can speak with this authority.  While there is anger which is not sinful (see Psalm 4:4, Mark 3:5), the type of anger Jesus forbids here is sinful anger, which He identifies with murder.   The council is the supreme legal body of the Jews.  Hell (in Greek, Gehenna/γέενναν; see 10:28) is the final condition of sinners who resist God's grace, my study bible tells us.

"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leaven 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 is a requirement for worship (Mark 11:25).  In liturgical practice, the fellowship or "kiss of peace" at the beginning of the eucharistic prayer is given as a sign of reconciliation and forgiveness, which prepares the faithful to offer the holy gifts at the altar (1 Corinthians 16:20; 1 Peter 5:14).

"Agree with your adverary 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."  Luke puts this teaching in the context of the end of the age (Luke 12:57-59).  But here it is in the context of reconciliation that surrounds the Liturgy.  Both represent the proper attitude before Christ, who is the Judge.  Delay in reconciliation, my study bible says, allows for the spread of animosity and other evils (Ephesians 4:26-27).

Let us take note of the Judge who speaks in today's reading.  But I say to you, my study bible tells us, is a formula which indicates total, divine authority.  Jesus also evokes the authority of the Council, the Sanhedrin, when He indicates a kind of insult that is given (Raca, from Aramaic, the spoken language of Jesus' time, indicates empty-headedness).  "You fool!" is from the Greek μωρός, from which we derive the English word "moron."  (In modern Greek, this word is used for "baby," perhaps connected linguistically by indicating  a lack of full development of the brain.)  At any rate, the word is used as a diminishment of a person, rendering them not fully equal or capable or of a stature that would call for recognition.  Jesus' words seem to indicate that as we decide that another is of lesser significance or importance, and need not be taken as deserving of respect due to persons our equals, then we begin to endanger our own standing in the eyes of the Judge who is above all.  His words call for reconciliation, a proactive way of practicing not simply repentance, but making amends for "debts" or "trespasses" (see Matthew 6:8-15).  This sort of reconciliation is linked to the terms diminishing others, because it is a way of recognizing equality before the Judge.  To be reconciled before the time for reckoning and judgment is strong counsel here by Christ, the sternest possible warning.  How we treat one another becomes not merely an outward "show" but a matter of the heart, and true personal repentance, an inner work.  To shut another person down, to slander them and thereby render them socially without stature or respect -- to render them unable to give their own testimony, so to speak -- is akin to murder in Jesus' estimation, and so it is.   Jesus calls on us to be aware of our own ways of thinking, and to do something about it.  He is not satisfied with an outward following of the rules, the letter of the law, but calls us to true repentance and personal change.  Later He will teach that it is those things that come out of the mouth that defile a person, and that they come from the heart (see Matthew 15:17-20).  Have you spoken of a person in ways that diminish their stature as a human being?  What is it that denies a person their own integrity?  Let us understand that Jesus isn't denying justice, the idea that there is a verdict of true or false, innocent or guilty, right or wrong in a trial.  But what He is addressing is the relationships we have with one another, true righteousness which supersedes other aspects of disagreement and lays the foundation for good judgment.  How do we live that righteous life to which He calls us?  

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill

 "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 have been reading chapter 5 of Matthew's Gospel, which begins the Sermon on the Mount.  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."  Jesus fulfills the Law in Himself and in His words, and in His actions.  My study bible explains that this happens through His performing God's will in all its fullness (3:15); by transgressing none of the precepts of the Law (John 8:46, 14:30); in declaring the perfect fulfillment of the Law, which He is about to deliver in this Sermon; and by granting righteousness -- the goal of the Law -- to us (Romans 3:31, 8:3-4, 10:4).  Christ fulfills the Prophets by both being and carrying out what they 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."  In the original Greek, assuredly is "amen/αμην."  It means "truly," or "confirmed," or "so be it."  It is used by Jesus as a solemn affirmation, a type of an oath.  His use of this word at the beginning of certain proclamations (as opposed to at the end) is both unique and authoritative.  He declares that His words are affirmed even before they are spoken.  A jot (iota/ιωτα in the Greek) is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet.  A tittle is the smallest stroke in certain Hebrew letters.  So Jesus is affirming the whole of the Law as the foundation of His teaching.  My study bible adds that all is fulfilled refers to the Passion and Resurrection of Christ.

"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 tells us that righteousness according to the Law is a unified whole.  The observance of all the least commandments is to observe the whole Law -- and the violation of the least commandment is considered a violation of the whole Law.

"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."  Righteousness that leads to salvation must exceed that of the Pharisees because of their emphasis on outward or works-based righteousness.  Here Jesus returns to His theme:  the kingdom of heaven and what it is like.  The righteousness of salvation, my study bible says, is the communion of the heart, soul, mind, and body in Jesus Christ.

So what is the kingdom of heaven like?  How do we enter it? What does it have to do with the Law and the Prophets?  Jesus speaks of Himself as One who has not come to build, or extend, or to reform, but rather to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.  Fulfillment is related to concepts of the "end," in the sense that the fullness of something is its absolute, its totality, its ultimate end point or full flowering.  In this case, the Law and the Prophets are entirely related to the concepts of the living kingdom of heaven that Jesus brings and preaches.  All of the blessings given in the Beatitudes, the introduction to the Sermon on the Mount, are about the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, the fullness of not just a way of life but also the presence of a spiritual reality, a kingdom in which we dwell and which dwells also in us.  It is the fulfillment of the promise of all that has come before in Jewish spiritual history.  What we ought to bear in mind is that Christ, as Truth, brings a kingdom with Him, spiritual in nature, one in which we "live and move and have our being," which St. Paul says in Acts 17 (verse 28).  In fact, we would do well to read the full passage of St. Paul's preaching to the Athenians (vv. 16-34).  In order to understand that while salvation is of the Jews, and Jewish spiritual history gives us preparation for the Messiah, the Christ, we may also take the message from Paul's preaching that as Truth, He is also the fulfillment of the good and true and beautiful that has come before in the Hellenistic world.  The ancients saw Christianity in this way when they chose to build churches where temples to pagan gods stood, as fulfillment.  It seems to me that we must continue to understand Christ this way, as fulfillment, as the Alpha and Omega.  What we know in our lives as true can only be further extended, developed, and fulfilled in Christ, made more fully manifest, opening our eyes to new things we had not anticipated but are nevertheless also true and good and beautiful.  The kingdom of heaven is a living reality, both within us and among us, as the Greek implies in Luke 17:20-21.  Its reality, and its flowering, are contained in those blessings that Jesus teaches in the Beatitudes, things that not only make our lives full of true substance and beauty and goodness, but also continue to build fruit in the world and in us as we live and bloom and produce fruit in His grace.  To do so is to live a life of true repentance, a change that fulfills and manifests through our growth in what He brings to us as persons who seek His righteousness.  How do you dwell in that Kingdom?  How does it live in you?  How is His fulfillment always and continually at work in your life and your world?

You are the salt of the earth

 "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

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."

"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."  Those who suffer persecution for the sake of their faith in Christ walk the same road as did the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  In Greek, the word translated as be exceedingly glad means to "leap exceedingly with joy."  (See 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."  Jesus gives two metaphors for the disciples and their role in society:  salt and light.  Because of its preservative powers, its necessity for life, and its ability to give flavor, salt had both religious and sacrificial significance (Leviticus 2:13; see also Numbers 18:19, 2 Chronicles 13:5).  Furthermore, to eat salt with someone meant to be bound together in loyalty.  My study bible says that as the salt of the earth, Christians are preservers of God's covenant and give true flavor to the world.  We may wonder how salt may lose its flavor, but we must consider that in ancient times, salt was found with the presence of other minerals.  Humidity could indeed leech the particular mineral that constitutes salt (and gives "saltiness") out of the compound.

"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."  God is the true and uncreated Light, says my study bible.  In the Old Testament light is symbolic of God (Isaiah 60:1-3), the divine Law (Psalm 119:105), and Israel in contrast to all other nations.   Psalm 36:9 declares, "In Your light, we see light."  In the New Testament, the Son of God is called "light" (John 1:4-9; 8:12; 1 John 1:5).  Light is something we need for clear vision and also for life itself.  Faith relies on the divine light, and believers become "sons of light" (John 12:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:5) who shine in a perverse world, my study bible says (Philippians 2:15).

When we think about Jesus' images of salt and light -- images of covenant, of wisdom, of God's love and truth -- we should think about the earlier part of this Sermon, the Beatitudes (see above, yesterday's reading).  That is because the qualities of the Kingdom are embodied in its blessings, which are conferred upon us in ways that are timeless and are unable to be taken away by others without our consent.  To be capable of manifesting and becoming people who carry those qualities of blessedness is to be peacemakers, to be pure in heart, to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to be merciful, meek (or gentle), to desire righteousness to the point of a willingness to be persecuted for it, and to be poor in spirit (true humility).  All of these qualities are not only the blessings of the Kingdom for those who choose and willingly become participants in it through faith, but they are blessings for the whole of the world, for communities, for families, for neighbors.  To embody these qualities is to "have salt" -- the capacity for covenant and loyalty, the ability to stick to something with one's word and faith, to be entrusted with something.  It is to shine a light, to show a better way, to live as one with such qualities even in a darkened world.  It is to bring something of true goodness to those who may not experience it otherwise.  A willingness to sacrifice even well-being for the sake of God's love and its presence in the world in terms of how one relates to neighbor and all of creation is to bring both salt and light into the world and into the lives of others.  Where all are willing to fight to the death for the sake of power or selfishness, one person who sacrifices personally for a true inward peace, or for the righteousness of helping one who is weaker, shines as a light and flavorful salt for something good that must be preserved.  To hold to a covenant is to preserve within oneself the bonds of love God calls us to hold within our hearts, to be loyal, and true to the things that make all the difference in a world that is either going to be a wilderness or truly "civilized."   This applies to every modern circumstance one can think of, whether it is what passes for political discourse or within a family in which love is sorely lacking.  It really doesn't matter what situation one describes; it also applies to online behavior out here in the world of the internet and social media.  We are responsible for something, we have loyalty to it; we hold and preserve its salt, we shine its light.  Where do you go with that?

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

 And seeing the multitudes, He 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."

- Matthew 5:1-10

Yesterday we read that Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. 

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: . . .  In the Old Testament, my study bible says, there were only a select few who were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  But here, in the Sermon on the Mount, God Incarnate is speaking to the multitudes face to face.  The mountain, a note explains, is a place where divine action enters human history, the place where God reveals Himself to man (17:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 3:1, 19:2; 1 Kings 18:20).  To be seated is the traditional Jewish position for teaching with authority.  There were some early Christian preachers (for example, St. John Chrysostom) who sat while the people stood.  Matthew mentioning that Jesus opened his mouth is an emphasis that this teaching is "one way."  Jesus has come to speak with authority (7:29), and the disciples aren't there for discussion, nor are they there for debate; they are to listen.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  To be blessed in this context is to experience a heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  Let us note here that so far in our readings both John the Baptist and Jesus have preached in ministry that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand."   In today's reading, the Beatitudes give us a taste of that Kingdom and its particular blessedness.  In Hebrew, my study bible tells us, "poor" means both (1) the materially poor and (2) the faithful among God's people.  The poor in spirit are those who have the heart of the poor; that is, the same attitude as the poor, and are totally dependent upon God.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  Those who mourn are those who sorrow over the sufferings of this life (9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 11:35), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  All such people are comforted by the power of God both in this world and in the age to come, my study bible tells us.  Holy sorrow is part of the ongoing process of repentance (3:2, 4:17), conversion, and virtuous action; it is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  It is to be distinguished from ungodly sorrow, which is a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  Meekness here does not mean weakness.  It is an attitude of being content with both honor and dishonor, says my study bible.  It is an imitation of Christ, who said, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart" (11:29).  To be meek in this condition here is to be God-controlled, having mastery over passions, especially anger.  Meekness isn't passive weakness; it is rather strength (particularly God's strength) which is directed and under control, and tempered with charity and mercy.  The earth that the meek will inherit isn't power nor is it possession in the world, but rather the new earth, which is everlasting (Revelation 21:1).

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are those who see the presence of God and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  They have a desperate craving for what is right before God, which is comparable to a starving person's craving for food (see 6:33).  This is the righteousness given by God; that is, the relatedness that the love of God teaches and confers.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  Mercy, according to my study bible, is love set in motion, expressed in action.  God's mercy in taking our sufferings on Himself in order to grant us His Kingdom sets us free from captivity to the evil one.  In view of God's mercy to all, we in turn are to be merciful to all.  This is a promise given by Christ; it is also repeated in other forms as a warning (Matthew 6:14-15; James 2:13).

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  To be "pure" is to be unmixed with anything else.  It is the opposite of "duplicitous."  The pure in heart are those completely devoted to the worship and service of God, and who accept no compromise.  My study bible says that with the aid of the Holy Spirit, those who achieve purity practice all virtue, have no conscious evil in themselves, and live in temperance.  This level of spirituality, it tells us, is attained by few, but all may strive for it.  A note reads, "When the soul's only desire is God, and a person's will holds to this desire, then that person will indeed see God everywhere." 

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."  As Christ is the source of peace, He found no price sufficient for peace other than the shedding of His own blood.  In doing so, He reveals Himself to be our Reconciler, the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6; Ephesians 2:14-16).  This peace is given by the Holy Spirit to those who imitate Christ.  Therefore, peacemakers are those who share God's peace with those around them, by imitating Christ's sacrificial love and participating in His work.  By God's grace, peacemakers become sons of God themselves. 

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Children of God, my study bible says, uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and give themselves to no other (6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Like Jesus, they will be persecuted for righteousness' sake (see John 15:18-20).  Christ's kingdom is the crown that awaits the righteous.

Jesus has been preaching the gospel of the Kingdom; and in yesterday's text we were told that already great multitudes follow Him from all regions of Israel:  Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.  In the Beatitudes, Jesus teaches us about the Kingdom, and its particular forms of blessedness, what it is to live in this living Kingdom that is within us and among us.  It's important to remember that there aren't any limits on this participation in the Kingdom of heaven.  Rather, we grow in it; the Beatitudes teach us our proper direction, what it is we struggle for, how we go forward in our faith, and they teach us the blessedness and blessings of this Kingdom.  It is a life of virtue, and one of growth in that virtue, by the grace and help given to us to do so.  Let us note that "mourning" also includes repentance, the things we leave behind as we move forward into this Kingdom.  Our road also includes sacrifices that are built into it, a way of leaving "worldly" ways behind, just as He did, and as He taught us also to take up our own crosses in following Him (Matthew 16:24-26).  To live in this Kingdom is to adapt to a way of life, a struggle, a growth, which is full of inner power which creates tangible results, although this growth happens without our understanding -- we merely experience its fruits.  In chapter 13, Jesus will give us a series of parables describing what this Kingdom is like, so important is this message to His ministry.  It is worth examining each one of them, as well as others included in other Gospels.  They all illustrate the nature of this Kingdom in which we are invited and may fully grow in participation.  But as one may guess from this passage in today's reading, the kingdom of heaven is all about experience, the struggle to live His way and to participate in the grace and presence of that Kingdom which He has brought to us.  To experience this Kingdom is to live it; it is to love God with all one's heart and soul and mind and strength, and to do so is to find these blessings and live them in this world, thus in effect loving neighbor as oneself.  It is a lifelong task, one in which we grow and learn, and have our times for stumbling and repentance, for discarding the old and welcoming the challenge of the new.  But in all things, and through each day, He is always with us.

Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan

 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. 

- Matthew 4:18-25

Yesterday we read that when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.  And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,/By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,/Galilee of the Gentiles:  The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,/And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death/Light has dawned."  From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.  These first disciples have already heard the preaching of John the Baptist, and so they are prepared to accept Christ immediately.  Although they are illiterate and they are unlearned in religion, these "people of the land" called by Jesus will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all.

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.  My study bible calls our attention to the fact that the crowds do not swarm Jesus when He commands repentance (see yesterday's reading, above, verse 17).  It is only when He begins to heal and work miracles that great multitudes followed Him.  This shows that people don't really understand the true nature of His Kingdom.  It also shows that Christ has given concession, according to commentary by Theophylact, "to give credibility to what He teaches" among the fickle multitudes. 

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  This is the message with which Jesus began His ministry (yesterday's reading), and it's also the message that John the Baptist was preaching.  As noted in yesterday's commentary, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" will also be the instructed message to preach when Jesus sends out the disciples on their first apostolic mission (10:7).  As my study bible notes, the crucial question here isn't necessarily that the Kingdom is at hand, but rather just what that Kingdom is or what it is like.  For those who expect an immediate material manifestation of heavenly life, it's not to be.  The healing of diseases and the torments of people are signs of the presence of that Kingdom, that it is present with Jesus.  The miracles that Jesus will produce are also signs of the presence of the Kingdom.  But these things do not constitute the full reality of that Kingdom.  That Kingdom is dependent on our own capacity to be temples of God, to carry it within us (Luke 17:20-21).  As discussed in yesterday's commentary, to repent means to change one's mind, to turn around -- and this is still required for the acceptance of the presence of the Kingdom of God and our participation in it.  We find different ways of relating to one another in that Kingdom, we find ways of learning love, of participating in and sharing the love of God with others.  It is a full reorientation of our spiritual life, and it feeds the soul; it gives meaning to life and it will repair things within us that are damaged by the ills of the world, all the forms of selfishness we may encounter and suffer from.  All of this requires a great change of mind, a way of looking at things which doesn't simply judge by immediate tangible results we can measure.  But the healing and relief from affliction that accompanies Jesus is powerful, and draws people to this Kingdom.  He gives an orientation to disease that isn't about punishment but rather about what it is to be really healthy, to live within the reality of the presence of God in our lives.  By the time He sends out the disciples on their first mission (and so they become apostles), however, we can read that He will teach them that they are sent "out as sheep in the midst of wolves," and that they must therefore "be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (10:16).  The reaction of the world to this Kingdom is a hostile one, also a sign of the need for repentance in order to truly accept it.  How do we approach the love of God?  What characterizes, for you, the presence of this Kingdom that is within you?  Have you had experience with healing?  In Twelve Step programs, there is the need for recognition of and dependence upon a Higher Power to help heal.  For some, this is controversial and it is rejected.  But if we study the Twelve Steps, we see a program that is geared for repentance, for change of mind.  One can apply these steps to any problem in life, regardless of whether or not it involves nominally addictive behavior.  The first step is an admission of powerlessness over certain problems or situations.  Nowhere is this more true than over conditions of childhood that may have done harm, or abusive relationships of any type.  To admit that we are not in full control over every aspect of our lives (or other people's choices) is to admit that we have a need for guidance and for love to teach us how to negotiate our lives and find the necessary values for life.  Jesus' teachings begin and end with the fullness of such teachings:  we are taught that we need an ongoing openness to change of mind, and that the presence of the Kingdom of God is what is truly necessary -- the real good news.   It is within that presence that we find the transcendence we need, the healing we need, the love of the One who knows all hearts, and the wise advice we need for our lives.  To live "as wise as serpents and harmless and doves" is good guidance; to understand and seek His wisdom is prudent and wise.  It is our true Shepherd we need; let us be grateful for the gift of His Kingdom, even in the midst of an imperfect world.  These men in today's reading whom Jesus first calls are not the most wise and learned, but they are those who can accept the Kingdom and respond to His call immediately.  To become fishers of men, they will go through their own forms of repentance and change; the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost will again create transformation.  It is the basic love of God that begins our response to the call, that cushions our orientation to the Kingdom in the knowledge of God's love for us.

Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light

 

 Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.  And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

"The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles:
The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned."

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

- Matthew 4:12-17

Yesterday we read that after His baptism by John the Baptist,  Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.  Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."  But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.  For it is written:  'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up,/Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"  Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"  Again,  the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."    Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan!  for it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only shall you serve.'"  Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.  And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,/By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: . . ."  My study bible tells us that Galilee of the Gentiles indicates that many non-Jews lived in the region of Galilee.  As it had a mixed population, it wasn't considered a genuinely Jewish land, although many Gentile residents had converted to Judaism during the Maccabean period.  Many of the Jews there had been influenced by the Greek culture and its customs, and so they were generally considered to be second-class citizens by the Jews of Judea.

"The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,/And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death/Light has dawned."  Darkness in a Scriptural context means ungodliness.  Here it is representative of the Gentiles' unawareness of God, and the Jews being under the shadow of the Old Covenant.  To sit in darkness, my study bible says, means to be overcome by spiritual ignorance.  The great light is the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Matthew quotes from Isaiah 9:1-2.

 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  Jesus' first word of preaching, just like that of John the Baptist, is "Repent" (see Matthew 3:1-2).  The kingdom of heaven is indeed at hand, because it is present wherever Christ is.

Here is the great good news:  The kingdom of heaven is at hand.  When Jesus sends out the disciples on their first apostolic mission, He will teach them to preach the same thing, telling them, "As you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand'" (Matthew 10:7).  We witness a kind of handing off, a passing down, of this message of the presence of the kingdom of heaven.  And so, we have to ask ourselves what this truly means.  To repent, as we noted in the earlier reading regarding the Baptist's preaching, is to do an about-face.  In Greek (μετανοια/metanoia) literally means to change one's mind, and it is a lifetime process of Christian movement in a spiritual journey.  Our own baptism simply begins the journey, and we move into the life of that kingdom with time, should we internally accept and cooperate with the work of the Spirit.  To be in the presence of that Kingdom is to live the life that Christ invites us into.  It is His presence, as my study bible says, that makes the kingdom of heaven at hand.  This is an understanding that required a type of repentance in its time which Jesus teaches to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well in John's Gospel:  "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).  Those who expected the kingdom of God to manifest as material kingdom, ruled by a worldly messiah, would have to "change their minds," to repent, to understand and accept the word of Christ, this knowledge that the kingdom of heaven was truly at hand -- but not in the way they expected it.   And here is the example of repentance:  it means to discard an old way of thinking for the life and the truth that God gives to us.  We make room, so to speak, through this change.  We grow and we discern.   This is the lifetime project of repentance, a kind of transition that happens as we are willing to adapt and discard the things that just don't fit in with the truth of that Kingdom.  Wherever Christ is present, there is that Kingdom.   Where One of the Holy Trinity is, so is the Trinity, and so to worship in spirit and in truth is to know that the presence of the gift of the Spirit is to be graced with the presence of the Kingdom as well.  It is Jesus who will teach the Pharisees, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you" (see Luke 17:20-21).  To accept His words would require of them a repentance, an about-face, a change of mind.  We have to open our own hearts and minds to this presence, to accept it, and to make all changes as accommodations to its teachings, its life and its truth in our lives.  So Repent is the first word.  We need to make room for this holy work, the presence of this kingdom of heaven in our lives, our hearts, our minds, our ways of thinking and being.  Where Christ is, so is this Kingdom.  Where we share the love of Christ, where we act in the name of Christ, so dwells this Kingdom as well (see Matthew 10:42).  We let the light into us, in order to dispel the darkness, and we share that light with others by living the life He teaches us to live -- by doing this work of metanoia, of change of mind, and allowing ourselves to be led by the Spirit (just as He did in going to the wilderness to face temptation; see yesterday's reading above).  Christ will teach that in bringing this Kingdom into the world, He brings division and even hardship and struggle for His disciples, those who would carry this Kingdom within themselves.  But our own struggle to discard ways of seeing and being that occlude our sight, our own darkness and ignorance, is no less a part of the work of faith and growth into the life of that Kingdom.  To see a great light is to sometimes be dazzled by it, even temporarily blinded.  To accommodate this Kingdom, the presence of Christ, is to live in His light, to make it a growing part of ourselves, and to allow it to cast out our own darkness.  Don't be surprised at the changes that might bring!