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?