First Reading - Ezekiel 18:21-28
Gospel - Matthew 5:20-26
In the first reading, prophet Ezekiel speaks about the righteousness of God as is seen in God's faithfulness to fulfill His promise. The righteousness of God is manifested in God's two parallel natures, justice and mercy. God is just for He dolls out justice for the sins committed and is merciful for He shows mercy to those who repent and are reconciled with Him. The prophet tells that the justice and mercy of God contravene the human standard for human standard brands and labels people with permanent identity for the actions (e.g., Sinners cannot become righteous) whereas God accepts and judges us according to our actions (e.g., Sinners can become righteous). He further adds God shows mercy to even the sinful person who has turned back from sinfulness and returns to Him in faith and righteousness; the transgressions of the past are remitted because of the changed and righteous life. Whereas, the righteous who turn away from righteousness and droop down to sinfulness will face God's justice; all the righteous deeds of the righteous person will be forgotten. The reversal of justice and mercy as presented by the prophet tends to remind the people that we need to be mindful of our actions as our actions are responsible for God's judgement. Therefore, it's expedient to remain reconciled with God by our righteous lives or actions.
In the gospel passage, Jesus invites us to fulfill the demands of discipleship. The life of discipleship calls for a righteous life as proposed by Jesus. Therefore, every disciple is invited to fulfill the demands of Jesus in order to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus exhorts the disciples that they are to surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes who were confined to the strict observance of the law and that qualified them as righteous. Jesus proposes that the way to righteousness is not achieved by mere external observance of the law rather by seeking peace and reconciliation with one another. Jesus pins it down further that peace and reconciliation can be achieved by ruling out manifest sins against one another, like; murder, anger, insults etc. The sins of those kinds against one another are to be brought to settlement in peace and reconciliation and such kind of life will be acceptable to God as they manifest righteous gestures.
Dear friends, righteousness is a key to the Kingdom of Heaven. In the first reading, prophet Ezekiel underscores that our righteousness or righteous actions only can win God's mercy; God forgives a righteous soul. Jesus, in the gospel, teaches us, how to become righteous which surpasses the righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes (They are set as the paradigm of righteousness as they were believed to be righteous due to their strict observance of the Law). He proposes the life of peace and reconciliation with one another. The peace and reconciliation is not to be at periphery level but is to be internally established with one another. This impels us to reflect that our external signs of piety have relevance only if we are able to live a reconciled life with God and one another because our external signs of piety are equivalent to the external observance of the law like that of the Pharisees and scribes but real peace and reconciliation can be brought by taking a step to settle it with the person concerned.
Jesus invites us to go to the root to bring about peace and reconciliation. The murder or killing is often the result of anger or wrath and anger is flared up by exchange of words in anger. Jesus warns us against the use of offensive words or language which would subsequently flare up anger. Jesus proposes a solution to avert hatred and anger that is reconciliation and forgiveness. The teaching of reconciliation goes beyond human expectations as usually people expect request of pardon from the offenders but Jesus reverts it and teaches us to take a step to offer pardon to those who have something against us. This is another step to forgiveness and reconciliation and a path to righteousness.
Let's pray that we may be able to live a righteous life in the manner God expects from us.
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