I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that
of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.
The disciples of Jesus were called to a righteousness that wasn't merely external, performative, or theatrical. He desired virtue, not virtue signaling. Jesus knew it was very possible to maintain an external conformity with the letter of the law and still cherish desire for evil in one's heart. This was like the condition of those who were set free from slavery in Egypt and yet longed for the comforts of Egypt they left behind. They were free in a physical sense. But their hearts were still enslaved in Egypt. Jesus was came not only to set captive bodies free but hearts as well.
You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment,
and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,
and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
We can readily imagine the sort of Christian who thinks himself decent because, after all, he never killed anyone, but who would readily commit violence if the law were suspended for a day or two. Maybe murder would seem too extreme or frightening to him. But perhaps he nevertheless cherishes some idea of revenge, even if he would only go so far as to act by words that destroyed the image or reputation of the other.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Jesus had a strategy that ensured that his disciples sought not only an external lack of violence, but genuine fellowship and reconciliation. He did not leave the decision of when to try to reconcile only in the hands of the person who perceived some wrong had been done against him, though he too was clearly called to forgive the offense. Instead Jesus insisted that if someone had something against a disciple that disciple had a responsibility to seek reconciliation. It didn't all come down to whether or if that disciple perceived that he himself had been offended, or to his subjective feelings on the matter in any sense. He was called to be on guard against any sin he might have committed against others and preemptively seek forgiveness. Indeed this was of such great urgency that he should leave his gift at the altar and attend first to the restoration of the relationship and the elimination of dangerous and potentially toxic anger. This was a concrete way of commanding what Jesus intended when he said, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice" (see Matthew 9:13).
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,
and the judge will hand you over to the guard,
and you will be thrown into prison.
In a general sense Jesus was indicating that it was preferable to nip a problem in the bud rather than waiting until it grew so large as to be potentially intractable. Much easier to settle with the opponent in advance than to deal with trying to repay the debt from prison. Anger that is allowed to fester overnight is much harder to resolve than anger that is delt with at once. The longer we give shelter to sinful desires the deeper their roots grow within our souls. It really is possible to settle with our opponent and skip the prison entirely, but it is not automatic. We are called to take the initiative in seeking reconciliation. Doing so is often a bumpy road and a painful process. The smug external conformity of the Pharisee is an obstacle to even perceiving the need of this reconciliation. Let us therefore seek to have hearts like that of Jesus who came to break down every dividing wall and to make all things one in himself, reconciled in him by his blood.
For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace (see Ephesians 2:14-15).
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross (see Colossians 1:19-20).
Times of anger and hostility are spiritually like the drought that was brought upon Israel during the time of Elijah and Ahab. But God longs to bring the heavenly rain of forgiveness and grace just as he made heavy rain to fall in order to end that drought. At first the possibility may seem as distant as a small cloud on the horizon. But our prophetic gaze ought to be able to recognize that a small sign of hope may actually portend a great renewal. May the hand of the Lord be with us as it was with Elijah so that we can gird the loins of our understanding (see First Peter 1:3) and lightly run in the Lord's ways.
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