I HAVE NOT COME TO ABOLISH THE LAW

Matthew 5:17-37

In today’s gospel, Jesus talks about the Law of Moses. Laws are not alien to us. Our society is full of laws or is governed by many laws. Almost in every move we make, there are laws that bind us. They are important to the life and ordering of a society. They bring order and stability. Without these, our society becomes chaotic and disordered. Jesus clearly states that he did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfil it. Well, Jesus shows us a little insight regarding the Law. This insight really has to do with how we observe the law and calls us to go an extra mile, to take an extra step, not just observing the Law at the letter, but following the spirit of the Law. (You have heard…, but I tell you…) Jesus clearly teaches us that, despite the observance of the law, sins are committed in the human heart and mind if one has the definite intention of doing wrong even if the decision is not acted on.

In the Bible, the heart is not just the seat of human’s affections and emotions: it stands for the entire person. It is where a person’s personality and activity emanate. “It is from within, from men’s hearts,” Jesus declares, “that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride and folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.” But most of times we neglect these sins and say: it is just a thought or a feeling. We say to ourselves: it is not terrible; it is just a small sin. Jesus today tells us to take a strong decision even against ourselves. “If your hand is your difficulty, cut it off!  Better for you to enter life maimed than to keep both hands and enter Gehenna.”

 

The Lord is not encouraging self-mutilation here.  He is rather calling for aggressive action, even taking action that hurts us.  Of course, our hands, feet, and eyes are just bodily organs.  Of themselves, they can’t cause us to sin.  But some places that our feet take us, some things we do with our hands, some things we focus our eyes upon damage our relationship with God.

Two sinners visited a holy man and asked his advice. “We have done wrong,” they said, “And our consciences are troubled. What must we do to be forgiven?” “Tell me of your wrongdoing, my sons,” said the holy man. The first man said, “I committed a great and grievous sin.” The second man said: “I have done some small things, nothing much to worry about.”

“Okay, go and bring me a stone for each sin,” said the holy man. The first man came back with a BIG STONE. The second man brought a bag of small stones. “Now”, said the holy man, “Go and put them back where you found them.” The first man lifted the rock and struggled back to the place where he had gotten it.  The second man could not remember where half of the stones belonged, so he gave up, it was too much like work.

“Sins are like these stones,” said the holy man. “If a man commits a great sin, it is like a heavy stone on his conscience, but with true sorrow, it is removed completely. But the man, who is constantly committing small sins which he knows to be wrong, gets hardened to them and feels no sorrow. So he remains a sinner,” continued the holy man. ‘So you see my sons, it is important to avoid little sins so well as big ones. Big sins and little sins are the same. They are still sins.”

We always tend to manage our sins. I will control myself.  “I’ll keep my cable subscription, but just not watch that channel.”  “I’ll keep surfing the web, but just won’t visit that site.”  “I’ll go to the club, but stop after two drinks.” If it works, great.  But when it doesn’t, many of us go on fooling ourselves that it will work the next time.  We keep trying half-measures, avoiding the necessary treatment because it will sting too much, and cost too much.

Jesus says to wake up and take aggressive action; “pluck out your eye” or “cut off your hand and throw it away”.  If the internet is your problem, shut it down.  If TV is your problem, turn it off.  Better you go through life unplugged and offline than spend eternity in Satan’s lair. Jesus uses forceful language to urge his disciples to choose for life - a life of joy and happiness with God - rather than a life for death.  Just as a medical doctor might remove some part of the body in order to preserve life, so we must be ready to part with anything that causes us to sin and which inevitably leads to spiritual death.