Soul Purpose
Matthew
5:20-26 (Gospel on 14-3-2014)
20 'For
I tell you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you will never
get into the kingdom of Heaven. 21 'You
have heard how it was said to our ancestors, You shall not kill; and if anyone
does kill he must answer for it before the court. 22 But I say this to you, anyone who is
angry with a brother will answer
for it before the court; anyone who calls a brother "Fool" will answer
for it before the Sanhedrin; and anyone who calls him "Traitor" will answer
for it in hell fire.
23 So then, if you are
bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has
something against you, 24 leave
your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother
first, and then come back and present your offering. 25 Come to terms with your opponent in good time while
you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the
judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be
thrown into prison. 26 In truth I
tell you, you will not
get out till you have paid the last penny.
Saint Cristobal Magallenes Jara was most interested in bringing the Catholic faith to those who had not heard the good news of
Jesus. He did so to the Huicho people in a rural region of his home country
Mexico. It was during this time in Mexico’s history, the government feared the
power of the Catholic Church, and it tried to eliminate the practice of the faith.
A constitution even banned the training of priests, and the seminary where the
young Cristobal had studied was closed and turned into a museum. So in 1915
Father Cristobal opened his own small seminary in Totatiche and soon had more
than a dozen students. The government looked unkindly at these works and
accused the priest of inciting rebellion against them. One day he was on his
way to celebrate Mass when he was arrested. Without a trial he was convicted.
He gave away his possessions to his jailers, and on May 21, 1927, he along with
21 other priests and three lay Catholics were executed. “I am innocent and I
die innocent. I forgive with all my heart those responsible for my death, and I
ask God that the shedding of my blood serves toward the peace of our divided
Mexico.” These are the words of St. Cristobal, just before he was executed.
This is just one of the billion narratives of acts of sincere forgives; from
throughout the history of mankind. Blessed John Paul II forgave the one who
tried to assassinate him. He even asked the whole world for forgiveness; for the
sins committed by the Catholic Church. Maria Goretti forgave the one who brought
her life to a fatal end. Before he died; the husband of St. Jane Frances De
Chantal forgave the man who shot him. There are so many such examples of great
souls who lived lives with shades of the lives we live.
In today’s gospel, Jesus again brings the nature
of Pharisees to the forefront, as an example of what is not to be practiced in
the service of God. It is essential to observe that among all the sects within
the Jewish community, the Pharisees are featured very prominently in the
earthly ministry of Jesus. Josephus, the 1st century Jewish historian
says there were three schools of thought among the Jews. The first being the
Pharisees, second that of the Sadducees and third that of the Essenes. The
Pharisees devoted immense credibility to the Oral Law – which they considered
equal to the written Law; The Torah, given to them by Moses. Therefore they
believed to be living every aspect of their lives according to “God’s Law”.
Right from 2nd century BCE through 1st century CE, they
advocated and adhered to strict observance of Sabbath rest, purity, rituals,
tithing based on Hebrew Scriptures and traditions. But then why is it that
Jesus always resisted their way of life. Why is it that He never spoke of them
in good light, inspite of their self endorsement of living under the ‘light of
Yahweh’s wisdom’? You see my friends; The Law was intended to enable the Israelites to live righteous lives. But the Pharisees had corrupted The Law.
Disregarding any ethical considerations and being devoid of mercy, they imposed
an intolerable burden of legal observance upon the common people. Jesus
condemned the Pharisees for being careful to appear righteous from the outside,
while inside they were full of greed and wickedness. In the ‘Dictionary of the
Bible’, D. Eaton says, “That which defiles a man is the evil condition of his
own heart (Matthew 15:11, Mark 7:14). No action is of any moral worth unless it
is the expression of the inward disposition.” Jesus called them blind guides who
had shut the gates of heaven for themselves and were not letting the others to
get in as well. He constantly attacked them for hypocrisy and by calling them fools.
I say, "Forgiveness beams as a ray
of humility, from every heart that burns in righteousness for Christ." Jesus draws a comparison between
what was taught in Hebrew / Jewish Law about evil deeds & punishment, and
with that of His Law of forgiveness and mercy. Right from the days of Adam and
his household, we see how much did Jesus care about accepting sacrifices of a
contrite heart. Cane's sacrifice was rejected because his heart was hardened with
hatred for his brother Abel. King Saul’s prayers were rejected for his mind was constantly plotting against his servant and God’s anointed; David. The
brothers of Joseph bore the rejection of Yahweh as they seeded within themselves
hatred against their own brother. Even the rest of the disciples of Jesus once grew
jealous and momentary resistance towards two other of their - the son’s of
Zebedee, when these two asked for a seat to sit, one on the left and the other
on the right of Jesus, in heaven.
There are countless examples of times where
one is against another and rejects to forgive and have mercy. God tells us;
through today’s gospel, to first forgive and then bring an offering to His Altar
and it will be accepted. It is so much better to come to terms with each other
even before another person; a judge has to judge us. In which case we wouldn’t
know in whose favor would be the judgment. And if we are thrown into prison,
then our release is possible only when we have paid up to the last penny (borne the punishment of our sin). This last verse of today’s gospel is a mild shadow of an understanding of Purgatory. We
cannot enter into heaven until we our purified completely through the cleansing
in purgatory. So while we are still on the way to the court (pilgrimage on
earth) for our hearing (Day of Judgment), let us reconcile with
each other, so that we may stand upright and blameless before the most Righteous Judge –
Jesus Christ, upon His second and final coming into the world. Let us always
remember the words of St. Augustine; who said, “Forgiveness is the remission of
sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from
being lost again.” Amen.
God bless,
John Roger Anthony
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