Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew 5:20-26 

Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.

“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. 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. 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. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

Reflections

“Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.” Why did Jesus emphasize this so much?

The “Sermon on the Mount” begins with the proclamation of the “Beatitudes” and is Jesus’ teaching about the Good News of the Kingdom of God, guiding His disciples on how to become the people of the Kingdom. St. Augustine considered the “Sermon on the Mount” to be the most perfect standard for Christian living, and even non-Christians have been deeply influenced by it. If Jesus’ teachings were a crown, then the “Sermon on the Mount” would be the most precious jewel on that crown. Nearly every part of the Sermon communicates the true meaning of the law, calling us to obey it from the heart, not merely to follow its literal wording.

The error of the scribes and Pharisees lay in the fact that, although they taught the people to follow the law, they themselves did not live out the true meaning of the law. They obeyed the law outwardly, but their hearts were just as full of sin as anyone else’s. Therefore, Jesus made it clear that the value of the law lies in living it out, not merely in teaching it. Take the example of not running a red light. For most people, the reason for obeying this rule is simply because it’s illegal, involves paying fines, or could even lead to legal trouble. But for Christians, refraining from running a red light is not just a legal obligation—it comes from an inner force, a deeper moral conviction that compels us to respect the law. It’s not that we must do it, but that we are willing to do it. Thus, when we obey the law from our hearts, our righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees.

In this way, we will gladly seek to please God in all things, being faithful in small matters, and thus remaining faithful in greater ones as well. As taught in the Bible—honor your father and mother, being faithful in marriage, acting with integrity toward others, and not harming others—these will all be carried out not merely to fulfill legal requirements, but in a more complete and elevated way because of our faith. Moreover, we will be willing to live out our faith among others, in order to manifest the glory of God.

Practice

Self-centeredness, selfishness, and pride make us incapable of living up to God's standards. But Jesus came and gave us new life, and the Holy Spirit grants us grace to help us live according to God's will, experiencing renewal from the inside out. We are then able to live as children of God and become the people of the Kingdom of God. Let us pray that God may give us a new heart—one that sees every commandment as an opportunity to express our love for God and for our neighbors, and to glorify God through the way we live.

Today’s Bible verses

“Justice shall walk before him, and salvation, along the way of his steps.” (Psalm 85:14)