Thoughts on Thursday's Gospel
MT 5:20-26
Forgiveness is so important for Jesus that he tells us that if we have done anything against our brother that we are not even to offer worship to God before we reconcile ourselves. I know that for myself that this is something that I have done very rarely at least beyond making mental reconcilliation. It's can often seem that forgiveness and restoration of a relationship with another is separate from my relationship with God. But, Jesus includes this in a teaching requiring us to be more righteous than the pharisees and scribes.
It is interesting that Jesus describes this righteousness entirely in terms of the way that we treat one another - seeking forgiveness, not using harsh words; rather than in terms of any explicitly worship related activity. Once more this emphasizes that our faith life and our personal life are interrelated and that one cannot love God and hate neighbor.
Forgiveness is so important for Jesus that he tells us that if we have done anything against our brother that we are not even to offer worship to God before we reconcile ourselves. I know that for myself that this is something that I have done very rarely at least beyond making mental reconcilliation. It's can often seem that forgiveness and restoration of a relationship with another is separate from my relationship with God. But, Jesus includes this in a teaching requiring us to be more righteous than the pharisees and scribes.
It is interesting that Jesus describes this righteousness entirely in terms of the way that we treat one another - seeking forgiveness, not using harsh words; rather than in terms of any explicitly worship related activity. Once more this emphasizes that our faith life and our personal life are interrelated and that one cannot love God and hate neighbor.
posted by Fr. Seraphim Beshoner, TOR | 6:15 AM
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