Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No’…

Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospel Readings. With Love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of Matthew  : MT 5:17-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses
that of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter 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.
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.

“You have heard that it was said,
You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin,
tear it out and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

“It was also said,
Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.
But I say to you,
whoever divorces his wife –  unless the marriage is unlawful –
causes her to commit adultery,
and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

“Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all;
not by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the evil one.

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God doesn’t change. People may change, but God never changes. God’s Goodness is is given to us daily through God’s Love , through the Holy Spirit. When God says something, it stands throughout time and space and is eternal because God’s words are just. Jesus is the actual Living Word of God; and teaches us of the Spirit of the Law. Jesus came to fulfill the law by teaching us about the Divine Love of God, and holding us to the standard of the Greatest Gift of God , which is Love. Love for God and Love for His people. 

By ‘settling with your opponent’ – “Jesus insists that a damaged or broken relationship with other members of the community prevents the union of Love, so reconciliation must come first as the beginning of true worship. Jesus’ command also prohibits lustful desires. The proverbs call for exercising body parts that seem to be the source of sin, are not meant literally. They are concrete examples insisting that whatever leads to sin, no matter how cherished, must be surrendered. Additionally, regarding divorce, Jesus asks us to uphold a much higher ordeal than found in Mosaic Law. Some rabbinic schools of thought (at the time) allowed a man to divorce his wife for minimal reasons, including lack of cooking skills. But Jesus allows divorce for only one reason, if the marriage is unlawful. ” [see reference] 

Love is the answer and true fulfillment of God’s Commandments. If we Love God with all of our heart, we automatically honor the first three commandments, which are in reference to God. The next seven commandments would equally be fulfilled when we choose to truly love each other with all of our hearts. For if we truly love each other, how could we act against each other? 

Jesus understands the Human condition, and Human nature, but was sent to teach with full Divine Understanding of the Love of God, who sent Him. The Law is written in our hearts with Love and God sends His Holy Spirit to be with us in our hearts. God asks us to act from Love, and you will be seen with Heavenly Treasures. 

In Jesus’ Name

Reference: The Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers and Proclaimers of the Word