Friday of the 1st week in Lent
Matthew 5:20-26
“You have heard that it was said to the ancients:…… But I say to you…….”
For I say to you, that unless your justice has surpassed that of the scribes and the Pharisees you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
You have heard that it was said to the ancients: ‘You shall not murder; whoever will have murdered shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you, that anyone who becomes angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment.
But whoever will have called his brother, ‘Idiot,’ shall be liable to the council. Then, whoever will have called him, ‘Worthless,’ shall be liable to the fires of Hell. Therefore, if you offer your gift at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there, before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to your brother, and then you may approach and offer your gift.
Be reconciled with your adversary quickly, while you are still on the way with him, lest perhaps the adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you will be thrown in prison.
Amen I say to you, that you shall not go forth from there, until you have repaid the last quarter.
What do the Fathers say?
PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. The righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees are the commandments of Moses; but the commandments of Christ are the fulfilment of that Law.
This then is His meaning; Whosoever in addition to the commandments of the Law shall not fulfil My commandments, shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
For those indeed save from the punishment due to transgressors of the Law, but do not bring into the kingdom; but My commandments both deliver from punishment, and bring into the kingdom.
Christ, wanting to show that He is the same God who spoke of old in the Law, and who now gives commandments in grace, places as the first of all His commandments, that one which forbade injury to our neighbour.
St AUGUSTINE. Unless your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, that is, exceed that of those who break what they themselves teach, just as if He had said, Unless your righteousness exceed in this way that ye do what ye teach, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.
For almost all the precepts which the Lord gave, saying, But I say unto you, are found in those ancient books. But because they knew not of any murder, besides the destruction of the body, the Lord shows them that every evil thought that can hurt a brother is to be deemed a kind of murder.