February 11th, 2023

This Sunday continues our walk through the Epiphany season, and we are getting closer to the end. This Sunday is the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany. We have been progressing through the Gospel according to Matthew. The first part of what we will be looking at this time is the gospel text for this Sunday [Matthew 5:21-37].

The transition in titles for God in the earlier part of the so-called Sermon on the Mount went from God to Father, and not just to ‘my Father’ but ‘your Father’ (or ‘the Father of you’). And Jesus put himself in the center of that difference. He also said that he came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.

Then Jesus drops the big ‘goal’ that a person’s righteousness has to exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees just to enter the kingdom of heaven—and not just to be great in the kingdom of heaven. I am pretty sure that he got the attention of the disciples with that statement. Now Jesus is going to make a contrast between what they have heard in the past and what he now says to them. Some of the previous generations were going in a different direction than what the text was originally giving. Below [Matthew 5:21-48] is what follows after that righteousness statement (in a somewhat-literal translation):

You heard that it was said to the ancients: “Not you shall murder, now whoever murder, liable he will be to the judgment.” Now I myself am saying to you that all being angry with the brother of him liable he will be to the judgment, now whoever says to the brother of him, “Raca,” liable he will be to the Sanhedrin, now whoever says “Fool,” liable he will be into the Gehenna of the fire. Therefore, if you offer the gift of you upon the altar, and there you remember that the brother of you has something against you, leave there the gift of you before the altar, and go, first be reconciled to the brother of you, and then, coming, offer the gift of you. Be well disposed to the opponent of you quickly while you are with him in the way, lest you the opponent deliver to the judge and the judge to the officer, and into prison you are thrown. Amen, I am saying to you, by no means you shall come out from there until you repay the last kodrantes.

You heard that it was said, “Not you shall commit adultery.” Now I myself am saying to you that all seeing a woman toward to desire, already he committed adultery with her in the heart of him. Now if the eye of you, the right, scandalizes you, tear it out and throw from you, for better to you that perish one of the members of you, and not all the body of you be thrown into Gehenna. And if the right of you hand scandalizes you, cut out it and throw from you. For it is better to you that perish one of the members of you and not all the body of you into Gehenna go away.

Now it was said, “Whoever dismisses the wife of him, let him give her a bill of divorce.” Now I myself am saying to you that everyone dismissing the wife of him, apart from a word of fornication, makes her to commit adultery, and whoever a dismissed one marries, he commits adultery.
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Again, you heard that it was said to the ancients: “Not you shall swear falsely, now you shall repay to the Lord the oaths of you.” Now I myself am saying to you not to swear at all, neither in the heaven, because throne it is of the God, nor in the earth, because footstool it is of the feet of him, nor into Jerusalem, because city it is of the great King, nor in the head of you swear, because you are not able one hair white to make or black. Now let be the word of you, “Yes, yes, no, no.” Now the excess of these out of the evil is.

You heard that it was said, “Eye instead of an eye, and a tooth instead of a tooth.” Now I myself am saying to you not to oppose the evil; but on the contrary, who strikes you into the right cheek of you, turn to him also the other. And to the one wishing you to judge and the tunic of you to take, allow him also the coat. And who shall compel you mile one, go with him two. To the one asking you, give. And the one wishing from you to borrow, not turn away.

You heard that it was said, “You shall love the neighbor of you, and you shall hate the enemy of you.” Now I myself am saying to you: Love the enemies of you and pray on behalf of the ones persecuting you, so that you may become sons of the Father of you in the heavens, because the sun of him he makes to rise upon evil and good, and he rains on righteous and unrighteous. For if you love the ones loving you, what reward have you? Not also the tax collectors the same do? And if you greet the brothers of you only, what excess do you; not also the gentiles the same do? Therefore, you be perfect, as the Father of you, the heavenly, perfect is.

The above is a long section. Even with all these words, Jesus continues to keep their attention. He goes into some detail about what it means that he came and how that changed things, how he came to fulfill things (See Matthew 5:17).
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What does that mean? Jesus came, first of all, to point out how difficult it was to be holy. And if some of God’s words do their job of pointing out sin, Jesus remains as the One they can trust for salvation and rescue. And he is the one who stands (or sits, in this case) ready to connect them to this special Father of theirs, the One who is in the heavens, who is also sitting, but on a very special throne.