Righteousness

Righteousness is a Matter of Life and Death

From our study of the Beatitude over the last couple of weeks, we have seen that the Sermon on the Mount is firmly set in the context of righteousness. Both, the first and the second segment of the beatitude concludes with a statement about righteousness. The people of the first stanza are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and they are filled. The people of the second stanza are those who act from a right relationship with God and they are persecuted.

In Matthew 5: 21 and following, Jesus wants to show them how a right relationship with God effects commonly help religious and cultural values. He begins a series of reflections which all follow the one formula; “You have heard that it was said … but I say unto you.” He is speaking somewhat like a rabbi, but taking the language much further. He begins by reflecting on some of the Ten Commandments, God’s law, and he is claiming the authority to reinterpret them.

This is unheard of. The law and its judgements relate to various prohibited actions, but Jesus moves the guilt and the judgements from actions to feelings and intentions. He is calling them to look deeper into themselves and their relationships.

All of these teachings appear to be simply about human relationships, but Jesus is showing them that our relationships with God and each other must be consistent. When Matthew reports the love commandment in Chapter 22, he says that loving God is “like” (meaning equal to) loving neighbours. Love is a quality of life which applies appropriately in every relationship. Loving God and loving neighbours come from the same spirit.

Jesus begins by reflecting on the law that says, “You shall not kill.” All life is God’s, so to take life is to set oneself in the place of God. What Jesus says is that, in a Kingdom of God world view, anger has the same consequences as killing. Taking the next step of insulting someone, continues the slippery slope. Finally calling someone a fool, effectively takes you beyond redemption. Apparently the word translated “fool” here, was particularly used to condemn godless people. It is one thing to judge human relationships, but to interfere is someone’s relationship with God is putting ourselves in God’s place.

So Jesus calls us to replace such judgementalism with reconciliation. God is a God of reconciliation, who proactively sent Jesus to reconcile humanity to himself. We are called to do the same. We are called to take the first step in settling our relationship difficulties. Instead of holding angry prejudices against people, it is more productive to make peace.

You might think that being reconciled with God is enough, but Jesus makes it clear that for reconciliation to be complete we must deal with both our human and divine relationships. In fact in his illustration he puts the human relationship first. Before we make our gift to God we should settle our difference with each other. Finally he points out the danger of failing to be reconciled. Those who will not reconcile, cannot be reconciled and must face the consequences.

Adrian