GOSPEL READING
THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
Greater Righteousness, part 2: Mt 5,33-48
Oaths: Mt 5,33-37
Here, the Old Testament background could be Ex 20,16 or Dt 5,20, though Lev 19,12 is also possible. Look too at Psalm 50,14. 2w
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 23,9 shows some reservations about oaths but Jesus takes it much further in 5,34-35. See also James 5,12.
What point is Jesus making when he speaks of heaven as God's throne and earth as his footstool? See Is 66,1.
Verse 37 makes oaths superfluous. How does this reflect 5,20? See also 14,1-12 and 26,69-75.
No resistance: Mt 5,38-42
"An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth": See Exodus 21,24; Lev 24,19-20 and Dt 19,19-21. What is the aim behind these quotations from the Torah?
How does Jesus gives go beyond this principle? See Proverbs 20,22 and also St Paul, Romans 12,21.
Four examples follow:
For the first, verse 39, see Isaiah 50,6.
For the second, verse 40 the importance of the cloak is seen at Dt 24,12-13. See too Mark 10,50
For the third, verse 41, there's a clue in 27,32.
For the fourth, verse 42, there is an example in Deuteronomy 15,7-11.
Look now at my response.
Love and be perfect: Mt 5,43-48
The command to love is the conclusion of these six teachings, leading into the final climax of 5,48: be perfect. As we read these verses, we can keep in mind just how the five preceeding teachings have their summary, their deepest meaning in Jesus' command to love even your enemies.
The Old Testament background here is found in Leviticus 19,18 though hating the enemy is nowhere to be found. The principle though may be found in holy war and "the ban" (Deuteronomy 7) or perhaps the cursing psalms (Psalm 109, for example, or Ps 139,19-22).
What might be the consequences of loving your enemies (verse 44)?
For verse 46. see 9,9-13, especially the saying of Jesus in 9,13.
"Be perfect": see Lev 19,1 and also Luke 6,36. We can usefully explore this further by looking at the Sunday readings.
Look again at my response.
The Sunday Gospel
The Gospel for the 7th Sunday (Mt 5,38-48) tells of the last two contrasts, those of resistance and love. The focus is undoubtedly on the latter and on the final statement about being perfect.
It is therefore no surprise that the Old Testament reading comes from the book of Leviticus. The two extracts from chapter 19 provide us with the key statements in verse 1 and verse 18. It's useful but not essential to read the whole chapter as a sample of a very different world to ours. Then consider what is meant by being holy and how it finds practical expression in love of neighbour. Who is the neignbour in this passage (see also Lev 19,33-34)?
Consider too how the responsorial psalm (Ps 103) contibutes to Jesus' teaching this Sunday.
Then look at my response.
We can now continue and begin our reading of chapter 6 with the next stage of the Sermon.