I don’t know about you, but I always get nervous when Jesus starts out saying “you have heard it said that…” because he always follows up with “but what I say to you is this…” And what he says is usually quite a bit more challenging that what we previously heard said. What he is doing here, though, is freeing us from the strictness of the law and opening our eyes to its spirit.
So in Christ, it’s not enough just not to murder, we must also respect life in every way. We can’t just be content with not murdering or aborting, although that’s certainly a good start, but we must also be sure to tear down any kind of racism, hatred, or stereotyping; even refusal to forgive someone. We must make safe all those who live on the margins for any reason. The stranger or alien among us is to be protected. We must care for the elderly and sick and never let them be forgotten. We must never be so angry that we write people off and hold grudges. Murdering takes many forms, brothers and sisters, and we must be careful to avoid them all or be held liable for breaking the spirit of the fifth commandment.
We should shine the light of God’s spirit on all of our laws and commandments and be certain that we are following them as God intended. As Saint Paul said in today’s first reading, “For God who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ.” May we all be free to follow the spirit of God’s law and be transformed from glory into glory.
So here is a question for our reflection today: how can we be more faithful to the life-giving spirit of the fifth commandment?
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