Beyond the Letter

Gospel: Matthew 5: 20-26

Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus will show us how the Beatitudes that began this sermon are necessary for holiness that surpasses the mere letter of the law.  In today's lesson he gives the example of the commandment - thou shalt not kill.  Now, most people follow this law to the letter, never having killed someone physically.  Does this make them holy people?  By no means.

There are a number of reasons why people do not physically kill others - lack of opportunity, fear of punishment or getting caught, lack of physical strength.  But if those impediments were removed, what then?  The angry thoughts we harbor against others, the bad names and words we say about others in private - do these not kill the spirit of a person, and do these not indicate that given the right circumstances we too might physically kill another human being in cold blood?

The ten commandments are not enough to achieve holiness; they only proscribe our external actions and are negative commands.  The Beatitudes encompass the whole person - body, mind, and spirit - and that alone can make us holy.  So, to be pure of heart, meek, and merciful are much greater than merely not killing someone physically.  The Beatitudes are our way to wholeness, to holiness.