Reconciliation

Gospel: Mt 5:20-26

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022324.cfm

Today’s gospel is a challenging one. Jesus shows us that the law goes beyond the Ten Commandments. He says that not only is murder wrong, but so is becoming angry with our neighbor, calling them foolish, or thinking of them as worthless. This is much more difficult to follow.

He then goes beyond this level of scrutiny. He says that religious practices to find forgiveness are not enough; we must reconcile with those we’ve wronged directly. How much more of a challenge is that? Think of all the times we passively get angry with other people. It would be quite a challenge to find all of them and reconcile with them. Plus, isn’t it so much easier to find forgiveness in church attendance, confession, and prayer? Can’t we just ride it all off because Jesus already died for our sins? These things are all well and good, but we are called to more.

God’s forgiveness and mercy are not earned, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t make it right with those we’ve wronged. Jesus is calling us when at all possible to reconcile with others. We will get angry from time to time and we should talk it out with others. When we think others are worthless or foolish, we need to pause and remember that they too were created in the image of God. In all situations, we should strive to reconcile with neighbors we’ve wronged quickly.

It’s easier to think of the supernatural aspects of forgiveness; it is more challenging to choose to live it. What is something you’ve done to wrong someone recently? What can you do to reconcile with them? Try it out, you may just be surprised to see their response.