The readings for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A may be found at:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021526.cfm
That’s a lot.
This week, the evangelist St. Matthew,
delivers us a truth sandwich,
that may be uncomfortable for us to swallow,
that forces us to take small bites.
Jesus speaks some difficult words
in the most famous sermon He ever preached -
The Sermon on the Mount.
For those in our Catholic Bible study with The Chosen,
you know we spent eight weeks
learning about this sermon in season two.
And in it, we hear Jesus say clearly,
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”
Or in other words,
The commandments my Father gave to Moses are the bar,
and I’m not lowering that bar, I’m raising it - big time.
And that’s important,
because most of us - if we’re honest -
would prefer a faith that’s easily manageable.
A faith we can check off our spiritual to do list.
I haven’t murdered anyone, check
stolen anyone’s property, check
or committed adultery, check.
A faith that lets us say, “I didn’t break that rule,” I’m good.
But Jesus isn’t interested only in rule keeping.
He’s interested in the conversion of our hearts.
From the making of comfortable little compromises -
to all or nothing.
In this sermon,
He keeps saying, “You have heard it said”,
followed immediately by, “But I say to you”
Moving from how things look on the outside,
to how things really are on the inside.
From what others see - to the hidden state of our hearts.
You’ve heard it said, “You shall not kill.”
But Jesus says, anger, contempt, resentment - those matter too.
You’ve heard it said, “You shall not commit adultery.”
But Jesus says, lustful looks, divided hearts, hidden compromises, what we do when no one else is looking - those matter too.
He isn’t trying to make things harder - just because.
He’s telling us something deeply important,
That sin doesn’t begin with an action.
Sin begins with the state of our hearts.
We may ask ourselves, “How far can I go before it’s a sin?”
Jesus asks, “Why are you going in that direction at all?”
And that can be uncomfortable.
Because it means our faith is not just a checklist.
Think about that.
We might not raise our voice - check - yet still be full of contempt.
We might look faithful to others - check - and still be unfaithful in our thoughts.
We might say all the right religious words and go through all the right motions - check, check - and still be holding onto anger that poisons our soul.
Jesus isn’t trying to shame us.
He’s inviting us to what true freedom really means.
Because when anger takes hold, it imprisons us.
When lustful thoughts dominate, it reduces others and diminishes us.
When grudges linger, they quietly harden our heart.
And that affects our ability
to truly love the way Jesus expects us to
and it affects our relationship with God.
I saw a quote this week
from the Catholic journalist Dorothy Day who said,
"I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least".
Talk about hard to swallow.
And that is the point Jesus makes today.
He expects more from us, not less.
To cut off what leads us away from life.
Not because God is harsh - but because God wants us whole.
He challenges us to move away from the checklist.
Because holiness isn’t just about avoiding bad behavior.
It’s about allowing God to reorder our hearts.
And here’s the good news,
Jesus never asks us to do this alone.
He raises the standard - but gives us grace.
He exposes our heart - but is the One who heals it.
He calls us deeper - but walks with us there.
So maybe the question for us today
with Lent beginning in just a few days,
is not,
“Which rule am I struggling with?”
but instead,
“Lord, what part of my heart still belongs to me
and not yet to You?”
Because that’s where true conversion begins.
Not with trying harder.
But with surrendering more.
Because when we surrender to Him,
the law is no longer a burden,
or a checklist of do’s and don’ts,
But a light
that makes clear our path
to what it truly means
for us
to be free.
