Reflection for June 10 Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 5:17-19

Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.   

Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

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Reflection:

Do we obey, teach, and live the laws of the Lord?

In our Gospel today, Jesus speaks of Himself as the fulfillment of the Law. In effect, He was telling His disciples, and all of us, that He is the fulfillment of the commandments given in the Old Testament. He did not come to abolish the Law but to bring it to its fullness and perfection through His life, teachings, death, and resurrection.

For example, God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:1–17) as a guide for His people to live in covenant with Him. Later, Jesus beautifully summarized these commandments into the two greatest commandments:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37–40).

In these words, Jesus reveals the very heart of God's Law: love. Every commandment, every teaching, and every instruction from God finds its meaning and fulfillment in genuine love for God and for one another.

If we truly love Jesus, there will be no room in our hearts for hatred, condemnation, self-righteousness, bigotry, or narrow-mindedness. The closer we grow to Him, the more our hearts are transformed by His grace. We begin to see others not through the lens of judgment but through the eyes of compassion, mercy, and understanding.

What should remain in our hearts is love, for love is the language of Jesus. Love was the reason He came into the world. Love moved Him to heal the sick, forgive sinners, welcome the outcast, and ultimately offer His life on the Cross for our salvation.

Jesus' love for us is far greater than the love we often show others. His love is not selective, conditional, or based on what we can give in return. Rather, He loves each one of us completely and unconditionally, despite our weaknesses, failures, and sins. His love reaches out to everyone without exception.

This, therefore, is the kind of love we are called to imitate: to love others even when they do not love us in return, to forgive those who have hurt us, to show kindness to those who misunderstand us, and to extend mercy even when it is difficult. Such love is not always easy, but with God's grace, it becomes possible.

As followers of Christ, we are challenged not merely to know His commandments but to live them each day. The true measure of our obedience to God is not found simply in what we say or teach, but in how deeply we love.

Today, let us ask ourselves: Do our words, actions, attitudes, and relationships reflect the selfless and unconditional love of Christ, or are there still areas of our hearts where love has yet to reign? Whom is the Lord inviting us to love, forgive, and embrace today for His sake?– Marino J. Dasmarinas