Reflection for February 27 Friday of the First Week of Lent: Matthew 5:20-26

Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26

Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.  

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.  

Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 

Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

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Reflection:

There is a story told about a man who suddenly died. When he was about to enter the pearly gates, the angels guarding them refused him entry. When he asked why, the angels told him that when he was still alive, his heart had been full of anger and arrogance.

Death is uncertain; it may come to any of us at any time. What if we suddenly die with our hearts still filled with anger and arrogance? Many people have been brought to perdition because of anger and arrogance, yet many of us still fail to learn our lesson.

Anger and arrogance are spiritual diseases that grow from our egos, from our high opinion of ourselves, and from our lack of humility. These quietly harden our hearts and distance us from God and from one another.

In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us the true path to humility and reconciliation. He tells us: “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him” (Matthew 5:23–25).

The Lord reminds us that our relationship with Him cannot be separated from our relationship with one another. Before we offer our prayers and sacrifices to God, we are called to examine our hearts and seek reconciliation with those we may have hurt or offended.

It is not easy for us to practice humility because our pride often speaks louder than our conscience. Yet if we truly understand that humility brings us closer to Jesus and saves us from many troubles—even painful and serious ones—we would desire it more than honor or recognition. We would seek humility with sincere hearts and hold on to it as a precious gift from God.

The Lord invites us to examine our hearts. Are we still holding on to anger? Are we clinging to pride and arrogance? Life is uncertain, and we do not know when the Lord will call us home.

If the Lord were to call us today, would He find in our hearts anger and pride — or humility and reconciliation?— Marino J. Dasmarinas