Friday Reflection: Radical Spirituality
Matthew 10:7-13; 11th Friday 10th Week
Jesus challenges his followers to a radical spirituality. This spirituality is what St Paul calls “Wisdom to those who are mature, not a wisdom of this age” (1 Corinthians 2:6). Jesus specifically addresses the passions, secret thoughts, and emotions at the root of sin and evil. A Latin maxim says Acta exterior indicant interiora secreta (exterior actions are manifestations of interior secrets). Could this be why Jesus prescribes a hard solution for eliminating the seeds of evil that lie hidden in the human heart? He says: If your right eye causes you to sin tear it out and throw it away and If your righthand causes you, cut it off and throw it away. Do not interpret these words literally, but understand the underlying meaning. Furthermore, He instructs His followers to address the problem of deep-seated anger in the heart, which is the root of violence and murder. He asks his followers to deal with the passion of lust which is the root of adultery. His statement points to the sanctity of marriage and to the fact that marriage is a sacred covenant. There cannot be a stable marriage without forgiveness and reconciliation. Jesus reinterprets the law in such a way that his listeners are challenged to tackle their moral problems from the roots to set themselves free from the moral issues that chain them. How often do we examine the root causes and motivations of our attitudes and actions
Matthew 5:27-32; Friday, 10th Week
Their righteousness was an outward, external, formal, and ceremonial display of righteousness contrary to the righteousness that comes from the heart. They ignored more serious matters such as justice, truth, love, purity, and holiness of heart. Jesus challenged the Pharisees against the habit of hypocrisy which he described as cleaning the outside of the cup and leaving the inside (the heart) filthy (Luke 11:39, 40, 44). In another encounter, Jesus also rebuked them for their pride. He narrated the story of a Pharisee who prayed boastfully in the presence of God saying, “God, I thank You that I am not like the other men–swindlers, evildoers, adulterers–or even like this tax collector” (Luke 18:11). Jesus wants his followers to avoid the trap of self-righteousness, self-sufficiency, and pride of the Pharisees. Christ looks for inward righteousness that goes beyond that of the Pharisees. Can our righteousness, purity, and sacrifices be more sincere and inward?
Matthew 5:20-26; Thursday, 10th Week of the Year.