Strive For Greatness

A Reflection on the Gospel for February 16th, 2020:
​Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

​Matthew 5

(For the longer version, see the print edition of Living with Christ.)

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.

“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that the one who is angry with their brother or sister, will be liable to judgment; and whoever insults their brother or sister, will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

“So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

“Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you: Do not swear at all.

“Let your word be ‘Yes,’ if ‘Yes,’ or ‘No,’ if ‘No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.”

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When Jesus said, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”, His disciples must have felt discouragement and confusion. The scribes were well-educated Jewish men who were dedicated to preserving and defending the law, while the Pharisees were members of a sect that strived to strictly adhere to Jewish law, practices, and traditions. People within these groups considered themselves as having the highest standards, and yet Christ was calling His closest followers higher. They probably wondered to themselves, “How could we live up to this standard?”. I imagine that it took time to develop a full understanding of what these words meant, and I also wanted to examine this phrase more so that I could grasp what Jesus calls me to, as a disciple.

The word, “Righteousness” comes from the Greek “Dikaiosunē”, and, when used in reference to God’s people, it is understood as a New Covenant gift from Christ. Righteousness is a gift given to us in Baptism; it is received by faith and serves as a sign of a person’s relationship with God. As baptized disciples of Christ, our relationship with God the Father is restored and transformed by adoption. Only in relationship with Him are we able to love rightly and to be obedient to God’s law, in a way that goes beyond fulfilling the bare minimum to instead strive for greatness.

This relationship was what was missing in many of the scribes’ and Pharisee’s lives – they did not know Christ, but rather saw Him as a threat to their leadership status, knowledge, identity, and security. They, ironically, did not perceive that He was the Son of God: the fulfillment of the prophecies they had studied with dedication, and the completion of God’s Covenant with Israel.

As sons and daughters of God, we have access to the grace that enables us to overcome temptation and inclinations to sin so that we can instead choose love, faithfully and freely. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, it is all too easy for our pride to blind us and for us to begin living as if everything relies on us.


Let us pray:

​Spirit of Truth, please grant us humility and help us to rely on You in everything. Let our actions be inspired and guided by Your love, and gift us with righteousness so that we reflect Your goodness and lead others to You and Your heart. Make us one with You, and help us be courageous, wise, and faithful to Your call. Amen.



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Kendra Lang

Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash

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