It’s not easy being a Christian. Following Our Lord as a disciple means much more than mere belief in Him. It means going deeper in our relationship with Him and our brothers and sisters. It means living in ways that are not always understood even by those who claim the title of Christian without living it.
The Gospel passage this week is a good example of how we are called to live. Our Lord takes the commands of the Father given to the people of Israel, and goes further. He calls us to a higher standard of not merely doing the minimum commanded. He calls us to a “righteousness [surpassing] that of the scribes and Pharisees”, otherwise “you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
The scribes and Pharisees were zealous for following the Law of Moses, as they thought it needed to be followed. This often meant setting up additional rules around the Law that they expected to be followed with the same rigidity. They were not content to hold themselves accountable, but also held their fellow Jews to follow the same standard and were quick to condemn anyone who didn’t.
In one way, Our Lord is actually praising the Pharisees and scribes for their desire for faithfulness to the Law. At the same time, He challenges us to go deeper in our love of neighbor than just mere observance of the commandments.
This is where the difficulty in following Him comes in. It’s not enough to avoid murder, but also to avoid murdering someone’s reputation. It’s not enough to avoid adultery, but also to avoid lustful thoughts and looking at another with lust. It’s not enough to avoid false oaths, but also to avoid being deceitful in words.
It’s difficult, but worth it. Our Lord promises us that if we are faithful to Him and his teachings, we will enter into heaven: “whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” This should be our greatest desire as disciples: to enter the kingdom of heaven and to be seen as faithful servants to Our Lord.
