We live in a world that is obsessed with the "outside." How we look on social media, the car we drive, the way we present ourselve...
We live in a world that is obsessed with the "outside." How we look on social media, the car we drive, the way we present ourselves to the world. But today, Jesus initiates an interior revolution. He takes the ancient Commandment and points it like a laser at the human heart. "You have heard it said... but I say to you."
Jesus isn't interested in a list of rules you haven't broken. He is interested in the person you are becoming when no one is watching. He tells us that anger is the seed of murder; that a lustful look is the seed of adultery. He is inviting us to a life of radical Charity—a love that doesn't just "do the minimum," but gives until it hurts.
This is the "hidden wisdom" St. Paul speaks of. The world thinks wisdom is looking out for Number One. God says wisdom is losing yourself to find Him. This life is a series of Choices. Every day, we are handed "fire and water." Every time you choose to bite your tongue instead of returning an insult, you choose life. Every time you choose to be honest when a lie would be easier, you choose water.
This is life-changing because it means that your holiness is not dependent on your circumstances, but on your heart. You can be in a prison cell and be freer than a king if your heart is aligned with Christ. You can be in the middle of a crowded city and be at peace if you have chosen the "better part."
As you come to the altar today, ask the Lord to perform a "heart transplant." Ask Him to take away the stony parts of your heart that are cold and judgmental, and give you a heart of flesh that is warm and merciful. The law of the Lord is not a chain to bind you; it is a map to show you how to truly love. Choose wisely, for your heart is the temple where God desires to dwell.
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