Texts: Ezek. 18: 21-28; Ps.130: 1-8; Mat. 5:20-26
Today, Jesus Christ tells us that unless our righteousness goes beyond that of the scribes and Pharisees, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, we must ask ourselves: what is the righteousness of the pharisees and scribes? It is a kind of righteousness that is superficial and never go deep into the heart. Such righteousness places emphasis on external practices, with little or no attention to inner renewal of man. Hence, Jesus Christ says, "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgement.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgement; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire." For the Pharisees and scribes, the commandment that prohibits murder does not forbids actions that leads to murder; those actions that make life unbearable, torment the soul or brings emotional torment. This interpretation of the commandments gives room for wickedness to still prevail. One can keep the commandments and still be wicked to his neighbours. Such is the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees; a superficial adherence to the commandments without healing from wickedness. Such a superficial adherence brings a defeat of the commandments, the flavour demanded by God and therefore becomes impotent in winning salvation.
Jesus' comment on the righteousness or religious piety of the scribes and Pharisees is not that of condemnation but it reveals its inability to win salvation. It is incapable of winning salvation because it lacks something essential, something that is pleasing to God; it is bereft of what God demands of us. Jesus Christ says, "So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” The purpose of the commandment not to kill is to bring peace among us, to prevent us from being wicked to one another. Peace comes from within. The chaos and lack of peace we experience outside is the reflection of chaos within and the impurity of the heart (Mt. 15:18-19; Mark 7:21-22).
Jesus Christ cautions us not to fall into the righteousness of scribes and Pharisees during this Lent; we must not focus on external practices alone, but also the renewal of our inner life, the renewal of our hearts. External piety alone leads us no where; it wins us nothing except worldly glory. External piety includes such practices like payment of tithes, fasting, pious devotions, reception of holy communion, etc. During this Lent, our piety should be inspired by inner renewal, it should be a manifestation of our inner regeneration, the outcome of being a new creation, or else it will not bear fruits for eternal life, it will not produce the values of the kingdom of heaven.
God, in today's first reading, settlement the grievance of His people who could not understand why the deeds of a just man should be forgotten after he had changed to embrace wickedness. He says that as He forgets the wickedness of a sinner who repented from his wickedness, so also He forgets the righteousness of a just man who changed to evil. Such is the justice of God, before whom we are equal and treated the same. This reminds the just that it is their perseverance that will save them, and the sinners that there is hope for them. While the sinners are called to repentance, the just are called to perseverance. In this holy season of Lent, the just are reminded to persevere in their just deeds, to deepen their righteousness, and the sinners are to repent from their evil deeds.
Lord Jesus, help us, your children, to undergo renewal in the spirit during this holy Lent. Amen.
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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