THE WORD IN LENT - 1st week, Friday
March 06, 2020: Ezekiel 18: 21-28; Matthew 5: 20-26
Point for Dialogue #8: Momentary goodness or Persevering perfection
Every social institution teaches one how to be good and how to act acceptable to the rest of the society, within a context. Religion is the easiest and most efficacious means of enforcement in this regard. What is good and what is bad, what is binding and what is recommended, what is essential and what is aesthetic - these are given to us already well defined. But does perfection consist in all these?
Jesus today makes a difference between a simplistic understanding of religion and a profound sense of faith: faith as a personal response of a person to God, and requires a perfection of a greater quality. It is not merely a life that is concerned about keeping the law, but it is all about going beyond it - in being sensitive to the feelings of the other, staying attentive to the needs of the other, and reaching out to the other in a self-giving love!
An effort at understanding this would lead us to a concrete dialogue between our momentary goodness and our capacity to persevere in that goodness. In fact every thing that we do, however small or insignificant they may be, can add to our perfection, if only we are absolutely convinced of persevering in our goodness, and not satisfied with just some momentary manifestations of it.
Whole life cannot be spent on avoiding evil; we are called to grow in goodness, personify goodness and spread goodness wherever we are and in whatever we do, or say, or think. This is persevering in goodness. Jesus invites us to relearn what it means to be righteous; to surpass the righteousness of the world and set standards that are really worthy of the children of God.
Let us strive to understand the goodness or the perfection that Jesus proposes, consisting in selfless love for the other; and let us persevere in that goodness every moment of our life. Be ye perfect as your heavenly father is perfect!
Point for Dialogue #8: Momentary goodness or Persevering perfection
Jesus today makes a difference between a simplistic understanding of religion and a profound sense of faith: faith as a personal response of a person to God, and requires a perfection of a greater quality. It is not merely a life that is concerned about keeping the law, but it is all about going beyond it - in being sensitive to the feelings of the other, staying attentive to the needs of the other, and reaching out to the other in a self-giving love!
An effort at understanding this would lead us to a concrete dialogue between our momentary goodness and our capacity to persevere in that goodness. In fact every thing that we do, however small or insignificant they may be, can add to our perfection, if only we are absolutely convinced of persevering in our goodness, and not satisfied with just some momentary manifestations of it.
Whole life cannot be spent on avoiding evil; we are called to grow in goodness, personify goodness and spread goodness wherever we are and in whatever we do, or say, or think. This is persevering in goodness. Jesus invites us to relearn what it means to be righteous; to surpass the righteousness of the world and set standards that are really worthy of the children of God.
Let us strive to understand the goodness or the perfection that Jesus proposes, consisting in selfless love for the other; and let us persevere in that goodness every moment of our life. Be ye perfect as your heavenly father is perfect!