You have heard, that it was said to our people in the past: Do not commit murder; anyone who
murders will have to face trial. But now, I tell you: whoever gets angry with a brother or sister
will have to face trial. Whoever insults a brother or sister is liable, to be brought before the
council. Whoever calls a brother or sister “Fool!” is liable, of being thrown into the fire of hell.
So, if you are about to offer your gift at the altar, and you remember that your brother has
something against you, leave your gift there, in front of the altar; go at once, and make peace
with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God.
Don’t forget this: be reconciled with your opponent quickly when you are together on the way
to court. Otherwise he will turn you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, who
will put you in jail. There, you will stay, until you have paid the last penny.
Reflect
We often think about Lent as a time to give things up and to develop better habits. But Lent
isn’t a selfimprovement program like a diet or a new exercise regimen. Lent is about
conversion, turning away from sin and changing the way we live so that we can follow Jesus
more closely.
Lent calls us to go deeper, to do more. It is not enough to avoid murder. After all, that’s a pretty
low bar! Instead, Jesus asks us to remove anger and violence from our hearts, replacing them
with love and compassion.
It is not enough to offer our gifts to God with anger and division in our hearts. The gift God truly
desires to receive is our hearts, humble, contrite, undivided, and pure. Purifying our hearts is not
an easy task, accomplished all at once. We are called to conversion throughout our lives, drawing
closer and closer to the Lord who saves us.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023