| Matthew 5: 20 - 26 | |
| 20 | For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. |
| 21 | "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' |
| 22 | But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire. |
| 23 | So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, |
| 24 | leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. |
| 25 | Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; |
| 26 | truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny. |
Today's Gospel is self-explanatory. If you have grudges, if you have not forgiven, if you keep hurting, betraying, abandoning, alienating...
...gossiping, breaking down, de-moralizing, lying to, cheating on, using as a door-mat...
...taking for granted, hating, abusing, intimidating, laughing at, ignoring, spitting on, cursing, insulting...
---your neighbor, then...
You are breaking the 5th commandment "Thou Shalt Not Kill!"
You cannot be going up to the Altar and receiving Holy Communion until you sincerely reconcile with your neighbor....
You will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
words to ponder,
words to live by!
As they say on phatmass,
"Don't hate, appreciate!"
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