“You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone 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. 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. Make friends quickly with your accuse, 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; truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.”
Matthew 5:21-26
The Sermon on the Mount now takes a dramatic turn. It moves from the Beatitudes to our identities as salt and light, to a quick discussion on relaxing the Law, and now the discussion moves to specific matters of the Law, as well as the cultural practices associated with them. Jesus said that He did not come to abolish the Law but to supersede the Law, meaning to call us to greater responsibility than the Law. For instance, the Law provides to how to deal with a grievance between two people and the ensuing anger that results. Jesus now calls His followers to an even greater standard—love. Throughout the Gospels, the message of Christ will ultimately come back to two commandments—love God and love neighbor—on these rest all the Law. In some sense, the 613 commandments could be summarized in just two, making it easy to understand what is required. On the other hand, because love is choice we must continually make, it’s not a matter of checking a box and being done, Christ’s superseding of the Law actually made it more challenging to follow.
Concerning anger, Jesus said that in old days, the one who killed would be liable to judgment. This refers to killing in the sense of taking a life. Superseding this, Jesus says that the one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment, as will the one who insults his brother. Because while anger and insults don’t result in physical death, they result in the death of a relationship. And sin is not only going to be shown as intentional doing of wrong, but also failure to do what is right, failure to love. Every relationship we have ideally is based on love—love of God manifested in love and service towards others. Thus, when there are anger and insult, there is not love, at least not in the moment that anger and insult are being demonstrated.
When there is anger or enmity between two people and there isn’t love, the directive is for reconciliation, so that love can again prevail and lead. In Matthew 5:23-24, Jesus teaches, “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 with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
There is a beautiful sequence of events in the Divine Liturgy which bring these two verses to life. After the Holy Gifts have been placed on the altar, “If you are offering your gift at the altar” there is an intentional leaving of the Gifts at the altar and an act of reconciliation, which is called the “Kiss of Peace.” The priest (or deacon) says “Let us love one another so that with oneness of mind we may confess.” (The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, p. 45, official translation of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, 2015). What are we about to confess? Our faith, by affirming the Nicene Creed, which will then lead to the Anaphora, the consecration of the Gifts and their subsequent distribution as the Body and Blood of Christ, the Holy Eucharist. However, we cannot confess with “oneness of mind” if our minds are filled with anger and disunity. It is at this point, in the ancient church, that the members of the community would go and reconcile with one another, asking forgiveness and affirming the great commandments of loving God and loving one another by embracing one another (love your neighbor) while proclaiming “Christ is in our midst. He was, He is and He always shall be,” (loving God). In the modern Church, the kiss of peace is no longer exchanged by the faithful. Rather it is done amongst the clergy when they con-celebrate (when there is more than one priest serving). The priests, after the explanation “Let us love one another so that with oneness of mind we may confess,” approach the Holy Altar Table and venerate the Gifts that are on the altar, then step away from the altar, embrace and off the exchange “Christ is in our midst. He was, He is, and He always shall be.” In preparing to receive Holy Communion, it doesn’t do much good to fast and pray if we have enmity with our brother. Thus, on the list of “requirements” if you will receive Holy Communion is reconciliation with our fellow man.
Are there times when reconciliation is not possible because of some serious issues between two people? Yes. God has always encouraged us to make an effort, and sometimes even with the best of efforts, success is not possible. Prayer can lead us to discernment over whether reconciliation is possible or not. Amongst people who are close, however, it usually is. It just takes some work and trust and humility.
Finally, Jesus says metaphorically that the one accused should make friends with his accuser. This does not mean that if a serious crime has been committed, there shouldn’t be a hearing in front of a judge or that jail is not appropriate in relationship to certain crimes. But we can haul anyone into court for just about anything, and that has been the case for centuries. Jesus is saying that certain quarrels should be maturely worked out between two people, that in many instances there is no need to escalate a quarrel to the level of court or punishment by the court.
Answer me when I call, O God of my right! Thou hast given me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer. O men, how long shall my honor suffer shame? How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies? But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him. Be angry, but sin not; commune with your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord. There are many who say “O that we might see some good! Lift up the light of Thy countenance upon us, O Lord!” Thou hast put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for Thou alone, O Lord, makest me dwell safety. Psalm 4
Point to ponder: Is there someone who you need to reconcile with? What is preventing this from happening?
