Mathew 5:21- 24 " You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times,'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.' But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift..".
This text is a part of Jesus' sermon on the mount. I wonder how many of us took these verses seriously as like many other verses in the Bible. Sometimes I felt that we take the verses comfortable to us and discard the verses that challenges us...I may wrong....
These verses discusses two pertinent issues
1. Our brotherhood or sisterhood
2. Reconciliation
Jesus says if we are ANGRY we are liable to judgement and if we say YOU FOOL we will be liable to the hell of fire.....Jesus' usage of brotherhood and sisterhood should be understood in wider sense not in terms of blood relationship. In Jesus' teaching the concepts like 'neighbour', 'brotherhood or sisterhood' are re-interpreted and re-imagined. What are the lessons we are learning from these verses....
1. Don't underestimate anybody on the basis of color,caste, religion, sex, wealth, social status etc.....
2. The usage 'you fool' comes from a dominant mind framework....that is....I AM OK...YOU ARE NOT OK....we could see a superior - inferior attitude in this framework....a kind of dominance and arrogance in the attitude towards others....
3. Life is a gift from God...all are created in the image of God.....any kind of discrimination perverts the God given life and it destroys the image of God.....
4. Prior to our worship/offering reconcile with our brothers and sisters....experience forgiveness through reconciliation...Jesus says "So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart"(Mathew18:35)
Before come into the presence of God....Altar....
Reconcile with our brothers and sisters.....
God only accepts the offering of a reconciled person....
Only a reconciled person could experience the presence of God......
Our God. ....Directly or indirectly we considered others as inferior to us....forgive us....
Our God...lead us towards a world of reconciliation....help us to reconcile with YOU...OUR BROTHERS and SISTERS and with this NATURE.....AMEN
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