What does Jesus mean by “fulfilling” the law?
As the Catechism reminds us, “The Law has not been abolished [Cf. Mt 5:17.], but rather man is invited to rediscover it in the person of his Master who is it's perfect fulfillment” (CCC 2053). Jesus is himself the fulfillment of the Law.
Jesus calls us to a righteousness, which surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees. Three times in our reading today Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said…but I say to you” followed by an even more perfect way to follow the commandments.
For the sake of time, I can only discuss the first instance. Jesus quotes the commandment, “You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment” but then adds, “but I say to you whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” Likewise, anyone who even says, “Raqa,” or “you fool.”
The Aramaic word, ‘Raqa’ was a put-down meaning, numskull, or stupid.
Jesus makes a very strong statement, “But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” (Matthew 5:21). What does this mean?
Surely, Jesus is not saying that just to experience the emotion of ‘anger’ by itself, is to commit a sin equal to murder. Would we confess, “Bless me father for I was angry,” and not say what we did when we were angry? Our souls would be in constant jeopardy! We would also have difficulty explaining Jesus’ behavior in the Cleansing of the Temple (Matthew 21:12–17, Mark 11:15–19, and Luke 19:45–48, and John 2:13–16).
It seems rather that it is not the emotion of anger, but our bad behavior when we are angry, that makes us guilty. St. Paul reminds us, “’Be angry, but do not sin’; (Ephesians 4:26–27a). Expressing our anger in name-calling and put-downs such as, numbskull or idiot, or fool would seem to be examples of bad behavior.
Yet what if we say in frustration, “You Twit!” to a driver who dangerously cuts us off in traffic? Are we still guilty because we used a mild put-down? I think the matter is more complicated. As Jesus notes elsewhere, it is actually our heart which determines our righteousness (Matthew 15:15-39//Mark 7:14-23).
For example, later in Matthew, Jesus calls the scribes and Pharisees, “hypocrites” (Matthew 23:15), “blind guides” (23:17) and even “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27). In exasperation, St. Paul writes, “O stupid Galatians! Who has bewitched you…” (NABRE Galatians 3:1).
We must not lose sight of the fact that Jesus’ words immediately follow the Beatitudes, which are “the heart of Jesus' preaching” (CCC 1716). They depict the character of Jesus Christ and express the attitudes characteristic of the Christian life (CCC 1717).
Are we truly able to live this life of perfection? Jesus has made us one with him, and called us to imitate him as his disciples. He has sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts to empower us for a new life. St. Paul reminds us, “I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me” (Philippians 4:13).
Yet, In order to grow in moral excellence we require ongoing conversion. Growth in virtue requires our continued cooperation. Jesus calls his disciples to be good for goodness sake and desires to bring us to everlasting happiness.
Anger is an emotion. When we experience anger, for example, by the perception of injustice, it is even beneficial. Our anger motivates us to pursue righteousness and justice, as Jesus did in the Cleansing of the Temple. At all times, however, we must use our freedom in pursuit of the good. “’Be angry, but do not sin.’” Even when pursuing justice, the Spirit must lead us toward the good. All of this requires our ongoing cooperation and growth in virtue as his disciples.
On the other hand, when we experience the anger of frustration, we need to grow in the virtue of patience. For those who use explosive anger as a way to control others, with God’s help, this person needs to grow the virtue of self-control and supernatural charity. Those who use sneaky anger for revenge need to grow in the virtues of simplicity and honesty. Our goal is to become one with the character of Christ.
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