Breaking the Word

GOSPEL READING: MATTHEW 5:20-26

The Pharisees and the other religious pious groups in Israel believed that they were close to God because their religious practices. And they added their own religious pious activities hoping that they were pleasing God and thus they would get entry into the kingdom of God. Their righteousness was based totally on external practices.

External evil (wrong action) of killing they would never do; but they would destroy the name of a person to the extent that he was as good as dead. Jesus condemns their external practices and affirms that their pious activities should be based on internal attitudes. Internal attitude of anger and calling names of a person should be avoided and one should possess the internal attitude of forgiveness if he wants to be a member of the kingdom.

வெளிவேடங்களும் மக்கள் பார்வைக்கான பக்தி முயற்ச்சிகளும் இவைகளை நெறிமுறைகள் என கருதுவதும் தவறு என இயேசு கூறுகிறார். நெறிமுறைகள் மனிதனின் உள்ளத்திலிருந்து வரவேண்டும். தீய மனநிலைகள் தவிர்க்கப்பட வேண்டும். மன்னிக்கும் மனநிலை அடிப்படையாக இருக்கவேண்டும்.

GOSPEL READING: MATTHEW 5:17-19

Law and the Prophets were the basics of Jewish religion. They were the guiding force of their lives. Even their social life, family life and the personal life of every individual was directed by the law and the prophets of the Old Testament. But the interpretations of these were different according to different teachers of the Scriptures.

Jesus was considered to be one of the teachers and his teachings were, in fact, disturbing the leaders of the society. He was criticized by the leaders of the Jewish religion as going astray from the scriptures. Jesus affirmed his loyalty and fidelity to the scriptures and his aim was to fulfill the scriptures. Later the disciples realized that Jesus was the fulfillment of the scriptures.

இயேசுவின் போதனைகளும் வாழ்வும் பலருக்கும் கேள்விக்குறியாக இருந்தது. மதத்தலைவர்கள் அவரையும் அவருடைய போதனைகளையும் தவறாக கருதினர். இயேசு இறைவார்த்தையை நிறைவு செய்யவே வந்ததாக கூறுகிறார். ஆம் இறைவார்த்தை அனைத்தும் அவரில் நிறைவேறியது. அவரே இறைவார்த்தை.