When I was growing up one of the big concerns was how much of the Mass could you miss for it to “count.” If I remember right, the consensus was if you arrived before the gospel you were safe. That type of thinking is what Jesus was reacting to in the Sermon on the Mount when he described how his way of life differed from the religious practices of his day. “You have heard that it was said … But I say to you…” Instead of the minimun external following of a rule, Jesus looks for a maximal effort to align our minds and with the will of God. St. Paul calls it “a wisdom to those who are mature.” A child will keep asking “why?” looking for some loop hole. The spiritually mature seek to give their all. A lover on Valentine’s day does not think “could I get away with only give six roses this year.” Rather, he wants to give armfulls of roses to express his love. Jesus teaches us that is how we must approach God as well — not what’s the least we can do but what more can we do. What Jesus calls surpassing righteousness does not mean piling up more prayers or more sacrifices. Rather, it means seeing everything through the lens of God’s love for the world. In these instructions, Jesus shows us that we must treat everyone with respect and mercy for that is how God treats us.
