Jesus said, “You have
heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not
murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 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. Come to terms
quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or
your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the
guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will
never get out until you have paid the last penny.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not
commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman
with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your
right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better
for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be
thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off
and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than
for your whole body to go into hell.
“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let
him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone
who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to
commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
“Again, you have heard that it was said to those
of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows
you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all,
either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it
is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or
black. Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this
comes from the evil one.”Matthew 5:21-37
Be Reconciled
The divine hand reaches and we extend
our hearts and capacity for choosing,
choosing community over self, welcome over walls
love over hate and forgiveness over judgement.
Made in the image of God with all capacity
to free or to damn others, to limit or empower
to silence or to voice, to bend or to repel
we can make the world again by our persistance.
Love cannot be bound by any human hands
violence and boundaries can in no way diminish
the hand of God still reaches out for each of us
we need only to look up and grasp life.
The divine hand reaches through the fog and grief
way beyond language and cultural barriers
for the eyes of God see beloved children
caught in the trap of fear and self-loathing.
We are made for love, made for the divine
stamped permanently with possibility and hope
severed never from limitless joy and wonder
planted securely in the loving heart of God.
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