Peace Be With You
Matthew 5:20-26
Jesus said, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 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.”
In the three chapters of Matthew’s gospel that contain the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offers us a rich and concentrated teaching on living as God intends for us. The standard is high and demands much, and we do well to return often to these teachings. They remind us that despite varied and determined efforts to individualize Christianity our faith is inherently communal. To fully live the Christian life, we must do so in community, grounded in regular gathering for worship and in mutual care and support, with all the joys and challenges that community life brings.
Jesus references some such challenges here— anger, insults, the routine conflicts that so often emerge from human interaction. Jesus makes clear that judgement is the consequence for all such instances—a high standard indeed. There is no illusion here, however, that moments of anger and conflict will not arise in Christian community, for, of course, they will. Of far greater importance is how we respond when such moments do arise.
The hallmark of Christian community is reconciliation between its members, however messy and difficult that can be. We are to offer the same mercy to others that God so graciously offers us. We ritually enact this reconciliation at each celebration of the Eucharist. Following the example Jesus provides in the Sermon on the Mount, we exchange a sign of our reconciliation with one another as we share the peace of the Lord before approaching the altar and offering our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. The Peace is much more than an occasion to be social and share a warm greeting. It is a ritual expression of a deep theological conviction, of the importance of genuine reconciliation. Perhaps we might consider anew that small ritual action in our Sunday celebration and be reminded of what it really means. The liturgy we celebrate helps us see life as God intends it, and then it sends us out into the world to live in that way, seeking reconciliation instead of division, mercy instead of vengeance, following not the ways of the world but the life-giving way of our Lord Jesus Christ.
prayer
Lord Christ, our eternal Redeemer, grant us such fellowship in your sufferings, that, filled with your Holy Spirit, we may subdue the flesh to the spirit, and the spirit to you, and at the last attain to the glory of your resurrection; who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 2006, p. 36)
Daily Lenten meditations each have a companion morning prayer video offered by the same clergy. View the YouTube playlist to find this meditation’s companion video, or to watch others.