Jesus builds a shield around the law or Commandments in order to create more space and distance so that we won’t even bump up against the fence or sit on the fence but rather keep a healthy distance.
For example, the Yodh rhymes with mode, is the smallest, most essential stroke letter in Hebrew, small, like an apostrophe, and we hear that not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law until all things have taken place. The teachings of Jesus and the scriptures are so absolute that not a single detail—not even the smallest punctuation mark—will disappear until everything they promise has been fully realized.
Celebrate the Small Stuff, the letter Yodh is the first letter in the four-letter, sacred name of God—YHWH, so the Yodh leads to a very big thing.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. If you trivialize even the smallest item in the devout life you will only have trivialized yourself. Instead, take it seriously, teach the way of holiness and show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom." This a great verse for those who teach religious education classes or Sunday school at their parish or church.
Or, saying or teaching that you don’t have to meditate on Scripture as a mandatory requirement is to trivialize it and if you get to heaven (because saying you are “saved,” does not necessarily mean you are), you will be called least in the kingdom. In contrast, if you teach devotion to Jesus’ Divine Mercy to others and you’ll be called great in heaven because these prayers lead to big spiritual results.
Next, the commandment that thou shall not commit adultery. The boundary is set to avoid “heart adultery” by lust. Jesus says take drastic measures to avoid crossing this boundary through the metaphor of tearing out one’s eye and cutting off a hand.
In Byzantine and Roman Catholic thought, the eye is often an analogy for the mind or spiritual perception. The "healthy eye" mentioned in Matthew 6:22 refers to a soul focused on God's light, whereas a "bad eye" is one clouded by greed or earthly desire.
It means cut off power to your computer. Join a 12 Step group. It’s better than your whole body being tossed into hell fire. Consider that Saint Padre Pio said that “The Devil is like a rabid dog tied by a chain. Beyond the length of the chain, he cannot catch hold of anyone. And you, therefore, keep your distance. If you get too close you will be caught.
Next, murder is obviously wrong, but the protective shield is to not even nurture resentments-- “Whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” Matthew 5:22
We are talking about just the intention here, not even the act of murder. Crossing the fence already has happened if we insult people.
Meekness reduces the interior passion of excessive anger, so we can use our reason to respond in the best way.
Next, the prompt is clear: “Leave your gift there before the altar and go be reconciled with your brother and then come and offer your gift.” This is an interruption.
In the ancient Temple, a sacrifice was a major investment of time and resources. Yet, Jesus says that a fractured relationship effectively "voids" the transaction at the altar.
The Offertory at the Mass is not a payment for our sins; it is meant to be a physical sign of our communion with God. But Catholicism teaches that you cannot be in communion with the Father while you are intentionally out of communion with His other children. If there is "bad blood" in your heart, your intention, your sacrifice at Mass will not be effective. Make the intention to make things right for a venial sin matter if you want to receive Holy Communion.
Next, we hear that in God’s eyes, the divorced woman is still the wife of her husband, and the man who divorces his wife makes her an adulteress on the presumption that she will marry again. The man who marries the divorced woman both shares in her adultery and commits that offense himself, because the divorced woman is still married to her first husband. A paper divorce decree can’t change that spiritual reality. When it’s the first marriage for both parties (a man and woman)—that is the valid bond.
Crossing the boundary is to threaten divorce in the first place, or infidelity physically or financially or staying in conflict with your spouse, even though these actions do not in any way invalidate a marriage.
Start by acknowledging the things you might be doing wrong.
Take a collaborative approach. Spend some time brainstorming ways to solve the problem and don’t judge each other’s ideas, then, mutually pick one that sounds like a good compromise to both of you and commit to trying it out.
Lastly, just say 'Yes' and 'No.' When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.
Saying “no” means that you know your limits. Saying Yes means that you will do it.
In conclusion—
There was a large group of people. On one side of the group stood a man, Jesus. On the other side of the group stood Satan. Separating them, running through the group, was a fence.
The scene was set, both Jesus and Satan began calling to the people in the group and, one by one - each having made up his or her own mind - each went to either Jesus or Satan.
This kept going on. Soon enough, Jesus had gathered around him a group of people from the larger crowd, as did Satan.
But one man joined neither group. He climbed the fence that was there and sat on it. Then Jesus and his people left and disappeared. So too did Satan and his people. And the man on the fence sat alone.
As this man sat, Satan came back, looking for something which he appeared to have lost. The man said, "Have you lost something?" Satan looked straight at him and replied, "No; there you are. Come with me."
"But” said the man, "I sat on the fence. I chose neither you nor him."
"That's okay," said Satan. "I own the fence."
If you have not chosen the kingdom of God first, it will in the end make not difference what you have chosen" [source: Neil A Maxwell, Conference Report, April 1974]
Amen.
