Thursday March 2nd: Seek, knock and ask
March 2, 2023
Scouts honour for Archbishop
March 3, 2023
Virtue is maintaining a high standard of behaviour in both public behaviour and hidden thoughts and feelings.
Matthew 5: 20–26
Today Jesus challenges disciples to go beyond the virtue of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus’ call is a timely one since the Lenten season lends itself to deepening virtue. The Pharisees and scribes were good people. They obeyed the Law of Moses and taught the people to do the same. Why then did Jesus criticise their standard of virtue?
Perhaps it was because they followed the letter of the Law but did not make much effort in following the spirit of the Law. The rest of today’s passage explains. We know killing is morally wrong and thus unacceptable. But what about being angry with someone or calling someone names? Jesus says that is also morally unacceptable.
Because motives, feelings, opinion of others and thoughts are hidden, we may think we do not need to account for them. Today Jesus says we do need to account for them. That is what virtue is about. Virtue is maintaining a high standard of behaviour in both public behaviour and hidden thoughts and feelings.
