Sunday, 15 February 2026

LIVE BY THE WISDOM OF CHRIST NOT SIMPLY BY THE LAW

20260215 LIVE BY THE WISDOM OF CHRIST NOT SIMPLY BY THE LAW

 

15 February 2026, Sunday, 6th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Ecclesiasticus 15:16-21

He never commanded anyone to be godless

If you wish, you can keep the commandments,

  to behave faithfully is within your power.

He has set fire and water before you;

  put out your hand to whichever you prefer.

Man has life and death before him;

  whichever a man likes better will be given him.

For vast is the wisdom of the Lord;

  he is almighty and all-seeing.

His eyes are on those who fear him,

  he notes every action of man.

He never commanded anyone to be godless,

  he has given no one permission to sin.


How to listen


Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 118(119):1-2,4-5,17-18,33-34

They are happy who follow God’s law!

They are happy whose life is blameless,

  who follow God’s law!

They are happy who do his will,

  seeking him with all their hearts.

They are happy who follow God’s law!

You have laid down your precepts

  to be obeyed with care.

May my footsteps be firm

  to obey your statutes.

They are happy who follow God’s law!

Bless your servant and I shall live

  and obey your word.

Open my eyes that I may see

  the wonders of your law.

They are happy who follow God’s law!

Teach me the demands of your statutes

  and I will keep them to the end.

Train me to observe your law,

  to keep it with my heart.

They are happy who follow God’s law!


Second reading

1 Corinthians 2:6-10

God predestined wisdom to be for our glory before the ages began

We have a wisdom to offer those who have reached maturity: not a philosophy of our age, it is true, still less of the masters of our age, which are coming to their end. The hidden wisdom of God which we teach in our mysteries is the wisdom that God predestined to be for our glory before the ages began. It is a wisdom that none of the masters of this age have ever known, or they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory; we teach what scripture calls: the things that no eye has seen and no ear has heard, things beyond the mind of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him.

  These are the very things that God has revealed to us through the Spirit, for the Spirit reaches the depths of everything, even the depths of God.


Gospel Acclamation

1S3:9,Jn6:68

Alleluia, alleluia!

Speak, Lord, your servant is listening:

you have the message of eternal life.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father, 

Lord of heaven and earth,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children.

Alleluia!


Gospel

Matthew 5:17-37

You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors; but I say this to you

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.

  ‘For I tell you, if your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

  ‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.

  ‘You have learnt how it was said: You must not commit adultery. But I say this to you: if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye should cause you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of you than to have your whole body thrown into hell. And if your right hand should cause you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of you than to have your whole body go to hell.

  ‘It has also been said: Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a writ of dismissal. But I say this to you: everyone who divorces his wife, except for the case of fornication, makes her an adulteress; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

  ‘Again, you have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not break your oath, but must fulfil your oaths to the Lord. But I say this to you: do not swear at all, either by heaven, since that is God’s throne; or by the earth, since that is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great king. Do not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or black. All you need say is “Yes” if you mean yes, “No” if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the evil one.’

 

LIVE BY THE WISDOM OF CHRIST; NOT SIMPLY BY THE LAW


SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Sir 15:16-21Ps 119:1-2,4-5,17-18,33-341 Cor 2:6-10Mt 5:17-37 (or Mt 5:20-22,27-28,33-34,37)]

All are called to holiness. Every religion teaches this. To be holy is to reflect the love of God in our lives. This is normally done through the observance of laws from sacred scriptures or the teachings of their founders. Regardless of our faith, we are called to live a life of love, mercy, and compassion, grounded in truth and justice.

What, then, is the uniqueness of Christ’s way to holiness? For Christ, holiness is more than mere external observance of the Law. He warned His disciples, “I tell you, if your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.” Indeed, the Jewish leaders were meticulous in their application of the laws to the extent that they became legalistic, lacking compassion and understanding. In their desire to be perfect, they became heartless and hypocritical. Instead of finding true happiness and joy in life, they became anxious, judgmental, and fault-finding.

This is not to say that Jesus was discounting the value of the laws. The laws were given by God and therefore remain important and helpful for anyone who desires to live the life of the Kingdom. To dismiss such misunderstandings, He reiterated, “Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish them but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved.” 

How, then, does one perfect the Law, and how does one’s virtue “go deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees”? Jesus perfected the Law by returning to its Spirit, not merely its letter. It is the Spirit of love, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. This is how the laws must be used–not to condemn, but to help others grow in love and justice. This is the wisdom of God of which St Paul speaks: “It is a wisdom that none of the masters of this age have ever known, or they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.” Christ died on the cross for us to show that love is stronger than hatred and life stronger than death. It is the love of God revealed in Christ’s death, crucifixion, and resurrection that wins us over to conversion, not punishment or anger. For this reason, we must be motivated by love, not merely by laws. Laws are guidelines and means to an end; they are meant for the converted heart.

Nonetheless, laws are important and should not be discarded, for we need structures that help us grow in our capacity to love, especially when our love is inconsistent or weak. Jesus warns us, “Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.” The psalmist speaks of the beauty of God’s Law, saying, “They are happy who follow God’s law! They are happy whose life is blameless, who follow God’s law!” Thus, the Law is good, but it is not enough without the Spirit of love. Only when lived in the Spirit of love does the Law become truly life-giving.

But we must go deeper than mere external or blind observance; otherwise, the Law will not give us life. In this context, Jesus illustrates with several examples how we are to go beyond the Law. These examples are not exhaustive, but they help us to understand the Spirit of the laws.

With respect to anger, Jesus said, “But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother ‘Fool’ he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him ‘Renegade’ he will answer for it in hell fire.” Being angry with our brother, in Jesus’ understanding, is already the beginning of killing. Anger, when uncontrolled, leads to insult and eventually to violence and killing. Hence, not only must we avoid killing, we must also guard our hearts against anger and insults.

With respect to reconciliation, Jesus said, “So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.” Here, Jesus underscores that reconciliation with one another is an essential part of our worship of God.

With respect to lust and adultery, the Lord said, “You have learnt how it was said: You must not commit adultery. But I say this to you: if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Again, Jesus goes beyond the external act to the underlying motivation. In His view, it is not merely the action that matters but the thoughts and desires that give rise to it. Once desire is conceived, it becomes only a matter of time and opportunity before it leads to action. Thus, the root of every sin begins with an idea and a desire; even if one does not act on it, it does not necessarily mean one is innocent, as the opportunity was simply not available at that point in time.  In the eyes of the world it is not yet wrong, but God sees the heart.

With regard to divorce, the Lord is equally adamant about the indissolubility of marriage. “It has also been said: Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a writ of dismissal. But I say this to you: everyone who divorces his wife, except in the case of fornication, makes her an adulteress; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” In this way, Jesus calls His disciples to recognise the sacred and enduring nature of marital commitment, going beyond legal permission to the deeper intention of fidelity and love.

Finally, with regard to oath-taking, Jesus cautions against swearing in the name of God merely to gain credibility before others. In His view, we only need to act sincerely and honestly at all times, without fear or favour with God and men. “But I say this to you: do not swear at all, either by heaven, since that is God’s throne, or by the earth, since that is his footstool. Do not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or black. All you need say is ‘Yes’ if you mean yes, ‘No’ if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the evil one.” Oath-taking does not ensure truthfulness; rather, truth is shown when we consistently mean what we say and do what we promise.

Indeed, so radical is Jesus’ invitation to live an authentic life of purity in love that He says, “If your right eye should cause you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of you than to have your whole body thrown into hell.” The path to holiness, therefore, is not external performance or display but a genuine conversion of heart. Jesus is not contented with words or cosmetic performances. What matters is what our hearts truly desire and think. Keeping ourselves pure and true to our conscience sets us free for life; otherwise, we risk living without true joy.

If this radical call to holiness applies to all Christians, it applies even more to those called to serve as priests, religious, parents, teachers, and leaders. We are called to live virtuous lives that inspire those entrusted to our care, becoming mentors of Christian living and holiness. Do our lives inspire others–our family members, colleagues, and friends–to imitate us? Unless our way of life transcends worldly values, then we are no different from unbelievers, which means that our faith in Christ makes no difference in our lives.

What, then, is the secret of holiness? It is to be in touch with God’s Spirit and His love. As St Paul says, “We teach what scripture calls: the things that no eye has seen and no ear has heard, things beyond the mind of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him. These are the very things that God has revealed to us through the Spirit, for the Spirit reaches the depths of everything, even the depths of God.” This was the secret of St Francis, who gave up everything after encountering the love of the crucified Christ and thus lived a life that contradicted the wisdom of the world. We too can live a life of holiness only when we encounter Christ’s love and learn to see the laws through the eyes of love.

The decision, ultimately, is ours, and we must make that choice for life or death. The first reading from Sirach challenges us: “If you wish, you can keep the commandments; to behave faithfully is within your power. He has set fire and water before you; put out your hand to whichever you prefer. Man has life and death before him; whichever a man likes better will be given him.” If we live according to the wisdom of God revealed in Christ and embrace the Gospel radically, we will discover the fullness of life. But if we compromise the values of the Gospel, we cannot expect to find lasting joy.

Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections

  • Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
  • Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
  • It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.

Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.


Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.

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