Gospel (Mt 5,20-26) - At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: «If your righteousness does not surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to the ancients: "You shall not kill"; whoever has killed will have to be subjected to judgment. But I say to you: whoever is angry with his brother must be subjected to judgment. Whoever then says to his brother: "Stupid", will have to be subjected to the Sanhedrin; and whoever says to him: "You are crazy" will be destined for the fire of Gehenna. »If therefore you present your offering at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother and then return to offer the your gift. Come to an agreement quickly with your adversary while you are traveling with him, lest your adversary hand you over to the judge and the judge to the guard, and you be thrown into prison. Truly I say to you: you will not get out of there until you have paid every last penny!

The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia

Matthew's gospel passage is part of the great Sermon on the Mount. Jesus just said that he came to complete, not to abolish the law. He therefore does not distance himself from the spirit that animates the law, if anything he wants to grasp the profound thoughts of God, his very heart. The justice that Jesus speaks of, therefore, does not consist in external egalitarian calculations, which are impossible in reality, but rather in the implementation of God's limitless love in relation to the actual need that each person requires. It is not a question of a judge applying a rule, but of a mother helping to raise a child. For this reason, Jesus adds with a severe warning: "If your righteousness does not surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." Being good on a par with the Pharisees, Jesus means, is the same as being not at all. And he explains it with words that no one has ever dared to say before him and that no one has heard except from the Gospel. Jesus does not propose a new case study, or a new legal practice, but rather a new way of understanding relationships between men. He reveals the crucial point that substantiates the feeling of hatred of the other: it is a destructive force that leads to conceiving the other as an enemy and therefore an adversary to be eliminated. Hate starts from small things, like the anger that too often poisons contemporary society. And, words that seem harmless, like stupid or crazy, lead to destroying the social fabric. Jesus states that only love is the fulfillment of the law and that only in love can one go beyond enmity. It is therefore necessary to move from a negative precept (don't get angry, don't say crazy, don't kill), to the positivity of friendship. Love is the new strength that Jesus came to give to men to strengthen relationships between them. The strength of human relationships is what helps rebuild the future of humanity. It is a central dimension for Jesus: the love between us has such a high value that it requires, if it is missing, the interruption of the cult of God. "Mercy" is worth more than "sacrifice"; worship, as a relationship with God, cannot ignore a relationship of love with men. And it is love that must govern our actions. For this reason, when there are conflicts, Jesus recommends reaching an agreement rather than going to court. It's not just about the convenience of not ending up in prison, but about practicing a fraternal style. In this way we not only go beyond pure legal observance but create that supportive way of living that makes coexistence between people and peoples stable and beautiful.