Sunday Mass Sermon- Be A Saint!

Today's Sermon continues on the Mass Readings of the Sermon on the Mount.
It highlights Jesus affirmation of being Lord,
Even over the Torah.
"You have heard it said, but I say..." sets the tone for the New Covenant.
Fulfilling yes, but Intensifying at the same time.
14 Min YouTube link below:

Matthew 5:17-37

Friends, today’s Gospel presents Jesus as the new Moses
delivering his Sermon on the Mount.

In the Old Testament, we find Moses, the great teacher,
going up a mountain to receive the Law
and then sitting down to teach it.
Likewise, Jesus goes up a mountain and sits down to teach.
However, Jesus is not receiving a law; he is giving one.
During his sermon, we hear, “You have heard that it was said . . . But I say . . .”
which reveals that Jesus has authority even over the Torah.

The Law is not being abrogated; it is being intensified,
raised to a new pitch.
Jesus declares that he would not undermine the Law and the prophets
but fulfill them.

For instance, Jesus teaches,
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.”
To be like God utterly,
we obviously have to eliminate cruel and hateful actions.
But we have to go deeper, eliminating cruel and hateful thoughts and attitudes as well,
for God is love right through.

The English translation currently being used is often misleading.

In yesterday's reading it referred to a man being allowed to divorce his wife only "if the marriage was unlawful." That would imply grounds for annulment. What the Greek text has is parektos logou porneias. The Latin translation has excepta fornicationis causa. "Except because of fornication." (Porneia is literally prostitution but is probably meant to embrace all forms of adultery.)

So Jesus was saying that a man can properly divorce his wife only if she has been unfaithful.

Yes, I agree..
I don't think Jesus meant it to be as vague as "unlawful" - or as narrow a singular instance.
Though Porneia may have meant prostitution- Matthew used moicheia to identify Adultery specifically for his jewish readers also-
So there has to be some range of what porneias meaning was meant to be.
St. Paul in his writing even used it to describe the the deal where the guy married his stepmother!
And still yet to complicate things more-
Mark and Luke- do NOT even have this opt out clause at all in their Gospel writings. Go figure.
(So much for Sola Scriptura.)

I like the RSVCE translation... though it uses "unchastity" equally vague as well...
Though Lawful seems awkward and even more vague... lawful for whom? I would ask...
because as we know some things can be unlawful at one point in time - yet lawful in another. Slavery, ie.
And what about a forced marriage- or even where a bride may have been kidnapped?
I always wonder what the original translation was meant to be in Aramaic.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.