Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle

Today's Mass Readings

We continue with our reflection on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7). Even though we began the reflection on the Sermon on Monday with the Beatitudes, we are still only in the introductory section. In yesterday’s gospel Jesus called those who follow him “salt of the earth” and “light of the world” (Mt 5: 13-16). In doing so, he was giving his disciples the larger purpose for their calling. In today’s section (Mt 5:17-19), he gives them another broad instruction about the more particular things he will lay out later in this Sermon. The issue dealt with in today’s section deals with the Law that God gave to Moses and the Israelites. Jesus tries to create a link between what has been communicated as God’s will (Law) in the past by Moses and God’s will now being proclaimed by Jesus. The word “link” is significant. Many Christians are inclined to unconsider the Old Testament in light of the New. Rather, Jesus proposes that even though the Old is Old, it is still valid. It is the not the Law (God’s will) that has changed but the following of it that has to be reevaluated. Jesus challenges his disciples to take the following of the Law to another level – the level of the heart. From now on, the disciples of Jesus will follow the Law not because the Law has been prescribed, but rather, because the heart of the disciples is in union with the heart of God; because the mind of the disciple is in tune with the mind of God in understanding the true purpose of the Law; because the life of the disciples is to be the life of God on earth (Salt of the earth, light of the world).

By presenting Jesus as the link between the Old Testament and the New, Matthew is also giving Jesus a position of primacy. Just as Moses was regarded as the most important figure of the Old Testament (he was the only one who had seen God), Jesus is now being presented as the Moses of the New Testament. Like Moses, Jesus also stands on the Mountain (thus the term Sermon on the Mount); Jesus too gives the Law (Sermon); and Jesus too has seen God. In fact, Jesus is the Son of God. In other words, just as the Jews took the Law to heart, the disciples of Jesus too are being challenged to take the words of Jesus to the heart and live it as seriously as a devout Jew would. Hence Jesus words, “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. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:19).

One of the disciples who took the Sermon on the Mount seriously was Barnabas the Apostle whose feast we celebrate today. Also called the “son of encouragement,” he played a crucial role in introducing Paul to the Christians, who initially wanted nothing to do with him because he persecuted Christians. Barnabas vouched for him and became a travelling companion of Paul. Later, he also stood up to Paul when he realized that Paul was in the wrong. In fact, Barnabas and Paul parted ways – all for the sake of the Gospel.

AS we prepare ourselves to reflect on the rest of the Sermon on the Mount in the coming days, let us prepare our hearts to take God’s will (both old and new) seriously. In the most serious sense this would mean that we be prepared to reshape our lives around Jesus’ words in the Sermon. His words will challenge us, cause us to radically change some things in our lives. But as Jesus himself says, “Whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:19).

- Fr. Satish Joseph