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Gospel Reading for February 27, 2026 – Matthew 5: 20-26
CAN CONTROL
Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.
“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, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”
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Take note of what Jesus says: “If you bring your gift to the altar and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift at the altar and go; first be reconciled with your brother.” He did not say, “If you have something against your brother.”
Most of us assume that the one who should make the first move toward reconciliation is the one at fault. Yet in most misunderstandings, both parties share some responsibility—perhaps one more than the other, but rarely is only one completely blameless. We may convince ourselves that the other person is clearly at fault and therefore should take the first step. But, Jesus teaches us that determining who is right or wrong is not the primary issue.
What matters is this: if we wish to offer ourselves to God, we must first seek reconciliation with anyone who may have something against us. We cannot control how others feel or react, but we CAN CONTROL our own hearts and actions. For Jesus, what truly counts is a change of heart—a sincere desire to love, to forgive, and to become more like him.
The righteousness of the Pharisees was largely external and legalistic. They followed, to the letter, religious rituals, fasting and prayer practices, the giving of tithes, purity laws, and Sabbath regulations. Yet these observances often failed to transform their inner lives. In Matthew 23: 27-28, Jesus calls them hypocrites and compares them to whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside, but inwardly unclean.
Lord Jesus, teach us the true meaning of righteousness. Transform not only our actions, but our hearts!
