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Gospel Reading for March 11, 2026 – Matthew 5: 17-19
SOCIAL DIMENSION
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. 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.”
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It is said that the Mosaic Law expanded the Ten Commandments into a total of 613 commandments—a long list of do’s and don’ts. Imagine if, as Christians, we were required to observe all of these laws. Our lives would likely be consumed the way the lives of the scribes, Pharisees, and High Priest were in those days.
Yet Jesus Christ simplified the commandments. He summarized them into two essential principles: love for God and love for neighbor. The rule for living a righteous life is as simple as that—it need not be complicated.
Perhaps one reason why there were so many people labeled as “sinners” during that time was that ordinary people could hardly remember or keep track of all those numerous regulations. It is no wonder that Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees that they were placing heavy burdens on the people. They took pride in their knowledge of the Law and sometimes used it to place themselves above others. In doing so, it could appear as though God himself were the one imposing unbearable burdens on the people.
Jesus had to correct this misunderstanding. After all, he knew better than anyone else—for he is the Son of God.
In the Gospel of Luke (17:2), Jesus gives a very strong warning: “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.”
This warning is even stronger than simply being called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. It reminds us that sin also has a SOCIAL DIMENSION. We should not think that sin affects only ourselves. Others—especially the young and impressionable—can be influenced by what we do. Our actions may lead them either toward good or toward wrongdoing.
May we therefore strive to live in a way that leads others toward goodness rather than away from it.
Lord, help us follow your decrees with love!
