“Let your ‘yes’ be yes, and your ‘no’ be no. Anything beyond that is from the evil one” (Mt 5:37).

Newsroom (14/02/2023 21:27, Gaudium Press). On the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, our Lord Jesus Christ calls those who follow Him to integrity in fulfilling the Divine Precepts:

“Let your ‘yes’ be yes, and your ‘no’ be no. Anything beyond this is from the evil one” (Mt 5:37).

The Ten Commandments, before being handed down on two tablets to Moses on Mount Sinai, had been engraved in the heart of every man. This is proven by the fact that the smallest of children – possessing the use of reason – when acting badly, be it by lying, appropriating something that does not belong to him, etc., feels his conscience pricked, even though he is not able to explain these faults to his reason.

But, as a wise moral principle shows, when a law has to be put in writing, it attests to the decadence of a society. And such was the situation of the Jews when God gave Moses the Decalogue. Nevertheless, when he came down from the mountain and saw that the situation of the people was even worse, he threw down to the ground, in front of everyone, that precious treasure written “with the finger of God himself” (cf. Ex 31:8; 32:15).

What made the prophet act in this way? He wanted, with this symbolic action, to show what they had done inside. After closing their ears to the voice of God who spoke to them not only from within, but very clearly through his prophet, they threw the “tablets of the law” to the ground, worshiping other gods.

The gnawing worm of relativism

The first reading states:

“Before man are life and death, good and evil; he will receive whatever he prefers” (cf. Eccl. 15:18).

We have been given free will, that is, the ability to do good, and we have no right to choose evil! For the Creator, who loves his creatures so much, has reserved for them in heaven “something that eyes have never seen, nor ears heard, nor a heart ever felt” (1 Cor 2:9), provided that we are faithful in the practice of his precepts. Let us remember that those who live in the law of God “have the eyes of the Lord set on them” (cf. Eccl 15:20).

Without the help of Grace, it is impossible for man to practice the ten commandments stably. Added to this is the fact that, after the failure of our first parents in paradise, our nature has become completely unruly. Therefore, as the Apostle says, we feel two laws within us: one of the flesh and one of the spirit. Thus, many times when we want to do good, it is evil that presents itself to us (cf. Ro 7:2; 23).

All this, however, cannot be a reason for discouragement for us. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to earth and became like us in everything, except sin (cf. Heb 2:17). Even though He was God, He left us the example to follow: “having come not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it fully” (Mt 5:17).

Now, as much as human nature may show every day alarming signs of decadence, this in no way justifies not fulfilling the Law, or, even worse, wanting to adapt it to the needs of current generations. The ten commandments are immutable, and will remain so until the end of time. Man must mold himself to the Divine Will, and not the other way around.

Therefore, let us ask, through Our Lady, that God open our eyes to contemplate “the wonders that are in his Law” (cf. Ps. 118), so that we will never give in to the gnawing worm of relativism. In this way, we will be laying up treasures in heaven, “where moth does not eat away and rust does not destroy” (Mt 6:20).

By Guilherme Maia

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