Jesus Christ embodies the overflowing fullness of God. He eagerly wishes to share with us this fullness.

Jesus goes on showing what to fulfill the commandments and go beyond the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees means. He wants to see in us overflowing justice and love.

So, Jesus teaches that justice is not only seeing to it that punishment fits the crime. It is withholding just punishment even and not returning evil for evil. One is to give in to another’s demands and give up more than what another asks for.

For Jesus, too, love is more than just love of one’s own kin, neighbor or countryman. It is also love of enemies. For our love should be overflowing, as the love of our heavenly Father. He is kind to the bad and the good.

Yes, Jesus wants us to be children of our heavenly Father, bearing his likeness. And it is not so much that he wants more for our heavenly Father. After all, our Father in heaven is overflowing fullness. He does not need or want anything more for himself.

Rather, Jesus wants more for us. So does our heavenly Father. For we are not yet whole and need many things to reach our fulfillment.

But if we are to learn from Jesus what fulfillment is, we must understand that it means self-emptying. More means less. Loving us to the end, he lays down his life for us. That is to say, he empties himself and becomes obedient to death on the cross. And so, he truly embodies the overflowing fullness of the God who does not spare his own Son (Rom 8, 31-32). Rather, God gives him up and hands him over for us all. To share, then, in the fullness of God is to be like his Son (Rom 8, 29). To become a fool, so as to become wise.

Lord Jesus, make us empty ourselves of ourselves, so that we may clothe ourselves with you (SV.EN XI:311). And may we pray, fast and give alms in the way you want.  Renouncing ourselves, then, to follow you, we will reach our fulfillment (SV.EN III:384), and share in your and the Father’s overflowing fullness.

23 February 2020
7th Sunday in O.T. (A)
Lev 19, 1-2. 17-18; 1 Cor 3, 16-23; Mt 5, 38-48