Ecclesiasticus 15:16-21
1 Corinthians 2:6-10
Matthew 5:17-37
An enlightened Christian — one touched by the light of God’s wisdom — knows how to live. There is no need for constant excuses, no room for clever manoeuvring around God’s commandments. Such behaviour does not befit a disciple of Christ. The follower of Jesus is called to walk the path of righteousness — clearly, decisively, and courageously. This, in essence, is the message of the Scriptures we hear on the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time.
The Book of Sirach speaks with striking clarity about human freedom. God, it tells us, placed before us fire and water, life and death, good and evil — and left the choice in our hands. He did not command anyone to be wicked. He did not create us for sin. He endowed us with the dignity of freedom. How often, however, do we attempt to escape that responsibility.
We say: “I am like this because of my upbringing.” “Because of my wounds.” “Because of society.” “Because God did not give me enough grace.” Certainly, faith is a gift. Certainly, circumstances can make virtue more difficult. But Scripture refuses to allow us to hide behind them. The human person always remains capable of choosing. Conditions influence us — they do not enslave us. Sirach insists: God sees every human action. He does not collaborate with evil. And therefore we cannot shift blame onto heaven for the choices we make on earth. Freedom is not the problem of modern humanity. It is our excuse.
Teachings
Yet St Paul introduces a paradox that deepens this teaching. Writing to the divided community of Corinth, he distinguishes between the “wisdom of this world” and the wisdom that comes from God — a wisdom revealed by the Holy Spirit. The world’s wisdom seeks power, recognition, success, victory. It creates factions, pride, competition. God’s wisdom, on the other hand, leads to humility, sacrifice, unity, and love — so radically different that those who crucified Our Saviour could not recognise it. Paul goes even further: the person who lives only according to worldly thinking cannot grasp God’s wisdom at all. It appears foolish. Only the person who opens himself to God’s Spirit can truly understand the Gospel.
At first glance, this seems to contradict Sirach. If we need God’s Spirit to understand His ways, how can we be fully responsible for choosing them? Here lies one of the great mysteries of faith: we are free — yet we see clearly only when we first trust. Faith does not remove freedom; it heals vision. It is like stained-glass windows in a church. From outside, they look dark, almost meaningless. Only when you step inside does light reveal their colours and beauty. From the outside, Christ’s demands seem excessive, outdated, unrealistic. From within faith, they appear luminous, life-giving, and true. Before the Gospel is proclaimed, we therefore stand at a crossroads: we can recognise God’s commands as reasonable moral truths accessible to every conscience — and we can also discover that only faith allows us to love them.
He does not tell the wounded to pretend nothing happened. He tells the offender to take responsibility. To leave his offering at the altar and first seek peace with the one he has hurt”
Then the Lord speaks. In Matthew’s Gospel, Christ appears as the new Moses — the teacher who does not abolish God’s law but fulfils it. The Sermon on the Mount becomes the constitution of the new People of God, just as the Ten Commandments were the foundation of Israel. Jesus does not lower the bar of morality. He raises it. He restores the commandments to their original depth — stripped of legal tricks and convenient loopholes. “You have heard it said: You shall not kill. But I say to you: whoever is angry with his brother, whoever humiliates, insults, destroys with words — already violates the commandment.” Violence does not begin with fists. It begins with contempt. Our culture understands this more than ever. Reputations destroyed online. Families torn apart by bitterness. Communities poisoned by verbal aggression. Words can wound deeper than weapons. Jesus also teaches something uncomfortable about reconciliation. He does not tell the wounded to pretend nothing happened. He tells the offender to take responsibility. To leave his offering at the altar and first seek peace with the one he has hurt.
This has powerful consequences today. In families marked by addiction, abuse, or betrayal, reconciliation cannot mean ignoring injustice. The initiative must come from the one who caused harm — through repentance, change, and healing. Telling victims simply to “forgive and forget” is not the Gospel. Christ calls for truth before peace. Then Jesus addresses adultery — and again deepens the commandment. It is not only the physical act that corrupts the heart. Desire nurtured in secrecy, lust entertained in imagination, objectifying another person — these already fracture love within us.
In a world saturated with images, pornography, and casual relationships, Christ’s words sound radical. Yet He speaks not to repress joy but to protect love. Because long before sin becomes action, it reshapes the soul. That is why Jesus urges something shocking: cut off whatever leads you to sin. Tear it away. Do not negotiate with temptation. Modern ears may find this extreme — but we understand radical measures when health is at stake. No one complains about surgery that saves life. Christ speaks as the divine physician. He also addresses divorce with clarity and compassion — affirming the sacredness of marriage, while acknowledging situations where no true marital bond existed. Again, He protects fidelity not as a burden, but as a gift meant to mirror God’s own faithful love.
Modernity
Finally, Jesus speaks about truthfulness. Do not twist words. Do not hide behind technicalities. Let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no. Half-truths, manipulations, suggestive speech, misleading silence — all belong to the wisdom of the world, not to the wisdom of God. A Christian does not play games with truth. This brings us to the heart of today’s challenge. People sometimes ask: Which commandment forbids contraception? Which one explicitly condemns living together before marriage? Where exactly does Scripture mention this modern behaviour or that new situation? But this is the logic of the Pharisees — clever avoidance rather than faithful obedience.
The world says freedom means doing whatever I desire. Christ says freedom means becoming who I was created to be. The world promises happiness without sacrifice”
Christian righteousness, says Jesus, must surpass legal minimalism. The disciple guided by God’s wisdom does not ask, “How far can I go without technically sinning?” He asks, “How deeply can I love God and others?” When faith becomes only ritual, people start negotiating with commandments. When faith becomes relationship, obedience becomes joy. God’s wisdom does not shrink our freedom — it enlarges it.
The world says freedom means doing whatever I desire. Christ says freedom means becoming who I was created to be. The world promises happiness without sacrifice — and delivers emptiness. God offers life through love — and delivers peace. Walking in God’s wisdom is not always easy. It often demands courage. Sometimes it requires swimming against cultural currents. Frequently it involves painful honesty with ourselves. But it leads to something the world cannot give: a heart at peace, a conscience at rest, and a life rooted in truth. Today’s readings remind us: we are free — truly free — and therefore responsible. we are enlightened by faith — and therefore capable of understanding God’s ways. We are called not to minimal obedience but to transformed hearts. May we not settle for the wisdom of this world. May we walk daily in the wisdom of God. And in doing so, may we discover not restriction — but real freedom.
Fr Dominik Domagala is the author of “The Social Sermon” blog on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Send your questions to: thesocialsermon@icloud.com.
