A father asks his child to clean his room before he can go outside to play. The child asks “What is the least I have to do?” Would making the bed count or do I have to clean the floor as well. Would the clean clothes need to be put away or can I just leave them in the laundry basket and put it in the closet. Would under the bed be checked? The father becomes frustrated, wondering when the child would want to have a clean room for their own sake rather than doing it only when asked. It seems that it is human nature to push boundaries, especially when talking about laws. Speed limit laws are a good example. Some will drive just under the limit in order not to go over, while others will drive right at the limit cautiously obeying the law. Then, there are those who give themselves a few miles over the limit believing that there is a certain point where they won’t get pulled over. I see all sides of this on 295 when I travel to and from work. This is the type of attitude we heard in today’s Gospel. The people wanted to be right with God and have a good relationship with their father but wonder what the minimum is required to achieve that relationship. 

In the Gospel we just heard Jesus challenges his disciples and us to do more than just the minimum if we are to be his followers.  Jesus warns against the destructive effects of anger, lust and dishonesty. When we leave these feelings unchecked they can easily grow into destructive behaviors which breakdown our relationships. 

Jesus challenges us. He calls on each one of us to examine our lives and to follow a standard different than the world’s standard, to go deeper than the external behavior…to the heart which motivates the action. 

Rather than the command not to kill, Jesus tells us we are to avoid anger. It is anger which leads to killing. I often hear stories about disagreements in families that lead brothers or sisters to not talk to one another. Brothers who have not spoken to each other in years and can’t be in the same room together. If you invite one to a wedding or family gathering, you can’t invite the other.

Instead of the commandment against adultery, Jesus tells us if we look at someone else with lust we have already committed adultery. Are we careful with the books that we read or the TV programs and movies that we watch? When we read the books and watch the movies which regularly contain sexually explicit scenes, we have already committed adultery. Don’t put yourself in the position where you commit adultery in your heart.    

Have we told ourselves that a little white lie now and then does not make me untruthful? How many times has your mother told you your dishonesty always catches up to you? Just five days after accepting the position as head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team in December of 2001, George O’Leary resigned in disgrace. An investigation had revealed that more than twenty years before, he had included false claims on his resume, including saying that he had lettered in football when he was not even on the team and that he had a master’s degree which he had not earned. The lies had not been discovered at any of his previous coaching jobs, but the high profile accorded the position of coach at Notre Dame led to his exposure. His dishonesty eventually caught up with him. O’Leary did go on to coach a few years later at the University of Central Florida. 

The standard Jesus set in this Gospel may seem impossible to achieve. Living our lives as disciples of Jesus means we follow a standard different than the world’s standard. In this world there are things that are going to make us angry, but as disciples we are not to embrace anger; we are not to embrace lust. Acting on these principles to avoid anger, lust and lies will mark us as disciples. We will be following a different standard than what the world has set. So, when we want to ask, “What’s the least I have to do?” we may need to reconsider the question. When we desire a relationship with Christ for its own sake and not simply because we have been coerced, a life of faith flows naturally. We no longer count the minimum but instead live in a relationship of trust, fidelity and love.