Reflection for Sunday – February 15, 2026

Meghan KellogSunday Readings Homilies

Readings: Sirach 15: 15-20; 1 Corinthians 2: 6-10; Matthey 5: 17-37 
Preacher: Meghan Kellogg

How old were you and where were you when you first learned the ten commandments?  Did you memorize them?  Did you understand what they meant?

I’m going to guess that if you learned them as a child in primary school, you may have figured there were some that you would never have to worry about.  For certain, I thought, I won’t kill anyone.  And clearly, I wasn’t about to commit adultery or covet any person/thing, because I couldn’t grasp what those words even meant.

For many parishioners, that is the entirety of their understanding of the ten commandments.  I suppose, in one way, that’s sufficient, as they are clear and concise, however, it’s like coming to learn about Jesus when you are a child but neglecting to expand your understanding and relationship as maturity occurs. 

Our readings today give us a chance to ponder how Jesus, a Jew, was teaching the Mosaic Law and interpreting it, just as we may witness our Jewish sisters and brothers use midrash, in an attempt to expound, clarify, question, or relate the teachings to current times.  Interestingly enough, there are 613 mitzvot, or commandments/obligations in Judaism which are subsumed under the ten commandments.  

This is a good reminder to Christians that it’s worth unpacking the commandments as mature adults and plumbing the depths of their meaning, so we can perhaps wrestle with, come to a greater understanding of, and embrace ways in which we live out what God has written on our hearts.  Jesus’ instructions, after he teaches a commandment, are particularly important for us, if we are to live them to a deeper level. 

Jesus first mentions anger. Who among us has not held resentment in our hearts, with anger bursting outwardly or festering inside? It’s a natural part of being human, so I’m not so sure Jesus is telling us to never be angry. How can we not be angry when immigrants all over our country are being treated abominably, to name just one example?

I suspect Jesus wants us to deal with and process our anger and pray for the humility and courage to channel it in order to take positive action, so it doesn’t eat us alive nor poison our relationships. Lawyers often remark that wills written with grudges or resentment leave those left behind filled with hurt that will be passed down to future generations. Survivors of serious trauma spend years in therapy so the anger they carry doesn’t engulf their being.

Jesus expounds on adultery and warns us to be aware of lust. I think it’s important to delineate between finding someone attractive and desiring them for the purposes of self-gratification. It’s healthy to find someone attractive and to admire them, but if we feel we are continually reducing others to their sexuality and ways they can pleasure us, it’s worth seeking some professional help, as well as praying to Jesus for the grace to see the inherent dignity in each person.

Be authentic and as Jesus says: “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ It seems he’s asking for clarity, instead of wanting us to hedge around something with half-truths. I think gossiping can be subsumed under the commandment not to lie and let’s face it when we gossip it’s easy to embellish or assume. Someone was telling me recently that an acquaintance was not a good person and gave me some examples to illustrate this, urging me to steer clear of that relationship. I responded that I was sorry she was treated the way she was -—that it wasn’t okay at all. I also later responded that I had many examples of the acquaintance being kind, funny and loving. None of us is all bad or all good. The goal of the person gossiping was to get me to think our acquaintance was all bad. The more we look through one lens, the more we convince ourselves there is only one way of seeing everything, and that is dangerous!

As we journey into Lent this week, these readings are a fine example of the importance of God’s continual invitation to lead us from slavery to freedom. We are called to holiness—not perfection. We will fall and break commandments. It’s part of being alive. The question is whether, over time, the chasm between our God and ourselves widens or we become ever aware of the Spirit of God working in our being so we know a freedom closer to the one we will experience in eternity?

Meghan Kellog
Latest posts by Meghan Kellog (see all)
Share