In the Old Testament reading for today, Naman the Syrian is cured of his leprosy by Elisha. Elated, Naman promises that he will offer no more sacrifices to the Syrian gods, but will instead worship only the God of Israel.
Except there's one problem. He has to visit the temple of the idol worshiped by the King of Syria. And he has to bow when he does. He tells Elisha all this, and Elisha replies, Go in peace.
In the Gospel reading for today, Jesus is well into the sermon on the mount. In it, He preaches what amounts to hypermoralism: you have been taught that it's wrong to do one thing, He says, but I assure you it's just as bad even to think about doing something bad.
Which one is it? Are we OK if we just sort of get some of it done? Or do we have to be perfect?
And the answer is, it's a false question. We cannot ever get it all done. We can never be perfect. And yet if we are anything short of perfect in every way, we're completely undone. And that is the crevasse that salvation crosses.
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