In today’s Gospel Jesus speaks to us about the Law and the Prophets, and he calls us all to a more heartfelt observance of God’s Law.  Our
observance of the Law has to be more than rote.  It has to be more than going through the motions.  Our observance of the Law has to be more than give the bare minimum or simply following the letter of the law. That’s what the Scribes and the Pharisees did.

God wants more from us. God wants our lives and our moral conduct to be motivated by a love which goes way beyond the simple letter of the law.

When you love someone you want the best for them.  When you love someone you want to give them the best you have.  Sadly the scribes and the Pharisees believed that the blind dry observance of the law was enough to be justified.  Jesus wants more from his followers.  Love calls us to more.
When we choose to follow God’s law in a loving way we choose the path of righteousness and holiness.  Let’s return to the first reading for just a moment because it sums everything up beautifully.  “If you choose you can keep the commandments”  Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him.