A lot of the time our focus is on making sure we are “doing better” than our neighbors. "Doing better” means healthier, richer, more successful, more popular, and so on. “Better” is a hierarchy and we are all supposed to fight each other as we try to get to the top. In our scripture readings today we are shown a radically different way to live. In Romans, we are given a vision of how God's people are meant to act towards one another. In Matthew, we are told plainly that we must follow Jesus to the cross to be his disciples. If we want “better” more than we want Jesus, then we are completely lost. These readings invite us into a way of living where genuine love, grace, and peace bind God's people together and “better” is exposed for the wicked snare it is.