Read Matthew 5:21-37
21 “You
have heard that people were told in the past, ‘Do not commit murder; anyone who
does will be brought to trial.’ 22But now I tell you: whoever is
angryb
with his brother will be brought to trial, whoever calls his brother ‘You
good-for-nothing!’ will be brought before the Council, and whoever calls his
brother a worthless fool will be in danger of going to the fire of hell. 23So
if you are about to offer your gift to God at the altar and there you remember
that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there
in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with your brother, and then
come back and offer your gift to God.
25 “If
someone brings a lawsuit against you and takes you to court, settle the dispute
with him while there is time, before you get to court. Once you are there, he
will hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, and you will
be put in jail. 26There you will stay, I tell you, until you pay the
last penny of your fine.
27 “You
have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28But now
I tell you: anyone who looks at a woman and wants to possess her is guilty of
committing adultery with her in his heart. 29So if your right eye
causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away! It is much better for you to
lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 30If
your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is much
better for you to lose one of your limbs than for your whole body to go to
hell.
31 “It
was also said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a written notice of
divorce.’ 32But now I tell you: if a man divorces his
wife, for any cause other than her unfaithfulness, then he is guilty of making
her commit adultery if she marries again; and the man who marries her commits
adultery also.
33 “You
have also heard that people were told in the past, ‘Do not break your promise,
but do what you have vowed to the Lord to do.’ 34But now I tell you: do
not use any vow when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven, for it is
God’s throne; 35nor by earth, for it is the resting place
for his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36Do
not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or
black. 37Just say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’—anything else you say comes from the
Evil One.
Think
In all these teachings Jesus invites us to look
deeper than the outward action into the attitude of the heart that produces
it. Inviting us to be pure from the
inside out rather than just on the outside.
Pray
Lord, write your law on my heart.
Amen
21 5.21: Ex
20:13; Dt 5:17
b whoever is angry; some
manuscripts have whoever without cause is angry.
27 5.27: Ex
20:14; Dt 5:18
29 5.29: Mt 18:9;
Mk 9:47
30 5.30: Mt
18:8; Mk 9:43
31 5.31: Dt
24:1–4; Mt 19:7; Mk 10:4
32 5.32: Mt
19:9; Mk 10:11, 12; Lk 16:18; 1 Co 7:10, 11
33 5.33 a: Lv
19:12
5.33 b: Nu 30:2; Dt 23:21
5.33 b: Nu 30:2; Dt 23:21
34 5.34 a:
Jas 5:12
5.34 b: Is 66:1; Mt 23:22
5.34 b: Is 66:1; Mt 23:22
35 5.35
a: Is 66:1
5.35 b: Ps 48:2
5.35 b: Ps 48:2
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