LIVING FROM THE INSIDE
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Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for knowing everything about me and still loving me. Please give me what I need to serve you today.
Read MATTHEW 5:17—26
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Matthew
Matthew 5
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca, ‘is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
26 I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Reflect
How do you view God’s laws? Restrictive? More challenging, the longer you are a Christian?
Matthew’s readers must know that Jesus has the highest view of their Scripture’s authority (v. 18). His words are revolutionary, but he is not abolishing the laws of the Old Testament. Yes, he rejects the extra layers of baggage that self-righteous religious leaders load onto people. For the true right living (‘righteousness’) of Jesus’ disciples (v. 20) is not about obeying a set of laws, but having an inner attitude that is transformed by Jesus. Not something external but internal, motivated by the heart. The old laws ‘pointed forward to what had now eclipsed them in the fuller light brought by Jesus.’1
Immediately, Jesus illustrates what this means. Taking the sixth commandment, ‘You shall not murder,’2 he goes deeply down to its roots. To attitudes of the heart. From bitter hatred to envy and bad temper, which can destroy relationships. Jesus reinterprets murder as the heart condition that destroys people because God detests any belittling of others (v. 22). Interestingly, Jesus also includes falling out with your brother and, even further, fighting for your rights on the way to a court case. Reconciling with others is vital to halting animosity between people, which can sadly develop into murderous thoughts. This truly is a radical deepening and widening application of the old commandment. In love, Jesus’ new way commands us to keep good relationships and not destroy them by resentments or by despising and neglecting others.
It won’t be possible to live this radically different life without Jesus and the Holy Spirit. As someone put it, ‘Jesus has two hands—one to point the way and the other to help us along.’
Apply
Reflect on the wide range of bad behavior that Jesus includes in his redefinition of the sixth commandment. In what ways does this challenge our heart attitude toward others?
Closing prayer
Lord of the great story of creation and re-creation, help me to see how Jesus takes old laws and transforms them for kingdom people. Help me to apply the gospel in ways that demonstrate your grace and mercy to others.
1 Michael Green, Matthew for Today (Hodder, 1988), 73 2 Exod 20:13.
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