I tell you,
unless your righteousness surpasses that
of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.
Jesus is calling us to a change that is not simply superficial. He is calling us to an integrity from which, as much as possible, our intentions and actions both aim at pleasing God.
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
When we feel the need to give ourselves a pass and be lenient on ourselves we may sometimes think to compare ourselves with those whom we consider really bad, murders, thieves, and the like. The trouble with this is that it misses that point that, without the aid of divine grace, we all have hearts that tend toward murder.
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war (see James 4:1-2).
We try to pave over our problems with the vestiges of devotion. Rather than addressing the problem we prefer to ignore it and, to distract ourselves, bring our gift to the altar. But God is calling us to something better than a superficial non-aggression pact with others. He is asking us to take actions that reflect a commitment to genuine mercy toward others, even and especially when we don't feel like.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
It may seem at first unfair for the Lord to insist that we begin to take ownership of our inner life. And indeed, without grace the law would be unable to address this brokenness within. But we need not simply wish or struggle when confronted with our less than pure motivations. With grace we can act so as to take control of our words. To do so is more than avoiding saying certain insulting things, however. Real progress is achieved when we focus on making sure that the words we speak are in line with the revealed word of God.
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment,
and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,
and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
We can even begin to cast down thoughts that are not in accord with God's word. We may not be able to prevent a thought from arising in our minds, but once we become aware of it we need not accept it. The trouble for us is that accepting it sometimes feels easier. Angry or lustful thoughts pressure us to accept them. But we can recognize that they are not from God and take them captive to Christ.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ (see Second Corinthians 10:5).
Is it fair for God to ask us to control even our thoughts? Absolutely. He only does so because he wants us to thrive, to be whole, to live in the peace that only he can give. He himself makes it possible
But if the wicked, turning from the wickedness he has committed,
does what is right and just,
he shall preserve his life;
since he has turned away from all the sins that he committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.
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