Wisdom Wednesday
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgement.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Matthew 5:21-22 & 27–28.
Most of us desire to do the ‘right thing’ and be good people. But in a complicated world - what does this look like? Over the coming Wednesdays we’re going to consider ethics, morals and how we can be good and do good.
I wonder what you think about Jesus’ words? Do you agree with them?
Maybe it would help to have some context. You see, the Jewish religious leaders had fallen into a bad habit. No not fingernail biting. But absolutising. They were all about keeping the law. But they had made keeping the law a matter of the letter, ignoring the ‘spirit’ of the law.
So for instance, it’s a bit like this, imagine the person who daily yells and rages at their neighbour but tells people, “It’s not like I murdered him.” Or the person who goes down to the beach just to stare at semi-naked women, but say, “I didn’t sleep with any of them.”
The point of God’s law is to help people be good like God is good. That is the spirit of the law. Jesus knows what is going on and so He makes it clear. To break the spirit of the law is to break the law/sin.
What are some other places this might happen (today):
Can you think of other places?
The point isn’t that getting angry or lusting is as bad as murder or adultery. It’s that we must be careful to remember that God hates all sin. Even the ‘smaller’ ones.
For Today:
Pray: Praise the Father that He is good and His ways are perfectly good. Give thanks for Jesus Christ who kept the spirit and the letter of the law for our sake. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others keep His law.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Matthew 5:21-22 & 27–28.
Most of us desire to do the ‘right thing’ and be good people. But in a complicated world - what does this look like? Over the coming Wednesdays we’re going to consider ethics, morals and how we can be good and do good.
I wonder what you think about Jesus’ words? Do you agree with them?
Maybe it would help to have some context. You see, the Jewish religious leaders had fallen into a bad habit. No not fingernail biting. But absolutising. They were all about keeping the law. But they had made keeping the law a matter of the letter, ignoring the ‘spirit’ of the law.
So for instance, it’s a bit like this, imagine the person who daily yells and rages at their neighbour but tells people, “It’s not like I murdered him.” Or the person who goes down to the beach just to stare at semi-naked women, but say, “I didn’t sleep with any of them.”
The point of God’s law is to help people be good like God is good. That is the spirit of the law. Jesus knows what is going on and so He makes it clear. To break the spirit of the law is to break the law/sin.
What are some other places this might happen (today):
- Time theft (you didn’t steal equipment from work but you did spend most of the day on Instagram).
- Downloading pirated content
- Watching TV/Movies with nudity & sexual content
Can you think of other places?
The point isn’t that getting angry or lusting is as bad as murder or adultery. It’s that we must be careful to remember that God hates all sin. Even the ‘smaller’ ones.
For Today:
- Do you struggle with anger or lust? Do you try and convince yourself it’s not that bad?
- Is there some other area of life where you are breaking the ‘spirit of the law’?
- Make a plan and pray for God to help you to fight one of these sins.
Pray: Praise the Father that He is good and His ways are perfectly good. Give thanks for Jesus Christ who kept the spirit and the letter of the law for our sake. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others keep His law.
Posted in Wisdom Wednesday
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