HOST: Michael Whitworth
You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
The law was simple and clear: “You shall not murder.” The Jews of Jesus’ day had settled on a strict observance of that law, prohibiting the act of maliciously taking another’s life. Jesus, though, teaches them (and us) that there is a higher standard and greater principle to which we are accountable. While the Jews were content simply to stop short of acting on their murderous thoughts or desires, Jesus teaches us not to allow those malicious feelings or thoughts to enter our hearts. Not only does God care about our actions, He also cares about our hearts, thoughts, and motives. The real meaning of Jesus’ teaching is that God does not desire simply an obligatory, physical observance of a law; He wants our hearts. In addition to our actions, He wants our thoughts, intentions, and motives to be godly. To put it simply: God wants all of us!
Why does God care about our hearts and motives?
Don’t forget to pray and have a great day!
