“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven! “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. “When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny. “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’ But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.
Matthew 5:17-32 NLT
This section is known as “The Antitheses.” Jesus would quote an Old Testament law, then give His teaching on it. This was something the rabbis did frequently, and they usually quoted many other rabbis to make their point. Jesus cited nobody because He is the ultimate authority. Jesus did not contradict the Old Testament laws (He made them after all); He called His followers to fulfill the law and have a higher righteousness than the Pharisees. This happens because Jesus lives inside of us and changes not only our actions but our inner motivations—our very wills can be transformed as we trust and obey Him. Many Christians struggle with these verses because they have a “false formula” of faith. They (correctly) believe Jesus died to forgive our sins, and (mistakenly) conclude that obedience is optional. Jesus died to save us from our sins; this involves forgiveness and character transformation. He died to forgive us—so that we could accept Him into our hearts. He lives inside of us and transforms us from the inside out. Christ is our King and obeying Him is not optional. He helps us and motivates us with love not shame, with gratitude not guilt. Jesus is Lord. He demands and deserves nothing less than our everything.
How does character transformation happen? It happens in our thinking and choices (for good or bad); those choices turn into habits, and those habits shape character. In these verses, Jesus taught us to control our anger, initiate forgiveness, and train our eyes not to lust. These commands seem impossible, and they are—without Christ. He lives in us and changes our nature (see Ephesians 4:22-24) so we have the power to make the right choices. We can be transformed by the Lord, one choice at a time. Every choice matters.
How is salvation more than forgiveness? Do any of the areas from today’s verses (anger, words, forgiveness, lust, marriage)—need work in your life
