(Additional Reading - Luke 12:58-59)
Matthew 5:17-37 (NIV)
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 For truly I tell you, 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 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly 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, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And 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 or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; 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 together on the way, or your adversary 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 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, 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. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, 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 go into hell.
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
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My Notes:
Jesus has fulfilled the law. Matthew has been making it clear for the last four chapters that Yeshua is. New and better Moshe, a new and better Israel. He is the realization of all the instruction, prophesy, and history that came before him.
And now, by the new birth, we are IN CHRIST. We fulfill the law by faith. This means that we have legally fulfilled the law as soon as we have faith in Jesus. In the record books, it is done. This means that we practically fulfill the law by walking in faith in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Practically fulfilling the law NOW, after Jesus, has bot been made any easier in its' form. Jesus didn't ease up on us. His interpretation of the law ismuch more strict, because it goes beyond the actions and straight to our heart. But in Christ, it's our hearts that are changed. This is why he can say that his yoke (teaching) is easy and his burden light. When it comes to being made right with God, it isn't about theoutward actions anymore, it's about the change that he has made in our hearts.
And thus the reason that it is at the heart that Jesus can point. If we've been truly changed, we don't just stop the outward manifestation of our sin. Our very desires and motivations are changed. These are not boundaries imposed from without. These are evidences of a life changing from within.
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Dear Father, YHWH God,
I'm struggling with being angry with my brother*. In my heart I've called him fool and I've imagined cursing him to his face. This is wrong. It is sin. It does not reflect your nature, and it is not submitted to your commands. Please forgive me for my sin.
Help me Father to forgive. I know that the sins that you died for in my brother are no worse than those in me you alsi died for. Humble me Father. Help me to reflect that same forgiveness to my brother through your Holy Spirit inside me. Protect me from the pride of being the forgiver! You are the forgiver. I will not hold this over him.
Please give me wisdom, grace, and love through the process of reconciliation. I know that this is a cooperative effort between myself and my brother. Help me pave the way toward reconciliation for him so that he can choose it easily and quickly.
Help me to restore my brother in the ways that his sin has left him broken. Make me humble through this process also.
Thankyou for your word.
AMEN
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*not my actual brother, Steve. A brother in faith.**
**That's for readers of this blog, not for God. He already knew who I was talking about.
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