21 "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, "You shall not murder'; and "whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, "You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never 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 say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. 31 "It was also said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, "You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' 34 But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 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 one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be "Yes, Yes' or "No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one.
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What does it mean to be in relationship with another? Under the prospects of the law we have developed a set of rules that protect us from prosecution: Do not murder, do not steal, do not lie, do not commit adultery, etc. Under the umbrellas of these laws we can live an easy life.
I don't lie (very much).
I've never stole anything.
I've never cheated on my wife.
I've certainly never killed anybody.
However, what we do on a daily basis is sometimes far worse than living under the protection of the umbrellas we have created. This is wear Jesus comes in. He reminds us that our daily operations with the people around us are, more often than not, just as treacherous as the things we claim we don't do. He takes the law and firmly plants in in a position of judgement, prosecution, and death. Jesus reminds us that there are a million little things that work to condemn our earthly relationships, and we should work to protect and prosper those relationships.
We often lose track of all of the slights that we make against our neighbor. We forget the small, discouraging word we gave to our loved ones. We exaggerate the truth to make ourselves feel just a little bit better, but Jesus is hear to remind us that these things are the same as killing, lying, and committing adultery.
No sin is greater than another, and we are guilty of all of them... and then there's Jesus!
Jesus is the bridge between rightful death and the graceful embrace of a loving God. Jesus is there to remind us of our shortcomings so that we may become fully aware of just how unworthy we are of the free gift of grace that was given for us. Thank God for the gift of Jesus, otherwise we would never truly be set free from the chains of death that result from the law.
Let us pray:
We thank you God for sending your son to both remind us of the law, but also provide us with an escape route. Without your son we would perish under the weight of the law, regardless of how well we feel we have escaped the sting of death. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus we were freed from that sting so that we may fully live and pump life into the world around us. We ask you to continue to remind us of the law, but also continue to strengthen us to embrace the life you have provided. Guide us, protect us, and provide us with the necessary tools to make your will manifest on this plane. In your son's holy name we ask these things. Amen.
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