THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 5:21-26
“Anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.” (Matthew 5:22)
The Pharisees focused on the details of the Law of Moses, to obey its words.
Jesus is focusing on the heart – or point – of the Laws… love.
We shouldn’t read these words like Pharisees, looking just at the words.
It is the hurtful anger behind calling people names, and not the names themselves.
It is the hurtful refusal to reconcile, not just the technical settling of matters.
The heart of God, the heart of Jesus, is the longing for peace and reconciliation.
Deep inside we hate fighting, name-calling, broken relations, tension, conflict.
Satan is the instigator or these things, and we should hate the thought of working with him.
There is so much hate and hurt in our world, when will it ever end?
Only when God’s creation leaders stop hating and hurting others!!!
We need to break the cycle, end the flow of hating and hurting others.
If there is to be peace in this world, it needs to begin with us.
Jesus came to save us from sin – not just its guilt but also its grip.
To believe in Jesus is not just about accepting His forgiveness.
It is about joining Him, with His help, to ending the sin that needed to be forgiven.
Who are you causing hurt to, who has something against you that you know about?
Even if it is not all your fault, what can you admit, what can you make right?
We are only responsible for our own actions, these are the ones we need to work on.
Jesus is inviting us to step into grace – not just receive it, but give it as well!
“Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, the hate and the violence must stop. Too many people are dying, too many people are hurting. Lord, let there be peace on earth (as it is in heaven), and let it begin with me.