6/1/18 – Genesis 11:10-32, Genesis 12, Genesis 13 – Matthew 5:21-42 – Psalm 5:1-12
Matt 5:21-22 – “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;
Jesus is changing the standard to which we have in the law. He’s changing the level that He’s saying God expects. That it’s not just about murder, but anger. It’s no longer enough to say I’ve never hit someone… I’m sure many of us could say we’ve never punched anyone in the face… but to say we’ve never wanted to? Wow… who can really, honestly say that? Yet that’s the standard to which Jesus calls us.
You see even as Christians we don’t fully grasp this section. We use it in our evangelism to show people that even when they think they have no sin, that in fact they do… and that’s correct. Who can say they’ve never been angry, or looked lustfully – it’s an effective way to show people where they have fallen short. But we forget – when we are followers of Jesus – it’s a standard He actually wants us to follow. It’s the way He is calling us to live.
So often we write it off as an impossible ideal, but it’s actually a target.
Psalm 5:7 – But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.
There are many Psalms about the love David had for the house of God. Here it would not have been the temple as such – but the tabernacle. In this verse there’s a dual role of love and fear. The two would seem to be opposed to each other but that’s not so. It’s when we have a proper view of God we can learn love and fear working together to create awe.
