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.

Adultery

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.

Divorce

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.

Oaths

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.

Eye for Eye

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ ³⁹ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. ⁴¹ If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Love for Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:21-48

Dear God, “You have heard it said…” That seems to be the theme of this whole section: “You have heard it said…” In other words, “You’ve been told this is important, and you tell others this is important, but you’ve actually missed the important part.” What are some of the things I have heard said about which I am missing the important part? I really need to think about this. We can get so immersed in the dogma of our time or of our tribe that we lose perspective. At least I do.

I really want to be able to live up to the standard here. I really want to not hate or disdain. I really want to love my wife completely and purely. I even want to see those who do wrong or whom I do not like suffer for their mistakes or bad deeds. I want to be known as a man of truth who is trustworthy.

The one “you have heard it said” that keeps coming to mind is, “You have heard it said do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman, that is detestable.” (Leviticus 18:22) What would Jesus’s words to follow that sentence be? Would he raise the bar or lower it? Would he turn it around on the heterosexual and point out a sin in our lives that we commit often? All of his “you have heard it saids” seem to be for the judge and not the judged.

Holy Spirit, my Counselor, Advocate, Comforter, and Healer, please guide me closer to the Father today. Help me to have eyes to see and ears to hear. Help me to see myself and hear myself. Help me to be what you need me to be for others. And I have some friends who are on my heart now who are really struggling. Some are having marital problems. Some are facing serious health issues. Some financial. Some addiction. Some are just facing a difficult path. I pray for all of them. Heal. Comfort. Counsel. Reconcile them to you. Help them to completely find you.

I offer this to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen