Rules

Have you ever felt burdened with rules from a parent or a teacher? "Don’t eat on the couch! Don’t run in the hallway! Don’t call your sister that name!" Stop and think - what rule in your life given to you by an adult seems the hardest to follow? What rule annoys you because you don’t understand it? Our passage today hits us with some pretty heavy rules, too. At first glance, it may feel like Jesus is just piling on more and more rules! Sometimes we have to look deeper into what Jesus is saying to reveal His heart.

If your mom says, “New house rule - ‘Don’t call your brother an idiot or you will have to scrub the toilets,” you might think, ‘what a dumb rule! Why does it matter what I call my brother? Who cares about what I think about him? It’s just a word!” Ok, maybe you’re right…it is just a word, BUT maybe it’s more. What was your intention behind what you said? Did you say it to hurt him? Did you say it in anger? Perhaps the rule is set up to remind you to guard your heart against cruel intentions. Maybe that is what Jesus is doing, too.

Let’s do a quick scan of the scripture today. In Matthew 5:21-32, Jesus looks at a few of the rules with us. He lays out the rule, what the people THOUGHT it meant, and the heart or intention behind it. “You heard it was said…but I tell you…” Think back through the rules; He mentions murder, adultery, divorce… It’s pretty heavy stuff. Yet, Jesus takes it more in-depth. He tells them that it isn’t just about the act or the sin; it is also about your heart.

Go Deep: Next time you feel burdened by a rule, go deeper and discover God’s heart. Write down one difficult rule in your life and its reasons. Will others see God more clearly if you follow the rule?

Be Bold: Are there any rules surrounding the big three named in this passage (murder, adultery, divorce) that you may have misunderstood? Examine your heart and ask God to speak to you about them. Have you hurt someone or caused someone to sin? Be bold and talk to that person today.

Memorise it: “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.” Matthew 5:19 NIV