The Sermon on the Mount: A 21-Day Guide to the Greatest Sermon Ever PreachedSample

The Heart of the Law, Part 1

Yesterday, we learned what Jesus came to do and not do. He didn’t come to throw the Old Testament out, but to bring to completion what God had set in motion. Today, and in the days to come, we’re going to look at a series of six statements Jesus makes, designed to help us see the true purpose of the Law—it doesn’t exist simply to modify our behavior, but to renovate our hearts.

Let’s dive into the first of these six statements.

“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.’ 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. Matthew 5:21-22 NIV

Jesus starts by quoting one of the Ten Commandments as written down by Moses, the greatest of the Old Testament prophets: “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13 NIV). Then, Jesus does something that sounds crazy to us but would have been familiar to His original audience. He says, “But I tell you …” The “but” in the statement can easily be misread as Jesus disagreeing with Moses and the Ten Commandments, but if we remember what Jesus said right before this, then we can be confident that is not the case. In fact, this way of teaching was a common way that Jewish rabbis would teach their disciples how they believed Scripture was meant to be understood and applied. Which, as we will see, is exactly what Jesus is doing in this movement of the sermon.

Jesus calls us back to that original command to not murder when he says, “anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.” Meaning, if you commit murder, you will receive justice for your wrongdoing. Then, He goes on to say, “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment …” (Matthew 5:22 NIV).

Did you notice what changed and what stayed the same? The consequence (“subject to judgment”) is the same, but the offense (“anyone who is angry”) changed. In order to help us understand the true purpose of the commandment to not murder, Jesus connects the same consequence to what seems like a much smaller offense. But, He isn’t done yet.

“… 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.” Matthew 5:22 NIV

Do you see the pattern? In each of these examples, the offense decreases in intensity, but the consequence increases in severity. Why? Because the heart of the Law goes so much further and deeper than simply “don’t murder other people.” The Law was given to teach us how to become people of love. But, sadly, human beings did what human beings do. We did the bare minimum. We rationalized and justified our unloving behavior toward others because at least we weren’t committing murder.

Later on in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV).

The whole point of the Law and the Prophets is to teach us how to love God and love others the same way Jesus does. This is what Jesus is teaching us. It’s not enough to simply not kill. True obedience to God’s commands requires us to act in love, choosing to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others. And that’s where He goes with His next thought:

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24 NIV

Jesus paints a hypothetical situation to show us what this idea looks like in action. He asks us to imagine that we are at church, preparing to give an offering, but just as we’re about to do it, we remember that we have wronged someone. What should we do? First, push pause on your giving. Then, as soon as possible, go to that person to apologize and make things right. Then—and only then—make your way back to church and give your gift. This is how seriously Jesus takes “loving your neighbor.” But, He’s not done. He presents another scenario to help us see what this looks like in practice:

“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. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” Matthew 5:25-26 NIV

In this example, you’ve wronged someone else. As a result, they’re taking you to court. What should you do? Do you let the “system” work things out for you? Nope. Before the solution is out of your hands, you do what you can to work things out. Because if you don’t, chances are really good that things will just get worse. In more relatable terms, if you’ve got beef with someone on your team, the best thing to do is work through things with them as quickly as you can so that it doesn’t have to be elevated to the authorities over you.

What did Jesus say?

Jesus wants us to know that faithfulness to God goes beyond simply not causing harm. Faithfulness to God means loving others enough to sacrifice yourself to serve them.

What did Jesus do?

The entirety of Jesus’ life and ministry illustrates this others-focused, selfless, sacrificial love. Jesus could have simply stayed put in heaven and watched us plunge ourselves into chaos, but He understands that love is not passive. It is active. So, He acted on His love for us by becoming one of us—so that we could become one with Him.

How can I apply that to my life today?

Think about someone you have wronged because you spoke harshly, acted impulsively, or simply treated them carelessly. Once you’ve identified that person, take action by reaching out to them. Tell them how sorry you are, request their forgiveness, and ask what you can do to make things right. Don’t wait for them to make the first move or for things to get worse. Do it now. Because you would want someone to do that for you.