Keeping Your Mind Under Control

Matthew 5:21-27

Today’s Scripture passage is the Gospel reading from this past Sunday’s lectionary.  Let’s take a look at this passage.  My guess is that there are not too many of us who have killed anyone.  How about adultery?  Most of us would like to say that we’ve kept these two “big” commandments.  That doesn't get us off the hook so easily and quickly, though.  The self-righteous Pharisees were pretty proud of themselves, feeling they were in the clear on this.  Jesus, though, told the disciples and those listening to the Sermon on the Mount something that sure shocked them and the Pharisees, and ought to make us take an inventory of ourselves, as well.

How angry have we ever gotten at someone else?  An in-law, a co-worker, another driver or neighbor?  Sometimes people can do something to us that is very mean, hurtful, and even damaging to our character.  Maybe someone has committed a crime against us.  We can easily get angry and filled with hate.  If we have anger and hatred against these people, God says that is the same as murder.  We’ve killed them in our heart.  When we have gotten into strong anger, we often lash out with our mouths.  Don’t destroy others with our words.  Word’s bring life or death.

It’s the same with adultery.  Though actual cheating may not have taken place, so many men, and now-a-days, women, too, have woven many a lust-filled fantasy about people they have known or seen of the opposite sex.  How many people, sadly including Christians, view pornography on the internet and their smartphones.  Many women indulged their fantasies by reading the pornographic novel “50 Shades of Grey”.  The Lord Jesus says that lustful thoughts is the same as adultery.  They have cheated in their mind.

We are what we think of and allow our thoughts dwell on.  Thoughts preceed deeds.  They tell who we really are.  See Proverbs 23:7.  So how are our thoughts?  Does anger at others, for whatever supposedly justified reason, simmer in our mind?  The longer we let that happen, we are soon easily wishing them dead.   Lustful thoughts and fantasies can easily cross the line over into actual deeds.  Even if they don’t, dwelling on such thoughts can only corrode one’s marriage.  The Lord has plainly said either of these types of thoughts are the same as action.

Verses 23 - 26 speak of holding grudges, which are closely related to holding anger and hatred in our hearts.  Someone may have mistreated us, and perhaps they have realized it and ask our forgiveness, but we hang on to that hurt, and refuse to forgive.  Jesus said that forgiveness is so important that before we even come to worship, we should go to that person if possible, and take care of that.  Forgiveness and releasing grudges are just that important to Him.

None of these are easy - forgiving, gaining control of anger and hate, or getting deliverance and victory over carnal lust.  We can, though, through the power of the Holy Spirit, which we have living within us if we are believers.  Call upon Him to gain this victory.