Matthew 5:21-30
Most of us are probably glad that our thoughts are not broadcast for all to see! We might feel that as long as our thoughts are hidden, then everything is okay, that hidden thoughts are fine as long as we don’t act upon them. And how many of us feel that it was okay when we got angry at someone, as long as we didn’t go out and clobber him? We start to feel proud of ourselves that we didn’t break any of the Ten Commandments, particularly the ones against murder and adultery. As we read our Scripture today from Matthew’s Gospel, as Jesus continues His Sermon on the Mount, He sets the bar much higher. Let’s look into what our Savior says to us.
In our Scripture passage, Jesus first addresses the issue of our anger (vs. 21-22). We might be tempted to think that there is nothing wrong with getting angry, as long as we don’t physically hurt anyone. When we have anger against someone, or a deep-seated bitterness against another, we are breaking God’s law of love. Anger is a dangerous emotion that can easily leap out of control. Jesus states that having unjust anger and refusing to forgive are acts of murder that we commit in our hearts. We “kill” one another by holding grudges of hatred and anger against others. Not only does He not want us to actually kill someone, but He doesn’t want us to destroy someone with our words. Destroying someone with our mouth is a form of killing. When we tear another one down with our words, when we spread lying gossip, we are speaking death over their lives. Life is sacred to God. As believers we should be speaking uplifting words, words of blessing to speak life about others, not death.
Thoughts are the forerunner of deeds. The way we think shows who we really are (Proverbs 23:7). In verses 27-28 Jesus instructs us to keep a check on what we allow our thoughts to dwell on. If the act is wrong, so is the thought and intention. If left unchecked, wrong desires will lead to wrong actions. God doesn’t want just outward compliance, but more importantly, He wants inward change. He does not want religious fanatics who give an outward show of piety, but spiritually transformed people. God sees the heart behind the things we do, so we need to keep our thoughts pure.
Some people get troubled by verses 29-30. Jesus doesn’t want us gouging out our eyes, as even a blind man can have lustful thoughts. Lust is a problem of the heart. We need to examine our life for anything that causes us to sin, and then take all necessary action to remove it. It was Samson’s wandering, lustful eyes that got him into trouble, and without them he triumphed over the enemy! His eyes caused him to sin, and he was more blind then, than when the Philistines put out his eyes.
Both anger and lust can lead to estrangement from others, so Jesus also addressed the need for us to make efforts for reconciliation with our brothers and sisters (vs. 23-26). If we have a problem or grievance with someone, we need to resolve it as soon as possible. It is important to resolve differences before anger can cause more trouble (Proverbs 25:8-10). Small conflicts mend more easily than larger ones.
Reconciliation is important. We need to make an effort at it in order to have an unobstructed relationship with God. Jesus said to forgive others before prayer or worship, otherwise our prayers will be hindered. He wants us to let go of the grudge. The other person may not be receptive. However, that is not our responsibility if we have made the attempt, but we need to do our part in trying to reconcile. Our attitude towards others reflects our relationship with God (I John 4:20-21).
In closing, our Scripture today shows that thought control is just as important as bodily self-control. Jesus says that we will be held accountable for our thoughts, as well as our actions. As St. Paul advises, let’s keep our thoughts on what is good, pure, lovely, true, and noble (Philippians 4:8).
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