Matthew 5:17-20
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply for a few seconds before you begin. As you breathe in, say the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
As we continue exploring Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, read Matthew 5:17-20 taking note of anything that stands out to you.
One way of thinking about the laws of a given nation is that laws exist to govern the behavior of the citizens according to societal norms. For the nation of Israel, “the law” was given by God to govern God’s people according to God’s perfect rule and way. But law was not simply a matter of behavior.
According to Jesus, the law of God goes deeper than behaviors we can observe. God’s law reveals the condition of a person’s heart. Jesus did not come to dismantle God’s law but rather to give people a complete understanding of what God desires for them and for the world around them.
Get quiet for a moment and become aware of the presence of Jesus with you. Begin to think about the condition of your heart today. Do you sense that you are in sync with God’s perfect rule and way or do you sense that you are somehow out of step with God? Talk to Jesus about anything you are thinking or feeling.
Read Matthew 5:17-20 again noting anything new that stands out in this reading.
The Pharisees and teachers of the law were exemplary in their external behavior and were actively teaching God’s law to others. But Jesus’ warning about the “righteousness of the Pharisees,” shows that observable obedience to rules is not enough.
As we saw in the beatitudes, “righteousness” is another word for “shalom” – the state of being in God’s kingdom where love is the defining characteristic and justice exists equally for everyone. On our own we can never accomplish true righteousness for ourselves or for others, but as we listen to Jesus and yield our lives and behavior to him, he transforms us from the inside out and we become his agents of shalom in the world.
Return to silence for a moment inviting Jesus to make himself known to you in the quiet.
Consider the ways you may have sought to develop good or worthy behaviors. Have you ever failed in these efforts? How do you feel about the idea that true change comes from yielding to Jesus rather than from our efforts?
Talk to Jesus about this and then listen to him.
What do you sense Jesus saying to you today?
What will you do in response?
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