Let Your Yes Be Yes, and Your No Be No
Greetings in the Lord~ Today's first word is from Matthew 5:17-46. In these verses, Jesus focuses on the Law and then begins to explain God's heart and original intention in the Law, but because what he says almost sounds like he is changing the Law, he begins by clearly saying, "I did not come to change the Law...but to fulfill its purpose." So, we can know right away that their culture and understanding of the Law was different than what God had originally intended. Well, that always seems to happen; we learn the rules then set about to get around them or use them to our advantage! In a nutshell, Jesus is saying that it is not enough just to obey the Law, but to also embrace God's heart and attitude for the Law as well, and they will lead to truth. For example, the Law forbade adultery; yet Jesus explained that even having a heart full of lust for another was adultery. Likewise regarding murder; if your heart was full of bitter anger towards som...