32 ACTIONS AND ATTITUDES F O O T ================================

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READING

32 ACTIONS AND ATTITUDES

PRAY Father, please use the Scriptures to make my thoughts more like yours. —————————————————————- READ Matthew 5:17-32. —————————————————————- THINK What was Jesus’ attitude to the Old Testament Law (17-19)? —————————————————————- FOCUS In our readings for the next two days Jesus contrasts his views of right and wrong with those of his hearers. GOD’S STANDARDS DO NOT CHANGE (17-20). ‘The Law and the Prophets’ means the Old Testament. ‘An iota’ was the smallest letter. ‘A dot’ was a mark distinguishing one letter from another – in much the same way as a small stroke distinguishes Q from O. Jesus says that God’s standards of right and wrong never change. So everybody in every century needs God’s forgiveness. THE SERIOUSNESS OF ANGER (21-26). The Old Testament forbade murder. Jesus naturally agrees with this. But he goes further. We should be concerned about angry insults as well (22a,22b). ‘Hell’ in verse 22 translates the word ‘Gehenna’, the name of the rubbish tip outside Jerusalem where fires were always burning the refuse. Jesus was using picture language – but how serious the picture is. ADULTERY (27-30). The Old Testament forbade the act. But Jesus tells us not even to commit the sin in our minds. It is thoughts that produce deeds. And what is so wonderful about imagining the sin and then not committing it simply because you fear the consequences? DIVORCE (31,32). Elsewhere (19:8) Jesus shows that the Old Testament law about divorce was a compromise that God allowed. In our fallen world divorce may, sometimes, be the only answer: it can be forgiven; but it always falls short of God’s original purpose. —————————————————————- PRAY Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me. (Psalm 51:10). ==========