Matthew 5:21-37 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 5:21-37 on biblegateway.com
Verse 21"You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' Verse 22But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. Verse 23So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, Verse 24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Verse 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Verse 26Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
Verse 27"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' Verse 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Verse 29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. Verse 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. Verse 31"It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' Verse 32But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Verse 33"Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' Verse 34But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, Verse 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Verse 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Verse 37Let your word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one.
Devotion
The Beatitudes come just a bit before these words in Matthew about anger and divorce. This means that one of the most gracious and loving passages in all of Scripture transitions quickly into one of the hardest and most challenging texts of the Bible.
Anger, lust, divorce and breaking promises all cause serious pain in relationships for all people, married or single. All of them are things that can quickly push us off the path of God's ways, pull our eyes away from Jesus and drown out the whispers of the Spirit with shouts of self-hatred and despair. Yet it is not the act itself which is the only problem; more problems come when we do not deal with the issue, shove it aside, bury it under the rug and pretend everything's fine. Each of the things Jesus here names causes suffering; but the real trouble comes in never addressing it.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, hating myself or others is just another way to fix my eyes on myself instead of you. Inspire me to actually talk about those issues that cause pain, and encourage me to forgiveness. Amen.