Rules or Relationships?
This is the message I shared last Sunday at Bethel Lutheran Church in Portville, NY, where I have the privilege of serving as pastor. It is based on Matthew 5:21-37 . The Ten Commandments don’t sound that hard, do they? Is Jesus doing away with the law? After all, that’s the Old Testament. It doesn’t really apply to us today…or does it? Jesus’ interpretation makes it sound like he’s making it a lot harder. Jesus doesn’t let any of us off the hook, but levels the playing field. We all fall short and we’re all guilty. Jesus is not giving us a new, harder list of rules. Rather, he is talking about the intention of the commandments. Jesus is saying, “Yes, I am challenging interpretations of the law that are not consistent with its heart: whole-hearted love of God and neighbor." Remember that Jesus told the rich man that the two greatest command...