As Lord of the Kingdom and Rabbi of God, Jesus not only highlighted the Old Testament truth but broadened and intensified it to reflect the holiness his Kingdom required. While the audience had heard the standards of behavior set by the Law, Christ revealed the heart of what God desires in the commands. The Kingdom of God and its righteousness intensifies the Law and reveals a high standard that none can keep – without Christ’s forgiveness and the Holy Spirit, God’s gift to those who believe.

The act of adultery, or what we would call cheating on your partner, does not arise from thin air. Christ here says that it grows from the seed of uncontrolled lusts in our hearts and minds. The Holy Spirit in us works not only to prevent us from the act of adultery, but also to exercise self-control, taking our thoughts captive, before the seed of lust grows into life-altering sin.

God our Father, help us to see one another not as sex objects, but as your beloved ones who bear your image.

From one point of view, worship in the Old Testament is an attitude of homage or adoration to God as a great king. It could be expressed in silence or by a simple gesture. It could be indicated by that gesture in association with praise or the offering of sacrifices. In the final analysis, it is the attitude of the heart that really matters. Such responses were made spontaneously, in recognition of some new disclosure of God’s character and will, or in the course of some regular pattern of ritual activity.

~ David G. Peterson, Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992. pp. 72-73.

Let God Arise! Seasonal Focus
Jesus Fulfills the Law, Matthew 5.13-20

Book Reading
Peterson, Engaging with God

Our Corporate Disciplines
Book Discussion: Tuesday, February 14, 2023