You Have Heard It Said
Scripture: Matthew 5:21-37 (NRSVue)
Several times Jesus says of Moses and the teachers, “You have heard it said…but I say to you.” Rather than going easy on us, Jesus intensifies God’s commands, essentially saying, “don’t think this is easier than it actually is.” For Christ, thoughts and speech are as important as deeds. We will be judged not just by our external deeds, but also by our internal desires from the heart that may or may not manifest themselves in our deeds. Jesus is leveling the playing field here. We all need grace if we’re honest about the imperfections of both our outer deeds and inner desires. The good news is that Christ forgives our deeds and desires that miss the mark. Christ also lives in us and works with us to be who we are by God’s grace: a new creation. No matter our past, we have the hope of a new start moving forward. God isn’t finished with us yet—we’re his work of heart.
February 12, 2023
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Sermon Art: Mosaic of Christ, Chapel of the Mekane Yesus Seminary, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
https://www.lcms.org/about/beliefs/who-is-jesus
Other Sermons In This Series
Born of the Spirit
March 05, 2023
Seeing God in the Stranger
June 18, 2023
An Eye Opening Miracle
March 19, 2023