The Glove Still Fits
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” - Matthew 5:21-22
When you hear the word “murder,” what comes to mind? Some people might think of high-profile cases like O.J. Simpson or the Menendez brothers. Others might go further back and think of Cain and Abel. Either way, one pattern is clear: when someone commits murder, their next instinct is to cover it up or run. It is human nature to hide guilt.
But Jesus does something unexpected in Matthew 5. He takes this widely agreed-upon sin, one everyone sees as evil, and brings it closer to home. He says murder is not just about the physical act. It starts in the heart. Anger, bitterness, resentment. All of it falls under the same judgment in the eyes of God.
That means the standard is much higher than we think. Jesus isn’t interested in whether you’ve simply managed to avoid harming someone. He wants to know what is living in your heart toward them. That sarcastic comment, that grudge you have held onto for years, that silent bitterness you refuse to deal with, that’s where murder begins.
Jesus knew what the religious leaders had been teaching. He even quoted their words. But then He said something radical: “But I say to you…” It was His way of raising the standard, not lowering it. The Pharisees taught people to follow rules. Jesus was inviting people to be transformed from the inside out.
So where does that leave us? Guilty. Not just because we’ve failed to love, but because we’ve often nurtured anger instead. The good news is that Jesus did not just reveal our guilt. He came to forgive it. And through His grace, He empowers us to live with clean hearts, not just clean records.
The glove still fits. But Jesus still forgives. Let Him deal with the anger before it deals with you.
When you hear the word “murder,” what comes to mind? Some people might think of high-profile cases like O.J. Simpson or the Menendez brothers. Others might go further back and think of Cain and Abel. Either way, one pattern is clear: when someone commits murder, their next instinct is to cover it up or run. It is human nature to hide guilt.
But Jesus does something unexpected in Matthew 5. He takes this widely agreed-upon sin, one everyone sees as evil, and brings it closer to home. He says murder is not just about the physical act. It starts in the heart. Anger, bitterness, resentment. All of it falls under the same judgment in the eyes of God.
That means the standard is much higher than we think. Jesus isn’t interested in whether you’ve simply managed to avoid harming someone. He wants to know what is living in your heart toward them. That sarcastic comment, that grudge you have held onto for years, that silent bitterness you refuse to deal with, that’s where murder begins.
Jesus knew what the religious leaders had been teaching. He even quoted their words. But then He said something radical: “But I say to you…” It was His way of raising the standard, not lowering it. The Pharisees taught people to follow rules. Jesus was inviting people to be transformed from the inside out.
So where does that leave us? Guilty. Not just because we’ve failed to love, but because we’ve often nurtured anger instead. The good news is that Jesus did not just reveal our guilt. He came to forgive it. And through His grace, He empowers us to live with clean hearts, not just clean records.
The glove still fits. But Jesus still forgives. Let Him deal with the anger before it deals with you.
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