A Life in Exile

In our last post on New Testament references to the Ten Commandments, we saw that Jesus revealed to the rich young man that it wasn’t enough to follow the commandments. God expects us to hold nothing back in following Christ, even our possessions. Following Christ involves obedience to God’s commands, such as the original ten words and more. In fact, as we’ll see today, those commandments are much more than what they appear on the surface. Obedience begins from within.

You have heard it said.

Jesus, in his sermon on the mountainside, is bringing clarification to his earlier statement that he has come not to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them. The followers of Christ are to be seen as even more righteous than the scribes and Pharisees. How is this possible? It requires a heart change that only he can provide.

But let’s hear what he says in looking at two of the Ten Commandments:

“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.

“You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery.

Matthew 5:21, 27 CSB

The audience to which he was making this address was not unfamiliar with the Law. Most knew it by heart; so, when he quoted the sixth and seventh commandments, they would have known exactly what they were. Any good Jew would have the ten memorized and could, with some certainty, say they had been obedient to them. Jesus wanted to nip that confidence in the bud. He did it with four words.

But I tell you.

It’s not enough to not murder or commit adultery, because the heart and mind commit such sins before we ever take action.

But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment.

But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matthew 5:22, 28

With these words, Jesus moves the law from blatant outward acts to the basis of all sin—the heart and attitude. The sin we commit with our hearts and minds lead to the outward displays of sin in action. Both are wrong and both are worthy of God’s judgment. Christ-followers must be inwardly clean in thought and attitude as much as outwardly clean. Remember what he said to the scribes and Pharisees.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity. In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Matthew 23:27-28

Break one, break them all.

James also goes back to these same two commandments when addressing sin. Like Jesus, I think James realizes that these two are the ones that Jews and Christians alike would say they uphold without question. He wants Christ-followers to realize that it’s not in keeping these “big” sins that keep us right with God—committing any sin, even such as showing favoritism, is like breaking the entire law.

Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. If, however, you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all. For he who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. So if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker.

James 2:8-11

While the Ten Commandments are the foundational basis for walking in the Way of Christ, living a righteousness above that of the scribes and Pharisees requires inward holiness as well as outward. This can only be accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit and by practicing confession and repentance when we fail to keep our minds and hearts in check.

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Learning from the Past post, click HERE, or start the series from the BEGINNING.

You can also check out these posts on the same commandments from the Sermon on the Mount: Lessons from the Mountainside 12 and Lessons from the Mountainside 13