#DailyDevotion Jesus Christ Is Our Only Hope For Mercy
Matt. 527“You have heard it was said: ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28“But I tell you, anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29“If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose a part of your body than to have all of it thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose a part of your body than to have all of it go to hell. 31“It was said: “Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a divorce paper.’ 32But I tell you, anyone who divorces his wife, except for her being sexually unfaithful, makes her a partner in adultery. And also the man who marries the divorced woman is living in adultery.”
33“ Again, you have heard that long ago the people were told: ‘Do not swear falsely, but give the Lord what you swear to give Him.’ 34“But I tell you, don’t swear at all, not by heaven – it is God’s throne; 35nor by the earth — it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem — it is the city of the great King. 36And don’t swear by your head, because you can’t make one hair white or black. 37Just say, ‘Yes, yes; no, no.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.”
Jesus continues in these verses teaching what the Law of the Lord is. He is showing he is not removing one i or dot of an i from the Law. He is throwing down the Law showing again that God is not only concerned about our outward actions but our inner intent and thoughts as well.
He lays into the sixth commandment, “Don’t commit adultery.” Well not having sex with someone other than your spouse is not what God intends at all. He doesn’t even wanting you to think about. So much for, “It’s ok to look, but don’t touch.” No, even looking with lust in your eye is breaking the commandment. Jesus doesn’t take it easy on divorce easy. As far as God is concerned you are married for life, for richer or poorer, sickness and health, idiot or thoughtful, big time call the police, press charges and put the spouse in jail or cuddle with them. Jesus does allow divorce in the case of the spouse committing adultery and breaking the marriage vow. And don’t even get me started on all the false teaching concerning the Pauline exception. I’ll just address it real quickly-the Pauline exception is when an unbelieving spouse wants to leave a believing spouse(.) Unfaithful pastors insert all sorts of stuff into the word they insert here “abandonment.” They are mangling the Law of God. The Law of God cuts no corners. There is no mercy. Unless there was a breaking of the marriage vow through adultery, those remarried are committing adultery.
Then he picks us the eighth commandment “Don’t bear false witness.” So Jesus goes from that to swearing and the second commandment, “Don’t misuse the name of the Lord your God.” For when we bear false witness we often bring God’s name into the fray to give weight to our lies. In every day affairs our word should be our bond. We should live such lives that when we say “Yes” people can depend on it and if we say “no” people can depend on that. Jesus is not referring to sacred oaths as given in the Law of Moses.
It is too much for us! Indeed, it seems hopeless. Thank God, he has had mercy on us and sent his Son Jesus Christ to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Apart from Jesus and the love of God and mercy found in him we would all perish. We will sin. Jesus has won salvation for us and his mercy is in the cross.
Merciful God and Father, have mercy on us in the multitude of our sin so we do not perish forever, for the sake of Jesus your son. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.