Matthew 5:22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
There are strict rules around foul play in football or rugby games. A ‘foul’ is an unfair act of the player. If a player lunges at the opponent player to catch or throw the ball from any side or pounces with his legs with excessive force endangering the safety of an opponent, the player will be guilty of a serious foul play. A player who commits foul play will be warned or be sent out of the turf temporarily or permanently. Foul is determined by the referee and punished by awarding the opponent team a free kick.
Jesus came into the world not to abolish the Law of Moses but to set the standards higher. He empowered us with His Holy Spirit and endowed us with His grace and mercy to raise the bar. The Law said ‘do not commit adultery’ but Jesus said, ‘do not look at a woman with lust’. The Law said, ‘do not murder’ but Jesus said, to hate, insult and slander will be judged as man-slaughter. The word “Raca” in Aramaic means “worthless or empty”. It is derived from the root word “to spit”. To gossip, belittle or malign is as gruesome as murder. Butchering a person’s reputation is like spitting on their face. As a foul player will be out of the game, a hypocrite will be disqualified from God’s winning team.
The Lord will reprimand those who backbite, bicker and belabor. Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another (James 4:11). The hate speech of Miriam and Aaron against their brother Moses was punished by the Lord Almighty. Miriam’s skin was leprous—it became as white as snow (Numbers 12:10b). Miriam was healed as Moses pleaded for her forgiveness but we never see her back as a worship leader to the congregation of Israel.
Jesus raised the standards higher:
1. Foul: Fouls are not reset during halftime. Halftime rest only helps to recover personal injuries, not fouls. Many use grace as an excuse to sin but sin disqualifies them from being part of the winning team.
2. Fake: Hypocrites, phony and fake people do not qualify God’s standard. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 7:21). God’s standard is measured by the quality of our life.
3. Façade: Talent does not keep us in the game, only truth does. Likewise, a façade of holiness does not qualify to be part of the winning team, only faithfulness does. You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence (Matthew 23:25).
The birth of Jesus raised the standard of a Christian higher.
Matthew 5:39 If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
Prayer: Jesus my King, empower me to live up to your standards and win many souls for your kingdom. Amen.
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