August 10, 2024 Devo

One of the myths that people have that Jesus completely shreds in the Sermon on the Mount is the myth that sins of the heart aren’t as bad as the sins of behavior. When I was growing up, sin was always presented as stuff we DID. If you drank, you were going to hell. If you used swear words, you were going to hell. If you danced, played cards, went to movies, or pretty much did anything fun, you were going to hell. Some of you grew up like that too, I’ll bet.
But I don’t ever remember hearing about sins of the heart. Which is really strange, because sin always starts on the INSIDE before it is performed on the outside. That’s why, as Jesus is trying to help people understand what it really means to live a godly life, He attacks sin at the root, not the blossom.
In our passage today, He challenges us to empty our hearts of anger and resentment. He says that when we’re harboring grudges and ill will in our hearts, it’s like murder. When it makes its way to our lips and we begin to name-call and curse people, that we’re in danger of hell. Let the power of that sink in.
But let’s set aside the eternal judgment for just a second. What Jesus is driving at is the fact that our outward behavior is not the true litmus test of the state of our souls. Legalists and Pharisees point to their “deeds” as the measure of their holy life. But God’s Spirit cannot draw close to our spirit if it is filled with anger, hate, and resentment. Our Unholy Attitudes create a wall that keeps distance between us and God.
So here it is. How is your heart today? Are you harboring anything WITHIN YOU that needs to be confessed, repented of, and let go? Jesus wants us to live lives that are God-honoring and holy. But He always wants to go deeper than the things we do. He wants to work within. Let’s let God do more than behavior modification. Let’s let His Spirit pull the roots out. That’s God’s Word for you today.