meaning of God's law
the law
Do not imagine that I have come to do away with the Law [the
Torah] or the
Prophets: I have not to abolish them, but to give them their full
meaning. I tell you solemnly: till heaven and earth disappear, not
even a period or comma will ever disappear from the Law--not till
everything written in it has happened.
So whoever breaks even one of the least of these commandments and
teaches others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of
Heaven; but whoever keeps them and teaches them will be called great
in the Kingdom of Heaven. (You must obey God's commands better than
the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, or you will never make it
into the Kingdom of Heaven.)
anger
You have heard that it was said to our People long ago:
Do not murder; and whoever does must face judgment. But I say
to you: Whoever is angry with a brother must face judgment; whoever
calls a brother "raqa" [Aramaic for "moron"] must answer to the
Sanhedrin [the Jewish high court]; whoever calls him "traitor" is in
danger of the fire of Gehenna. Let's say
that you are bringing your gift to the altar and remember that
your brother holds something against you: leave your gift there in
front of
the altar and go first to reconcile yourself with your brother; then
return and offer your gift. Similarly, come to terms with your
accuser before you reach the court, lest he hand you over to the
judge, and the judge to the warden, and you be thrown into prison.
Solemnly I tell you: you will not get out till you have paid the last
penny.
marriage
You have heard that it was said: Do not commit adultery.
But I say to you: Whoever looks on another woman with lust has already
committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye is your
downfall, tear it out and throw it away; better you should lose one
part of your body, than that your whole body perish in Gehenna.
And if your right hand is your downfall, cut it off and throw it away;
better to one part of your body than that your whole body go down to
Gehenna.
divorce
And it has been said: Whoever divorces his wife must give her a
notice of dismissal. But I say to you: Whoever divorces his wife,
unless she has committed some terrible sexual sin,
makes her an adulterer; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits
adultery.
promises
Again, you have heard that it was said to our People long ago:
Do not swear by the Lord's name to make a promise unless you are going
to keep it. But I say to you: Do not swear by anything at all,
either by heaven, since that is God's throne, or by earth, since that
is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, since that is the City of the Great
King. Do not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a
single hair white or black. Say "yes" when you mean "yes," and "no"
when you mean "no." Anything more than this comes from the Evil One.
revenge
You have heard that it was said: An eye for an eye and a tooth
for a tooth. But I say to you: Do not try to get even with a
person who has done something to you. If someone strikes you on the
right cheek, turn the other to him; is someone sues you for your
shirt, give him your coat as well; if a soldier forces you to carry
his pack one mile, carry it two miles. When people ask you for
something, give it to them. When they want to borrow money, lend it
to them.
love
You have heard that it was said: Love your neighbor and
hate your enemy. But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in
Heaven--for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and
sends his rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you
love only those who love you, what reward can you expect? Even tax
collectors love their friends. And if you greet only your friends, what
is so wonderful about that? Don't even the unbelievers do as much?
You must, therefore, include everyone, just as your heavenly Father
includes everyone.
Jesus of Nazareth
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