When Jesus walked the Earth in his 30 years of ministry, his teachings turned the world upside down. In the days of the Old Testament, the laws were very black and white. When Jesus preached his sermon on the mount, he gave a whole new twist to the laws that were once set. Picture Jesus sitting on the mountain and preaching to the people, think about how the people reacted and think about how awestruck the people were. A couple of examples will be shown in the following to illustrate how Jesus gave new meaning to the laws and left everyone agape.
Jesus beings by saying in Matthew 5:21, "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment'- (page14). The people in the crowd started to nod their head in agreement and said to one another that they have never killed anyone before so this law does not apply to them. Then Jesus drops the bomb and says, "But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment- (page14). What did Jesus mean by that?.
Another example is found in Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus states, "'You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart- (page 14). Again, the people are left dumbfounded. What does Jesus mean? In both cases, Jesus is talking about the condition of one's heart. He is basically saying, "Just because you did not perform these acts does not mean that they do not exist in your heart."" Wow. Who has never been angry with their brother? Who has not looked at another human being and lust after them? Reading between the lines, the people looked at Jesus still confused and said, "You mean if I am angry with my brother, I am killing him in my heart? You mean if I look at another woman a certain way that makes me an adulterer?- Who would have ever interpreted the laws as Jesus did? Can you just imagine how confused and bewildered the people must have been?.
