Matthew 5:22b (NKJV): And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council.
Jesus is giving a second warning here in regards to hatred towards someone in their heart. When we look to see what “raca” means, we understand that it is a term that was used to say that someone is empty-headed or worthless. In fact, it is noted that the Jews used it as a word of contempt. (https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/raca/)
If we say that someone is worthless, it definitely shows that we have hatred for them. Even if we say, jokingly, that they are empty-headed, it does not show a value for them. Jesus is emphasizing that we all have value. That we need to show Love for one another. That we should not look for faults in each other but that we need to build each other up.
We all can say that we know people who seem to look for faults in everyone. That shows a heart of contempt. This is not the type of person that we would become as a follower of Jesus. He is being sharp in this correction because again, as we noted with the first warning, hatred deep in the heart, can and has led to murder. Jesus is also saying that with this hatred, it is as if we are killing someone in our hearts so that we have a reason not to show them love.
Jesus is showing to all of us here that our hearts need to change. He is revealing here that The Law is meant to reveal how our hearts are not pure. He is showing that we need a “Heart Transplant”. In order for our hearts to be changed, He needs to be Our Lord and Savior in our lives. We need to let Him change us.
Do you believe that He died on the cross for us? If not, why not? If so, are you allowing Him to change you?
We will continue be looking at the Sermon on The Mount. Although, we need Jesus to bring us back into A Relationship with God The Father, The Sermon on The Mount deals with Heart Issues which is what we should look at when learning to have that Relationship with God.
If we are to please God, we need to allow The Holy Spirit to set us apart. We need to pursue a sinless life. We are to seek Righteousness. How do we do it? Through prayer, study, fellowship, being willing to be corrected/accountability, discipleship, and service.
It starts with Our Relationship with Jesus. If you don’t have a Relationship with Him or you need to rekindle that Relationship, do it now. Call out to Him and seek his Love and Forgiveness. It really is as hard or easy as you make it.
We should look to Him daily to seek a relationship with Him. I want to encourage you to seek Him today, if you haven’t already. If you need help, have questions or need direction in this regard, please, feel free to let me know.
Maybe today you are struggling with something. Maybe you may have found yourself not as close to The Lord as you thought. We would like to help you in this through prayer and guidance. If you find yourself in need of prayer and/or encouragement, please, feel free to call or text +1 (505) 600-1027 or email cross66info@gmail.com
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Any scripture referenced here is taken from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted
