August 29

Today’s Reading - Matthew 5:21-22

Thought:

The law was simple and clear: “You shall not murder.” The Jews of Jesus’ day had settled on a strict observance of that law prohibiting the act of maliciously taking another’s life. Jesus, though, teaches them (and us) that there is a higher standard and greater principle to which we are accountable. While the Jews were content simply to stop short of acting on their murderous thoughts or desires, Jesus teaches us to not even allow the malicious feelings or thoughts to enter our hearts. You see, not only does God care about our actions, He also cares about our hearts, our thoughts, and our motives. The real meaning of Jesus’ teaching is that God does not desire simply an obligatory physical observance of a law; He wants our hearts. In addition to our actions, He wants our thoughts, intentions, and motives to be godly. To put it simply: God wants all of us!

Why does God care about our hearts and motives?