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As we continue on with Jesus’ teaching from the Sermon on the Mount, we come upon his
words concerning oaths. While we may not live in the same type of oath-taking-culture as
his original hearers, the principles remain the same. We are to be people of our word that
follow through with what we promise

In this week’s passage, Jesus seamlessly moves from the subject of lust to divorce and remarriage. And in these topics, he continues to teach a righteousness that goes much deeper than the surface. While these subjects may make us uncomfortable, how we approach them as citizens of the kingdom matters immensely to the Lord.

In this week’s passage, Jesus talks about the sin of lust. Just like anger, it is a far deeper issue than what we see on the surface. For citizens of His kingdom, it is not only a matter of how we outwardly act, but also of what we entertain inwardly. Jesus is calling us to a fuller righteousness.

As we enter into the main body of Jesus’ teaching, he begins with a word on anger and dissension amongst brothers. And while it may seem excessive at first glance, Jesus’ instruction on these matters is a testimony to how serious God takes our relationships with one another.

After a break for Holy Week, we are now back to our Lord’s teaching from the Sermon on the Mount. This passage is the first one that comes after the Beatitudes and connects us into the main body of Jesus’ sermon. Here, the Lord shows us that following him is a higher call than what we may expect.

Today, we celebrate together the resurrection of our Lord as Holy Week and the Lenten season come to a close. Resurrection Sunday is the highest holy day in our calendar because if Jesus isn’t raised from the dead, then we don't have a foundation for our faith. As we see in Psalm 16, not only has God raised him, but this was the plan all along.