From Matthew 5:21-26 / Exceeding Righteousness – Having just told us that the righteousness we must have needs to exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees, Jesus then goes to explain what He means by it. It is not be found in following the mere letter of God’s Law. It must go into the very heart of man at the deepest level, and call out of Him the very righteousness of God, which can come only from God Himself. Even the simplest, most normal of human reactions and responses must be weighed by God’s standard. Nothing will be overlooked. Hence He shows that the kind of name-calling He is addressing is that which comes out of personal animus. It is not that we cannot call out foolishness and fools when we see them, but those judgments must come from personal disinterest. When it is human aggression and a personal attack, it is sin. In today’s social media and internet climate, scorning others has become a way of life. We walk around perpetually angry with others, flinging insults and invectives everywhere we go and denominating everyone a fool who does not agree with us on anything. Father, deliver us! And I have to say, I’ve not let this well inform my own soul in terms of how it emphasizes the dignity of all mankind as made in the image of God. How quick I am to disparage those who do foolish and stupid things. How quick I am to disdain them inwardly, even if I restrain myself outwardly. It is a sin. It is a failure to grasp just how precious all souls are in the mind of God. And how I need to regard them as such, value them as such and grieve at how the Fall may have damaged them, considering afresh how it has damaged me. Father, forgive me. There is nothing wrong with calling out error and saying “you’re wrong.” There is something wrong with defaulting to things like “you’re and idiot”, or a “moron” or a “fool.” Especially in terms of personal anger. Those too, are made in the image of God. And so we consider how He treats us in our foolishness. With infinite restraint. Thank you Jesus.