From Matthew 5:33-37 / Knowing God – As Jesus continues through these 6 “you have heard” statements, it is easy to miss the backdrop of them in favor of just seeing them as injunctions for us to follow. Each one, tells us something of the nature of God Himself. And having been created as His image-bearers, Jesus is unpacking the reality that our problem is not one of mere, mechanical obedience, but that our basic nature has been so polluted by sin, it no longer bears His image. Why is hatred in the heart an issue? Because it is contrary to the very nature of God. Why is adultery so important as an expression of the lust behind it? Because God is holy, and so lust is not in His nature. Why is the issue of divorce important? Because God is ever faithful. Or our portion today, that of bearing false witness. God is a God of truth. His word is always to be trusted. If your word cannot be trusted without an oath, something is very wrong. There is a fundamental soul problem. In 38-42 – God is not petty and vengeful, but merciful and gracious even to His enemies. If it were not so, there would be no salvation at all. And in 43-48, though He will in time judge all sin and sinners in perfect justice, He nevertheless is merciful and gracious and kind and blesses His enemies day in and day out. Jesus’ call to us here is not a plea for behavior modification, but of showing us how desperately we need Him. How in our deepest parts sin has corrupted and defiled us. That our basic problem is that we have lost the true image of God we were meant to reflect to the cosmos. And so He clearly and carefully lays out the case of why we are in such need of saving. And in a very short time, He will Himself become the means of that salvation by dying on the Cross for our sin, for our corruption, for our defilement, rebellion, and every expression of it in life. He will make an atonement in His own blood. A means of satisfaction for all who will believe. So that we might be reconciled to the Father, and one day, find His image wholly restored in us. Oh how precious our Jesus is.