I am a Jesus pusher!!! “You have heard it said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment’” (Matthew 5:21). A four-year-old child’s view sees punishment only in physical consequences. This immature level demands physical punishment for breaking the rules. Their obedience is motivated by fear of the consequences. Our passage states a physical rule: “You shall not murder.” The motive for not acting in murder is, “whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment” (Matthew 5:21). The Greek word “krisis,” translated as judgment, is often a reference to a local court of the Jews. The scribes and Pharisees viewed the consequences of murder only in the physical world. If caught, they would be taken to the local court to be judged by their peers.
The consequences for sin are not only in the physical realm. Being captured and brought before the local court is not the issue. Our physical responses produce spiritual consequences. “Not getting caught” has no chance. The seed of destruction abides in the act itself. No local court or even an eternal court will need to judge. Every attitude not expressing the nature of God leads to its destruction. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Death is not confined to the physical but unfolds and grows in death to the total being forever. Jesus is not threatening us with punishment but is making us aware of the consequences. Consequences flow not from a physical act but a spiritual condition. His nature merged with my helplessness is the solution. I am a Jesus pusher!!!