Pastor’s sermon is based on the Gospel reading of Matthew 5:21-37. Jesus intensifies the law in today’s Gospel reading in order to help us avoid seeing the law as merely drawing moral boundaries. Jesus alerts us to our responsibility to care for those around us. One can too easily discriminate, injure, neglect, or bad mouth a neighbor, all the while saying, “Hey, I’ve kept the commandment, because I haven’t killed anyone.” And so, Jesus intensifies the law in today’s Gospel reading to make us even more responsible for our neighbor’s well-being. Because by caring for our neighbor, we strengthen our communities and it enables all of us to better serve as a blessing to the world, which happens to be God’s constant command and expectation of God’s people.
