Jesus must have thought the fifth, sixth, and eighth commandments needed to be expanded. That is the conclusion we can reach when we consider this Sunday’s Gospel, which is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount that we began reading on February 1.

After quoting the fifth commandment that says, “You shall not kill,” Jesus adds, “But I say to you whoever is angry with his brother is liable to judgment.” Jesus then adds that if there is anger between brothers, they should first seek reconciliation with one another before going to the altar to offer prayer and sacrifice to God.

After quoting the sixth commandment that declares, “You shall not commit adultery,” Jesus added, “But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Jesus then expanded adultery to include those who divorce and enter other relationships.

After referring to the eighth commandment that prohibits the taking false oaths, Jesus said, “But I say to you, do not swear at all.” He commands people to speak words that are honest and true, to make their “Yes” mean “Yes” and their “No” mean “No.”

In giving us these additions to the commandments, Jesus was not just increasing the number of laws that people were expected to follow—something for which he criticized the scribes and Pharisees. As he said, “They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them” (Matthew 23:4). Rather, Jesus is challenging us to enlarge our focus beyond the “big” sins like murder, adultery, and lying under oath.

Jesus advises us to look at the behavior, the attitudes, the compromises of conscience, and the darkness in our hearts and minds that can easily escalate to more serious violations of God’s law. Unchecked anger can lead to murder. Lustful fantasies can morph into adultery. So-called “white lies” can become words that defame reputations and destroy lives.

In adding to our understanding of the commandments, Jesus was also motivated by his love for us. He wanted to give us a fuller understanding of what it means to genuinely love God and our neighbor. Jesus wanted to tell us how to be the kind of people he spoke of in the Beatitudes that began his Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.”  

  © 2026 Rev. Thomas Iwanowski