Jesus exposed the Pharisees’ application of the Exodus 21:24 command, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth’” (Matthew 5:38). They measured righteousness by personal retribution. They took a law meant to curb sinful retaliation and used it to justify personal vendettas. This is what moralism always does: It picks and chooses what it wants to obey. In this case, the Pharisees rejected Leviticus 19:17-18, “You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart…You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And in its place, they chose eye-for-eye payback. Why? Because moralism always panders to our fallen nature.

“Do not think I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets;

I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”

Matthew 5:17

Tunes we hear as children often stay with us as adults. Who doesn’t know Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star? Even after many decades, who couldn’t start a round of Wheels on a Bus? Children’s songs are nostalgic, bringing us back to a time of simplicity and safety—who can’t hear their mom singing a sweet lullaby in their ear? 

Today’s Siren also has a childhood song. It’s the song of moralism—the chorus we heard growing up, the melody that plays in the background of our mind, and the ditty we hum to ourselves without even realizing it. Be Nice is the title. Do good things is the refrain. And God will accept you is the message.

It’s the song that prioritizes external behavior. In Christian circles, it sounds like this: Put something in the offering plate and say your evening prayers, and then God will bless you; you’ll put a smile on His face and earn His favor. After all, “God helps those who help themselves.” Right?1 

An Oldie, But Baddie

Moralism is an oldie—the song the Pharisees sang as they followed their man-made rules for righteousness, measuring personal holiness by external benchmarks and their own legalistic traditions. But it is not a goodie. It is a damning song that dismisses God’s requirement for acceptance and spurns Jesus’ words, “You are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). 

Jesus Was No Moralist

Unlike the Pharisees, Jesus addressed a person’s inner condition over their external obedience. He searched hearts; He didn’t offer lists to cross off. He called His hearers to recognize their spiritual bankruptcy (Matthew 5:3); He didn’t give boxes to check. Jesus pleaded with men to sorrow over sin, humble themselves, and seek a righteousness they could not earn (Matthew 5:4-6). 

The contrast was unmistakable. Jesus taught that only “the pure in heart…shall see God” (Matthew 5:8), while the moralistic Pharisees promised divine acceptance based upon ritual adherence (Mark 7:3-4). No wonder Jesus said, “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20)—a standard that still applies today. 

Cleaning Up the Moralistic Mess

Moralistic righteousness is the context of Jesus’ mission statement in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” 

For centuries, the Pharisees had elevated their oral traditions to the status of Scripture. According to the Talmud, “It [was] more culpable to teach against the ordinances of the scribes than against the Torah itself.”2 The rabbis commanded, “Give more heed to the words of the rabbis than to the words of the Law.”3 They even warned, “He who transgresses the word of the scribes throws away his life.”4 By opposing the Pharisees’ moralistic application of the Old Testament, Jesus knew He was stepping into dangerous territory. 

Thus, to avoid any misunderstanding, Jesus defended His heart-probing teaching from the outset. Yes, His teaching would differ significantly from the religious leaders’ hallowed traditions, but He was not “abolishing the Law” in any way. He was fulfilling it—filling out the Law’s true meaning, something the Pharisees had covered up for centuries. 

This is why the next 31 verses of Matthew 5 are framed by the statement, “You have heard it said…but I say to you” (Matthew 5:21–22; 27–28; 31–32; 33–34; 38–39; 43–44). Jesus was cleaning up the moralistic mess the Pharisees had made. He was contrasting His gospel with theirs, making it clear that no amount of outward obedience (“you have heard it said”) could ever earn acceptance into God’s presence (“but I say to you”). The righteousness God requires must surpass the Pharisees’ external behavior. Nothing less than a sinless mind, righteous motives, and flawless attitudes would suffice.. 

Exposing the Heinousness of Hate

Jesus began to unmask the Pharisees’ moralistic gospel by setting His sights on their view of murder. “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court’” (Matthew 5:21). Who would disagree with that? Murder is a heinous sin (Exodus 20:13). 

But Jesus was not disparaging the sixth commandment. He was showing how shallowly the Pharisees had interpreted it. Simply checking off the box, “I did not murder,” was never what God intended—though that is what the Pharisees taught. God demanded much more. His requirement ran much deeper. He was looking for a murder-free spirit, a heart without hatred, and a mouth free from insulting speech. 

This is why Jesus added, “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell” (Matthew 5:22–23). 

Quite a contrast, isn’t it? Even the unseen sins of anger and hatred, and the all-too-common sin of insulting words, are worthy of hell. This is no moralistic message. 

Condemning an Adulterous Mind

Jesus then turned to the Pharisees’ superficial application of sexual purity.

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