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You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery;'                but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.                If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.                If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.                'It was also said, 'Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,'                but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.                'Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, 'You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,'                but I tell you, don't swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God;                nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.                Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can't make one hair white or black.                But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.' Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.                'You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.'*                But I tell you, don't resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.                If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.                Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.                Give to him who asks you, and don't turn away him who desires to borrow from you.                'You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor,* and hate your enemy.*'                But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,                that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven.               
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Why was Jesus Condemned to Death on the Cross?
   

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Love One Another! 3/2004 → The main topic

Love One Another



The gospels tell us that hatred was the main reason for Christ’s crucifixion (cf. Mk 15:10) – a hatred prompted by the fact that Jesus behaved and taught as one who partook of the power and authority of God Himself (cf. Mk 15:10).

 

Jesus made it clear to his listeners that He was divine. By forgiving sins (cf. Mk 1:22) and claiming lordship over the Sabbath (Mt 12:8), He ascribed to Himself the attributes of God. The scribes and Pharisees reacted immediately by seeking to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God (Jn 5:18). They said to Him: We stone you for no good work but for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God (Jn 10:33). When Jesus said: Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM (Jn 8:58), He was clearly affirming His divinity, since he claimed the name of God: Yahweh – I AM. We are told that they took up stones to throw at Him, but this time Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple Jn (8:59).
The final decision to put Jesus to death was made after the raising of Lazarus in Bethany. At a meeting of the council, the chief priests and Pharisees observed: this man performs many signs. If we let him go on thus, every one will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation (Jn 11:47-48). From that day on - we are told - they took counsel how to put him to death (Jn 11:53). After Jesus was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin, the chief priest Caiaphas said to Him: I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said to him, You have said so (Mt 26:63-64; cf. Mk 14: 62; Lk 22:70). To the members of the Sanhedrin this was open blasphemy. Jesus admitted to being God, and for this they all condemned him as deserving death (Mk 14:64). The sentence could only be carried out by permission of Rome’s deputy, Pontius Pilate. Even though Pilate was convinced of Jesus’ innocence, he bowed to the pressure mounted by the Sanhedrin and the mob and agreed to His crucifixion for fear of incurring Caesar’s displeasure.
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The above article was published with permission from Miłujcie się! in November 2010


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