To say that Jesus was not legalistic can be mistakenly understood to say that Jesus was more lax than the legalists. This is not true.
In two particular cases, we can readily see that Jesus' stress on purity of heart takes one into much more difficult terrain. In the case of adultery, Jesus says that even if one looks lustfully at another person's spouse, he or she is guilty of adultery. Similarly, Jesus teaches that if one says to his brother or sister, "You fool!", he or she is liable to judgment.
Jesus' warnings against legalism do not let us be careless. Instead they ought to center Jesus' followers on the cultivation of the spiritual disciplines and practices that help us to grow to maturity in love and grace.
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