Week 7: The Antitheses — A Deeper Righteousness

1.Bonhoeffer reads the antitheses not as Jesus tightening the law into an impossible demand but as Jesus revealing the full human depth the law always intended to reach — anger is the heart of murder, lust is the heart of adultery. How does this reframe the purpose of the law? Is Jesus liberating or convicting you as you read this?

2.On anger: Bonhoeffer says that anger, even when "righteous," sets us up as judge over our brother — and that Jesus cuts off this self-appointment. He connects this to the command to be reconciled before bringing your gift to the altar. Is there a relationship in your life where you are carrying anger that makes worship hollow?

3.On lust: Bonhoeffer takes seriously Jesus' command to "tear out your eye" if it causes you to sin — not literally, but as a genuine call to radical action against sources of temptation. He says disciples must be prepared to "sacrifice" the thing that, while not sinful in itself, becomes a gateway to sin. What specific disciplines or decisions might this require in your life?