Digging Deeper – The Heart of the Issue

Avatar photo Chris Boggess on July 27, 2026

 

“You must not have any other god but me.” 

“You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.” “

Exodus 20:3; 17 (NLT)

“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! 

 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 

Matthew 5:21-22a; 27-28 (NLT)


THE HEART OF THE ISSUE

Years ago, I remember there being a big kerfuffle about whether the Ten Commandments should be displayed in courthouses. The pro-display crowd argued that the Ten Commandments were a legal document and therefore had a place in modern courthouses.

I always thought this argument was a little off. The Ten Commandments definitely give us a template for how to live in harmony with one another and with God, but as a legal document, they are severely lacking. They identify offenses but provide no indication of the punishments for violating them. Then they conclude with the unusual commandment, “Do not covet.”

Unlike stealing, murder, or adultery, coveting does not directly affect those around me. It is not an action but a thought. And last I checked, we do not make laws about thoughts.

At first glance, the commandment about coveting seems a bit out of place among the other nine. It stands out because it can be hidden away. It is a commandment that only you and God know whether you are keeping.

But there is one other commandment like it: the first commandment, to have no other gods before Jehovah. I believe these two commandments are the key to understanding what God is telling His people through the Ten Commandments.

I believe Jesus was helping His listeners understand what these commandments were truly teaching when He addressed two of the biggest ones on the list: adultery and murder. Instead of focusing only on the actions themselves, Jesus pointed out that these sinful actions begin in our thoughts—with the desires and impulses that come before the action.

Jesus addressed two commandments that are clearly tied to outward actions and explained that the actions themselves are not the root problem. Rather, they are symptoms of an issue within the heart.

Take a moment for some honest self-reflection. Is your heart aligned with God today? What have you allowed to come before Him in your life?

Surrender those things to Him. Get your heart right, and obedience to the other commands will follow.

 

Chris Boggess is the Care + Family Pastor at NorthStar Church. He grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and still cheers for the Mountaineers. He and his wife, Heather, have two grown children and one granddaughter.

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