Have you ever seen one of those photos of an iceberg in clear water, where you can see the huge mass of ice below the surface? I love those photos, because they drive home the whole idea behind the expression, "That's just the tip of the iceberg." It's a well-worn idea, of course, that quite often what we encounter in life is only a small fraction of what is actually there. I've had this image in my mind as I reread the gospel for this weekend.

This weekend we'll continue to hear from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus' most extensive teaching on the nature of faithful life in relationship with God. The portion we hear this weekend (Matthew 5:21-37) includes a series of dichotomies, in which Jesus seems to up the ante on the commandments. "You have heard that it was said _____, but I say to you _____."

I like to think of these as Jesus' "Iceberg Teachings." "You have heard it said" is Jesus calling attention to the tip of the iceberg, the visible portion that typically gets the attention. These are the outward behaviors we can see, notice, and use to judge others. But be careful, Jesus says, because there is so much below the surface. And down there, lurking below the visible, are the things we should be more afraid of.

Allow me to paraphrase our Lord using this metaphor:

You have heard it said don't murder…but I say to you be careful about what lurks below murder, inside the depths of the human heart: anger, malice, and contempt. You don't always see them but they are just as deadly serious.

You've heard it said don't commit adultery…but I say to you be careful about what lurks inside the human heart: lust, coveting, turning people into objects in your mind for your gratification. Be on guard against these dangers, too.

You've heard it said don't swear falsely…but I say to you be careful about all the less public ways your integrity is on the line. What we think and what we do in private may not get easily noticed but it is no less corrosive to our integrity.

You've heard it said love your neighbor and hate your enemy…but I say to you that if we really want anything to change in this world, if we want conflict and division and violence to end, we will need to go deeper than just loving our neighbors. We'll need to love our enemies, too.

Jesus seeks not only our outward obedience, but our inner health and wholeness. Jesus doesn't want us to just seem like good people, he wants us to be good people – inside and out. Because the Kingdom of God is not merely a society of polite rule-followers; it is the reign of God's grace within us.

I wonder where you may be honoring the tip of the iceberg, but are neglecting the dangers below the surface? I wonder how you're following the letter of the law, but have work to do honoring its spirit, too? I wonder how you might need to ask for God's grace to settle more deeply inside your heart and soul, where the true dangers lurk, so you can know more of the peace and goodness of life in Christ?