Unveiling What the Bible Has to Say About Moral Decision Making

This week’s assigned biblical readings open up a door for us to explore how scholars interpret the Bible in terms of moral decision-making. While all of the excerpts do a great job at individually representing their moral stance, Matthew 5:17-48—a text favored by virtue ethicists—really puts it all in perspective for me. What is interesting to note about this passage is that it is Jesus’ interpretation of the Ten Commandments that can be found in Exodus 20:1-17, which we also read this week. As the commandments are raffled off in Exodus for the Hebrew people, it should be very apparent to the reader why this is a text favored by duty-based ethicists. The Ten Commandments outline a list of rules delivered from God and while they aim at good intentions, they still are an “external source of authority.” Wherever there is a Law, there is an obligation, and while that works in some situations, it tends to falter in others. Moral decision-making should not lie in an external source, but instead, an internal reservoir. With that said, I will explore why Matthew 5:17-48 appropriately addresses the way we, as human beings, should be handling making decisions.

As previously noted, the text from Matthew captures part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Its reason for significance lies in his reinterpretation of the Ten Commandments, as well as its rhetorical structure. Jesus internalizes the commandments and rewords them in a way that the people listening can relate to. While the law stands firm in its historical roots, Jesus does not stop there. He takes it one step further. This passage is of great importance because it shows us that while the law serves a good purpose, it should not be all that we base our decision making on. What is even more important than the law is one’s moral character and Jesus does a perfect job at exemplifying that. Jesus could have taken to heart the commandments that Moses delivered to the Hebrew people and yet, he searched them a little deeper. He provides an ideal picture of what we should be doing if we truly long to be virtuous people. Oftentimes, we get stuck stressing over the world’s external rules, but Jesus calls us to focus our attention on our “inner disposition.” It is within one’s heart that the root of evil acts either begins to sprout or is uprooted.

Furthermore, there is no denying that whether you relate most to virtue ethics or duty-based ethics that there is a struggle that accompanies making moral decisions. This is something very evident in Romans 7:14-25, where Paul confesses his own shortcomings in controlling his desires. Paul captures the inner struggle of morality at its finest, admitting to the dilemmas that we often face as human beings. It is true that we “live with mixed emotions about [our] morality,” whether that involves following a set of rules or our gut. I think this week’s readings do a great job at depicting the various sides of moral decision making, but at the end of the day, making the best decision should lie within one’s own self, not in what the world around you tells you.