Last time, we listened to Jesus preach His introduction of the Sermon on the Mount, referred to as the Beatitudes (see Defining the Sabbath, the Gathering of the Twelve and the Sermon on the Mount). He was teaching how to live a godly life.
Now, Christ begins to teach us how to apply that knowledge.
“You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Mt. 5:4 – 16. AMP
Later, the Holy Spirit, through the apostle Paul, would bring us additional illumination:
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works. Proclaim these things…
Remind them to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people. Titus 2:11 – 3:2. NLT
(Note: Up to now, Jesus has only referred to Jehovah as His Father. Now, He is saying that God is our Father as well.)
We are to try our best to be living testimonies of God’s goodness – living examples of the transformation available for all who walk with God, in the hopes that we will motivate others to become His children.
Jesus then changes His perspective. He begins to teach the ‘ground rules’ that we must follow, to remain in godly character. Our Savior does so by pointing out that He is the new and permanent Sheriff in town – establishing His authority to render His teachings:
“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” Mt. 5:17, 18. NLT
Here, Christ is also taking a backhanded swipe at the Pharisee’s mutilation of the Mosaic Law, to further their own agendas.
It is also puts all ‘conditional Christians’ who maintain that it is only the words of Jesus that are relevant in the Bible on notice. He is validating the Old Testament as well as the New Covenant, while letting us know that He will evolve some of the Scriptures into their full revelation.
The Old Testament is the gospel in bud. The New Testament is the gospel in full bloom. J.C. Ryle from Daily Readings from All Four Gospels
Then, He illustrates the eternal gravity that our obedience to the Scriptures holds:
“So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
But I warn you – unless your righteousness is better that the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven! Mt. 5:19, 20. NLT
That’s giving it to the Pharisees! Jesus is telling His audience that their ‘religious leaders’ have so distorted the laws of God, that if they follow their teachings, it will jeopardize their chance for salvation.
Returning to where Jesus spoke of ‘evolving’ some of the Scriptures, He now presents an example:
“You have heard that our ancestors were told, “You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.
But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.” Mt. 5:21, 22. NLT
Jesus is referring to the sixth of the Ten Commandments, saying that even if you are mentally entertaining anger or disdain regarding another person, you are in effect murdering them. He tells us that a heavenly court will deliver judgment for our mental murders.
It is human to get angry; but the focus of it should not be upon the perpetrator of the offense, but at the unrighteousness of the offense itself.
Finally, we must take it upon ourselves to attempt to reconcile:
If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all. Rm. 12:18 ESV
There is no anger in peace. God wants you to shed your anger because when you are angry at another, you are withholding your love from them – effectively cutting off the love that God was going to send them through you.
In fact, your unrepentant anger will sever your love-connection with Jehovah Himself. Indeed, Jesus goes on to say that God would not even grant you an audience with Him, until you have cleaned up your heart and made your best effort to make peace:
“So if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and while there you remember that your brother has something [such as a grievance or legitimate complaint] against you, leave your offering at the altar and go. First make peace with your brother, and then come and present your offering.” Mt. 5:23, 24. AMP
Next, Jesus ‘evolves’ the seventh commandment:
“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.
But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery in his heart.” Mt. 5:27, 28. NLT
He immediately follows this with this an additional admonition:
“If your right eye makes you stumble and leads you to sin, tear it out and throw it away [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for you whole body to be thrown into hell.” Mt. 5:29 AMP
So, like murder, adultery also first begins in your mind. And Jesus is telling us to run fast and hard from any temptation that entices us to transgress the word of God.
Next, Christ tackles a related Mosaic law that the Pharisees have twisted profusely:
“You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.
But I say, that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.” Mt. 5:31, 32. NLT
Jesus is referring to the conditions that were acceptable by the Pharisees, who practiced ‘no-fault’ divorce – just like society does in the present day.
His ‘fix’ is that divorce is only acceptable if the offending spouse will not halt their adulterous behavior.
However, if the spouse is repentant, it is our Christian duty to forgive them and work towards restoring that wounded marriage.
A divorce for any other reason, (exempting abandonment or unrepented abuse), forces the afflicted spouse to commit adultery if they remarry, because the divorce is not recognized by God.
The Pharisees used Mosaic Law to try to justify their view, (see Dt. 24:1-4). However, those Scriptures were not meant to justify divorce, but rather to protect the wife during the process.
God is very clear where He stands with divorce:
“For I hate divorce!” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,’ says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.” Mal. 2:16 NLT
And Jesus puts a period on it:
“But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother [to establish a home with his wife], and the two shall become one flesh…Therefore, what God has united and joined together, man must not separate [by divorce].” Mk. 10:6 – 9. AMP
Returning to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus evolves personal integrity: (which involves to some extent, the third commandment)
“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the LORD.
But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.” Mt. 5:33 – 37. NLT
The Pharisees were teaching that one must invoke an oath to prove the veracity of their speech. Jesus is saying to only stand on the integrity of our character, as the foundation of our truth-telling.
Next, with regards to Jesus’ evolvement of Scripture at this juncture, He addresses how to refrain from revenge:
“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say, do not resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.” Mt. 5:38, 29. NLT
We are not to retaliate when wronged. Instead, we want to compassionately defuse the situation and reconcile with the perpetrator if that can be safely done. It’s a metaphor! Jesus is not telling us to stand still and get beat to death.
Christ then tackles the human tendency to be indifferent to the plights of others:
“Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” Mt. 5:42 CSB
“And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.
“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Lk. 6:34 – 36. NLT
We are to be motivated by love, not self-interest.
Jesus also elaborates on our reward from heaven, for our acting out of love:
“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full – pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” Lk. 6:38 NLT
How amazing is Jesus Christ? He coalesces all of God’s word to demonstrate how our godly character can make a difference in this world – leading others into the bosom of God. If we live a life of godly integrity, we will live a life that resists anger, honors matrimony, and reaches out to others in love. In so doing, revenge and indifference will become a thing of the past.
In fact, when we step into the shoes of Christ, even the concept of ‘enemy’ can no longer exist.
Jesus winds down His evolvement of Scripture with that very thought:
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” Mt. 5:43 NLT
[‘You shall love your neighbor’ is a quote from Moses (Lv. 19:18); the ‘hate your enemy’ part, was added by the Pharisees, thus not scriptural.]
“But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” Mt. 5:44, 45. NLT
Walk like a Christian. Walk like a Christian. (In the tune of ‘Walk Like an Egyptian,’ by the Bangles – a little humor).
To be continued…
Goodnight and God bless.