Last night we continued our study of the Sermon on the Mount by looking at Matthew 5:31-48. Here are the notes:
5:31-37 Speaking Truth and Keeping Your Word.
31-32 If you make marriage vows. Keep them.
Lifelong faithfulness within the relationship God created between man and woman. (Mt 19)
The point: the culture allowed easy divorce. Jesus calls them out for it.
33-37 Simple Truthfulness.
Lying was so prevalent that oaths were used to convince others that people weren’t lying.
The Point: The followers of Jesus are called to be thoroughly trustworthy, since their purity of heart (5:8) is always coming out of their mouths (See Mark 7). Now, why is this? Because God is perfect (5:48). He always speaks what is true, and therefore he is totally trustworthy, and totally reliable. He calls the followers of Christ to embody God’s reliability in the world—to be a light in the darkness of the culture of lying. Lying at every level of society breaks down the fabric of society, so the followers of Christ are called to be salt to stem the decay. By teaching his followers to be this way, Jesus is calling on all of humanity to repent of faithlessness and lying (4:17).
5:38-48 Doing good to all.
39. a slap – a serious insult, honor shame culture, you could take legal action against this.
40. you couldn’t legally sue for the tunic (“cloak”), but disciples offer them up freely. (see 1 Cor 6:7)
41. Roman occupiers could demand this.
So:
Respond to personal insult by showing willingness to be insulted further
Respond to legal action by freely offering up more than could be legally demanded
Respond to military oppression and occupation by going beyond what they demand.
42. Freely give and lend to those asking from you.
44. Hating is not an option. (permanent, deep seated hostility)
We must love all, from our wives, to friends, to strangers, to occupiers, and to personal enemies.
45-48. in order to “be” and to show that we are sons of the Father.
See Luke 6:32-38 – when God bestows “natural” blessing on people, it doesn’t “condone” their behavior, it just shows his kindness (see also Acts 14:17). Followers of Christ are freed up to give to everyone, bless everyone, regardless of what that person is like. We extend these things even to those who oppose us.
The Point: Followers of Jesus represent their father in heaven by being like him, especially in his kindness towards a world of people who oppose him and his ways. When people oppose us, they oppose small, fallible, imperfect humans like themselves. But when they oppose God, they oppose their creator and source of life. And yet he still extends kindness to them.
And–everyone says they like the teachings of Jesus, but are they ready for this? What does Jesus say to a world where every grievance is prosecuted, grudges are nursed from every insult, and every injustice brings calls for revolution? Is the world ready to follow a man who teaches kindness as the only legitimate retaliation? A quick scan of the news says no. Jesus’ response to all this is to say, “repent.”
Summing it up: The teachings of Christ confront humanity at gut level. He calls his followers to be distinct from their cultures in ways that contradict some of the most basic assumptions of human existence—like the need to retaliate in the name of justice. He calls us to see our poverty of spirit (5:3) in the face of his teachings, and to repent and follow his way. The rest of the bible shows that Jesus invites us to go to him and ask for a whole new life—which includes a new spiritual power that allows us to live in ways that reflect God’s character.