Matthew 5:21-30

Well, good evening.

One of my favorite things to do when I was a child was to correct people who were in

authority over me.

I was very aware of rules, and I wanted to make sure that those who were in authority

over me followed the rules as I understood them.

So when I went to kindergarten, I memorized the daily schedule.

You know, reading from 9 to 10, math from 10 to 11, whatever it was.

And if the teacher went even one minute past what the schedule said, I would raise my hand

and tell her, it's time for the class to be over, for us to go on to the next activity.

Now eventually the teacher moved my assigned seat so that I was sitting with my back to

the clock.

In first grade, I remember once during recess going over to where the teachers were standing

and trying to join in their conversation.

One of them says, Gregory, this is adult talk.

And at first I couldn't understand it.

I said, what did you say?

Adult?

And I said, no, no, no.

It's pronounced adult.

And she said, go away and play with the kids.

In second grade, I targeted the math teacher.

And once she said, there is only one right answer to any math problem.

And so I immediately started thinking and came up with a math problem that actually had

more than one right answer and made my case in front of the whole class.

Now that time I was technically correct.

The problem in all these situations is that I was constantly forgetting who I was and what

the rules were all about.

I was constantly forgetting that I was a child who was there to learn and not a teacher who

was there to instruct and correct.

I was also forgetting that I wasn't the one who had made any of these rules in the first

place.

And so I was assuming wrongly that I knew exactly how to interpret and apply the rules

in every situation.

Now in tonight's passage and in the rest of chapter 5, Jesus is reminding us of who we are

before God and what God's rules, God's law, is all about.

So turn to Matthew chapter 5.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

We're looking at Matthew chapter 5 verses 21 to 30.

Matthew 5:21–30

It'll be up on the screen, but you can also look in the Bible if you want to look back

and forth in some of the verses, page 810, if you're looking in the Pew Bibles.

Last week we saw in verse 17, Jesus said, I haven't come to abolish the law and the prophets,

I've come to fulfill them.

In other words, I've come to show you the true meaning of God's law.

And so Jesus, in these next three weeks, we're going to look at the rest of chapter 5.

He gives six examples.

He takes six issues, six commandments from the law, and he interprets them for us.

So tonight we're looking at the first two examples.

Let's read together, starting at verse 21.

Jesus said this,

You have heard that it was said to those of old,

you shall not murder, and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.

But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.

Whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council.

And whoever says, you fool, will be liable to the hell of fire.

So, if you're offering your gift at the altar, and there, remember that your brother has something against you,

leave your gift there before the altar and go.

First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you're going with him to court,

lest your accuser hand you over to the judge and the judge to the guard and you'll be put in prison.

Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you've paid the last penny.

You have heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery.

But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent

has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.

For it is better that you lose one of your members

than that your whole body be thrown into hell.

And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.

For it is better that you lose one of your members

than that your whole body go into hell.

Jesus has some pretty strong words here.

And as we look into this passage, you may feel

either mad or scared

because of what Jesus says.

And that probably means you're beginning to take Jesus seriously.

Which is a good thing.

But there's also good news

here, which we'll see at the end.

Now tonight I want to look at three things.

First, what God requires on the outside,

or sorry, on the inside.

In our heart.

Second, what God requires on the outside.

That is in our actions and words and relationships.

And third, I want to look at what God provides

so that we can actually carry this out.

So first, what God requires on the inside.

This is verse 21 and 22.

And then again, verse 27 and 28.

So each of these sections begins with the phrase,

you have heard that it was said.

And then Jesus refers to two of the Ten Commandments.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

That God had given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

But then Jesus goes on to say,

but I say to you.

And before we go any further,

we need to notice this.

Jesus is authoritatively,

unhesitatingly,

confidently interpreting God's law.

Now in Jesus' time,

it was common for religious teachers,

for rabbis to quote other rabbis from the past

in order to establish their interpretations.

Sort of like scholars do today by using footnotes.

You wouldn't write a scholarly book

without having at least as many footnotes

as you have regular text, right?

If you're a scholar, you know what I'm talking about.

And as a scholar, you're expected to interact with

what other scholars in your field have written before you.

Of course, the problem is,

not many people want to read a book

that has more footnotes than text,

except other scholars.

But Jesus bypasses all of that.

He doesn't approach the law

as one in a long line of many people

seeking to gradually

get an incrementally better understanding of it.

He confidently interprets the law

of God

as if he wrote it himself.

And when he interprets the law,

he begins by pointing to its heart.

Jesus says God's law goes a lot deeper

and it's a lot more serious than you think.

So it's not just prohibiting

actually murdering someone physically,

the physical act of murder.

It's also ruling out angry hearts

and insulting words.

And it's not just prohibiting the physical act

of having sex

with somebody who's already married.

It's also ruling out lustful looks

and unfaithful hearts.

And then the penalty

isn't just being brought before a local court.

If you actually murdered someone back then,

they'd bring you before a court,

a local court,

who would try the case

and make a judgment.

And Jesus says,

it's not just that.

It's not even just being brought

before the council.

That was sort of the supreme court of the land,

the Sanhedrin.

It's facing the court of God himself,

God's judgment,

the hell of fire,

exclusion from God's glorious kingdom forever.

Now you might say,

well, isn't that going a little overboard?

Right?

Maybe you would say,

well, I haven't murdered anyone.

I haven't slept with anyone

who's already married to someone else.

I'm not such a bad person.

But Jesus completely rejects that line of reasoning.

He says,

do you really think that you're good with God

just because you haven't actually murdered someone?

Just because you actually haven't,

haven't actually had sex with a married person?

Jesus says,

if that's your standard,

that is a very shallow, hollow standard.

And it won't stand up on judgment day.

Jesus says,

look deeper.

Look deeper into your heart

because God's kingdom

is not just characterized

by good appearances,

but by renewed hearts

that are right with God.

So he says,

the heart of murder

is anger.

Now, sometimes anger

is expressed in verbal insults.

Jesus gives a couple examples.

Or slander.

Right?

Gossip and backbiting.

Sometimes it's expressed

in silence

and passive aggressive behavior.

Now, even if you never harm

the person physically,

when you're angry

with another person,

however you express it

along that spectrum,

what you're basically saying is,

I value my life

more than yours.

I wish,

or even,

I wish I could write you off.

I wish I could cut you out of my life

and not have to deal with you any longer.

I want to live unhindered by you

and unconnected.

to you.

And Jesus says,

that's the root

of murder.

And he says,

murder

in the heart,

in words,

or in deeds,

has no place

in the kingdom of God.

Because God's kingdom

is a place

of life

and joy

and peace.

The apostle John

would say later on,

anyone who hates

his brother

or sister

is a murderer

and no murderer

has eternal life

in him.

Now it's true,

there is such a thing

as righteous indignation.

The Bible says that

God

is

righteously indignant

when he sees

our sin

and the way that our sin

has ravaged

our world.

God's kingdom

is a part.

And sometimes

it is wise

and even loving

to draw boundaries

in relationships

that have become

unhealthy.

Sometimes you must

distance yourself

from someone

who is leading you

into sin

or persisting

in destructive

patterns of behavior.

anger.

But Jesus says

if you must

do that,

you must only

do that

with the hope

and prayer

that one day

they would change

so that your

relationship

could be restored.

He says the heart

of murder

is anger.

And similarly

he goes on

in verse 27

and 28

to say that

the heart

of adultery

is lust.

Whether it's

expressed again

in thoughts

and looks

or in deeds

Jesus says

lust

has no place

in God's kingdom

because God's kingdom

is characterized

not by selfish

lust

but by loving

loyalty.

Now let me explain.

Jesus is not saying

that sex

is a bad thing.

God invented

sex.

He could have

not invented it

but he invented

sex to be

a glorious

physical expression

of his

unbreakable

bond

with his

people.

And in the

context of

marriage

sex is meant

to be

a regular

reaffirmation

of the

marriage promises.

It's saying

I would marry

you all over

again

tonight.

I'm giving

you everything

I have

without holding

back

and I'm loving

it.

That's what

marriage

means

and that's

what sex

means

in the

kingdom

of God.

And that's

how God

made it

to be

and that's

why marriage

and sex

are always

meant to be

together

and never

apart

in the

kingdom

of God.

Now the

problem

with lust

is that it

separates

what God

has meant

to be

joined

together.

It's a

distortion

of God's

good

creation.

Now it's

not simply

having a

strong

sexual

desire

or a

feeling

of

attraction

to

a

beautiful

woman

or

handsome

man.

Lust

we might

define it

as pursuing

the pleasure

apart from

the promise.

It's saying

I want you

to give me

pleasure

but I'm

not ready

to promise

myself

to you.

And Jesus

says

that is

adultery

in your

heart.

It is

a self

centered

way of

approaching

relationships.

It's

adultery

in your

heart

whether

you're

looking

at an

image

on a

computer

screen

of a

person

that you

may never

meet

in this

life

or gazing

and imagining

at someone

walking down

the street

or through

an open

window

or fantasizing

about someone

who works

in your

office

or sleeping

with your

boyfriend

or girlfriend

that you

have dated

even for

many years.

Jesus

says

if you

are pursuing

someone else's

body

what they

can offer

you

apart from

promising

yourself to

them without

reservation

body and

soul

you are

lusting.

See

according to

Jesus

God's law

goes deep

and it's

serious

and it

calls for

a renewed

heart

on the

inside

and Jesus

doesn't stop

there

he goes

even

further

he also

says

it calls

for

outward

manifestations

outward

actions

that reflect

such a

renewed

heart

this is

what God

requires

on the

outside

in verses

23 to

26

and 29

to 30

verse

29 to

30

Jesus

gives

two

examples

tearing

out

your

eye

and

cutting

off

your

hand

it's

pretty

dramatic

if they

cause

you

to

sin

but the

message

he says

is the

same

it's

better

that you

lose

one of

your

members

of your

body

than that

your whole

body

go into

hell

eternity

apart

from

God

he says

it

twice

long ago

John

Owen

said

be

killing

sin

or

sin

will

be

killing

you

now

sin

simply

means

rebellion

against

God

whether

in words

or thoughts

or deeds

and

Jesus

says

that

sin

has

no

place

in

the

kingdom

of

God

sin

is

destined

for

eternity

apart

from

God

and

so

Jesus

says

it's

worth

paying

whatever

price

we

need

to

pay

to

cut

sin

out

of

our

lives

even

if

it

means

that

we

miss

out

on

some

cultural

experiences

or

some

physical

pleasures

or

some

career

opportunities

or

some

social

affirmation

in

this

life

now

Jesus

is not

speaking

literally

here

about

mutilating

yourself

but

he is

speaking

very

seriously

he

says

if

your

eye

is

the

doorway

to

sin

live

as

if

you

were

blind

if

you're

watching

a

movie

and

a

scene

appears

that

is

feeding

lust

in

your

heart

close

your

eyes

if

you

know

that

the

movie

just

won't

be

good

for

you

even

if

another

Christian

believer

could

watch

it

with

a

good

conscience

don't

watch

it

if

you're

tempted

by

pornography

on the

internet

install

a

filter

an

accountability

software

if

you're

always

looking

at

yourself

in

the

mirror

or

weighing

yourself

on

the

scale

to

determine

your

self

worth

give

the

scale

away

cover

the

mirror

with

bible

verses

that

remind

you

of

your

true

identity

in

Jesus

Christ

now

while we

live in

this

world

it's

impossible

to escape

from all

temptations

to sin

but Jesus

says sometimes

the wisest

course of

action

is run

away

flee from

temptation

now that

will look

different

for every

Christian

now because

the things

that cause

you to

sin might

be slightly

different

than the

things

that cause

me

to

sin

we can

talk about

that more

later if

you want

in the

q a time

but Jesus

is saying

if you

have a

renewed

heart

you will

make costly

sacrifices

to pursue

holiness

and purity

and not

only that

he says

if you

have a

renewed

heart

you will

pursue

reconciliation

and right

relationships

without delay

this is

verse 23

23-26

again he

gives two

concrete

examples

one with

a brother

or sister

someone who

is close

to us

and one

with an

accuser

or an

enemy

someone who

is against

us

but the

message in

both cases

is the

same

pursue

reconciled

relationships

without

delay

don't

wait

verse 23

and 24

he says

if you're

offering your

gift at

the altar

and remember

that your

brother has

something against

you leave

your gift

there before

the altar

and go

first be

reconciled to

your brother

and then

come and

offer your

gift

now back

then most

people would

only go to

the temple

once or twice

a year

because the

temple was

in jerusalem

and jesus

was teaching

in galilee

and it was

about 80

miles to

travel to

jerusalem

so that means

if you were

walking it

would be

four days

each way

even if you

had a horse

or an ox

or a donkey

or whatever

it'd at least

be a day

or two

trip

and once

you got to

the temple

you'd have

to wait

in long

lines

for the

priest

who would

assist you

so jesus

was basically

saying this

he's saying

if you're

waiting in

line at

the temple

and you've

been waiting

in line

for hours

and it's

hot

and the sun's

beating down

on you

and you're

about to go

and make

your once

a year

sacrifice

to god

that you've

traveled all

the way

to jerusalem

to do

and you

remember

that your

cousin back

home

has something

against you

there was

some argument

that didn't

get resolved

he says

leave the

sacrifice

travel four

days to get

back home

talk to your

cousin

work it out

and then come

back to the

temple

and offer

your sacrifice

to god

do you

realize

what an

inconvenient

time consuming

detour

jesus is

recommending

and jesus

says if

your brother

has something

against you

he doesn't

just say

if it is

100% clear

that you

are the

one in

the wrong

and you

owe your

brother

an apology

he says

if your

brother

or sister

has something

against you

even if it

was just

a

misunderstanding

even if

you meant

no harm

even if

they contributed

to the wrong

jesus is saying

make every effort

to be reconciled

without delaying

so if you're

sitting here

listening to the

word of jesus

and you realize

that your brother

or sister

in christ

or someone

close to you

has something

against you

and you

know

that you

haven't done

all that

you can

do

to restore

that relationship

as much

as it depends

on you

you can get

up and leave

i'm giving

you permission

you can get

up right now

and go out

the door

and call

them

or start

writing them

a letter

or go to

their house

and knock

on their

door

and do

whatever

you need

to do

to pursue

reconciliation

and write

that relationship

apologize if

you were wrong

ask to meet

with them

to hear them

out

if you need

to hear them

out

if you need

to talk

things through

don't put

it off

but maybe

it's not

your brother

or sister

that has

something against

you

maybe you

have an

enemy

an accuser

somebody who's

out to get

you

who doesn't

like you

and jesus

talks about

that in

25 and

26

the example

is somebody's

taking you

to court

and in this

example

they have

you have

wronged

them

it actually

is clear

in this

example

because

he's saying

he's taking

you to

court

and the

judge is

not going

to rule

in your

favor

jesus

says

come to

terms

quickly

settle

out of

court

before you

see the

judge

if you

owe them

money

pay them

back

or make

a payment

plan

if you

destroyed

their

property

fix it

if you

disrespected

them

or talked

behind their

back

confess what

you did

and do

whatever you

need to

do

to make

it right

make it

right

right away

don't let

bitterness

build up

don't let

the sun

go down

on your

anger

as much

as it

depends

on you

live at

peace

with

everyone

jesus

says

this is

what life

looks like

in the

kingdom of

god

peace

truth

reconciliation

brotherly

sisterly

love

now all

of this

is very

hard to

do

and I

hope

that by

this time

you're

seeing

that you

can't do

this

on your

own

all of

us

have

sinned

we've

fallen

short

we don't

measure up

to this

standard

and it's

not enough

just to

say

I'm going

to try

a little

harder

to do

a little

better

next

time

we don't

measure up

to god's

kingdom

standards

our

hearts

are impure

and our

actions

or lack

of action

shows it

here's

the good

news

the message

of the bible

and the reason

that jesus

came to

earth

is to

make a

way

for us

who deserve

to be

excluded

from god's

kingdom

to come

in

and be

blessed

and included

in god's

kingdom

in god's

kingdom

of life

and peace

of undefiled

loyalty

and unselfish

love

jesus said

i haven't

come to

abolish the

law

i've come

to fulfill

it

you see

unlike

anyone else

jesus

carried out

god's

law

fully

on the

inside

and on

the outside

without

holding

anything

back

without

turning

away

without

failing

without

falling

do you

know that

jesus had

a right

to be

angry

with us

because we

had offended

him

god had

made this

beautiful world

for us

and then we

trashed it

and blamed

him

but instead

of

pouring out

his

righteous

anger

on us

and wiping

us out

he pursued

us

to reconcile

us

he did

exactly

what he's

saying in

verse 23

through 26

jesus became

our brother

he shared

he took on

everything

that we

had

all of our

burdens

all of our

pains

all of our

chaos and

mess

and he

paid a

costly price

to reconcile

us to god

when he died

on the cross

he bore

our shame

our

insults

our

anger

and he

didn't throw

it back in

our face

ephesians 2

says jesus

himself is

our peace

jesus has

made us

both one

and broken

down in his

flesh the

dividing wall

of hostility

that he might

reconcile us

both to god

in one body

through the

cross

thereby

killing

the hostility

the hostility

between us

and god

and the

hostility

between us

and one

another

this is how

we can enter

the kingdom

of god

because jesus

became our

brother

and pursued

us

to reconcile

us and bring

us into his

family and make

things right

and he did

what we needed

he did what

needed to

happen

to make

things right

between us

and god

in his

death and

in his

resurrection

and that's

the good

news

the bible

says god

was in christ

reconciling the

world to himself

and paul goes

on he says we

implore you

we appeal to

you on god's

behalf be

reconciled to

god

receive that

gift

come in

to the family

and

jesus

has made

a way

for you

and it's

also where

we get

the power

more and

more to

live as

people who

reflect god's

kingdom

realities

later on in

that same

book that i

quoted in

ephesians

paul says

let all

bitterness

and wrath

anger

clamor

and slander

be put away

from you

along with

all malice

be kind

to one

another

tenderhearted

forgiving

one another

as god

in christ

forgave

you

that's where

you get the

power to

live this

way

is knowing

that god

and jesus

christ

paid a

great

price

to forgive

you

and that's

how you can

forgive others

and go and

pursue them

even when

it's costly

and then as

you consider

the cost

of

cutting off

a hand

or tearing

out an eye

leaving

behind

some of

the

attractions

of this

world

that might

not even

be bad

in themselves

consider

to the

cost

that jesus

paid

to make

us

pure

and

blameless

before him

jesus

didn't just

tear out

his eye

or get

his hand

cut off

jesus

gave his

whole body

his whole

body

pure

and undefiled

and he

hung on

the cross

and he

stayed there

all the way

to the end

so that we

might be

purified

so that

we might

become

his own

and now

he calls

us

members

of his

body

and he

says

i will

not

lose

even

one

of the

members

of my

body

i won't

lose you

and you

won't be

cut off

because i

went to

the cross

for you

jesus

pursued us

not to

take advantage

of us

but he

gave himself

for us

in self

giving

love

jesus came

to fulfill

god's law

from the

heart

and on

out

he came

to establish

a glorious

kingdom

of life

and peace

of joy

and truth

and we

can enter

into that

kingdom

by his

grace

by his

gift

and as we

read earlier

he's promised

that when we

enter into his

kingdom

by his

grace

by accepting

him

that he's

written his

law on our

hearts

he sent us

his word

and his

holy spirit

so that we

might live

as god's

people in

the world

living out

his law

more and

more

in all its

goodness

let's pray

lord jesus

we thank you

for these

words

we pray

that you

would

enable us

to respond

to them

rightly

we take

a moment

before you

to

respond

to you

in the

quietness

of our

heart

jesus we

thank you

that you

fulfilled this

law

that you

went

all the way

to the

cross

to reconcile

us to

yourself

to include

us

in your

body

in your

kingdom

we pray

that you

would fill

us with

your spirit

and enable

us

to live

as people

who belong

to you

in this

world

we pray

in your

name

amen

and i

will

repeat it

so everyone

can hear

it and

then seek

to answer

it as best

i can

or admit

that i'm

not totally

sure

so if you

have a question

we'll take

maybe five to

seven minutes

to do this

you can raise

your hand

and i'm going

through my

bible

and the

relationship

i have

with my

god

he said

if one

of these

offend you

he said

it's better

for a

millstone

to pile

if you're

next

something like

that

and you

saw it

to the

gutter

and he

said

angry

and sing

not

and there

was a

time in

the bible

when jesus

was angry

when he

went into

the temple

and he

saw them

selling

and gathering

so he

was angry

so we

can't

angry

and sing

not

and again

where i

went to

there was a

church

i went

to take

right-handed

fellowship

and i

did something

with those

people in

the church

and the

holy spirit

condemned

but he

said

the scripture

that came

to me

was

not really

thinking

i could

hear the

voice of

god

said

read

corinthians

2

first

it said

for i

come to

know

nothing

about

except

jesus

christ

and

his

body

so

i think

i am

going

through

a lot

right

now

but

i am

i have

a relationship

with my

god

who teaches

me

and he

directs

me

where i

am

to go

without

his

talk

and

god

so

i

think

it's

a

relationship

with

your

god

yes

so

one of

the things

that

monica

was

saying

was

jesus

in

ephesians

it says

be angry

and sin

not

and jesus

was also

angry

when he

went into

the temple

and drove

out the

money changers

so there

is a place

for righteous

anger

jesus

in the

sermon

on the

mount

doesn't

qualify

every

single

statement

he

makes

he

doesn't

say

well

there's

an

exception

for

this

and

for

this

and

for

this

he

he's

making

general

statements

and

as we

look

in the

whole