2/4/24 “The Sermon on the Mount - Part 2”

The Sermon on the Mount – Part 2

Matthew 5:17-32

Yesterday, over there in WI Rapids, they held an annual tradition known as the “Polar Plunge”…

Does everyone know what the ‘Polar Plunge’ is?

Yeah, its where people who are, if you ask me – completely crazy, go outside in the middle of Winter in their bathing suits and dive into freezing, ice cold water.

I’ve heard some people say that as they were walking back to the bathhouse after taking the dive, they could literally feel their hair freezing to their scalp…nope, definitely not for me.

Has anyone here participated in a Polar Plunge?

(Don? Terry? Scott? Karen?)

Well, the Polar Plunge does benefit a good cause – participants collect pledges from friends & family that ultimately go toward Special Olympics and the athletes that participate in these games…

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather just cut a check for the Special Olympics from the warm & toasty confines of my office…while fully clothed, thank you very much!

Next Saturday there will be another Polar Plunge taking place in Oshkosh, then another one in Madison the week after that – so if you’re a little crazy with a side of coo-coo-ca-choo and you want to take part in one of these things – you’ve still got time!

So, you might be asking yourself, what on earth does the Polar Plunge have to do with the Sermon on the Mount and our passage for this morning?

Well, that is a very good question – there aren’t exactly a ton of frozen lakes over there in Israel, are there…?

Here’s the connection….when people jump into freezing cold water, it’s a shock to their system – physically.

Same thing as if you were to take an ice bath – your blood pressure increases, the blood vessels in your skin constrict, forcing your heart to work harder…not to mention the sudden drop in temperature causes you to lose your breath for a second (Oh, and did I mention that your hair freezes to your scalp!

These are all physical reactions to a body that experiences a drastic change in temperature.

Well, when Jesus began speaking the words that we just read a few minutes ago from our passage for today, I guarantee you that – on a Spiritual Level – people were shocked to the core!

In fact, much of the Sermon on the Mount would have been the Spiritual equivalent to physically being tossed into an ice-cold lake…

These were shocking words that people had never heard before – coming from a man who was doing things that no one else had ever done before.

What were they to make of such scandalous, yet, authoritative words?

Many people did not know what to make of Jesus….here was a man who – for the first 30 years of his life – lived in relative obscurity…and now suddenly had burst on the scene performing all kinds of miracles, drawing large crowds of people, and conveying a deep understanding and knowledge of scriptural truths.

When confronted with Jesus, many Jews were undoubtedly thinking about the warnings given in Deuteronomy chapter 13 concerning prophets who come performing miracles…

Many would have been wondering what Jesus would say about the law of Moses and his relationship to it – would He align himself with the law and the prophets, or would he attempt to replace them and call others to a new system of faith?

In verses 17-20 of our passage for today, Jesus leaves absolutely no doubt as to his relationship to the law – and by extension – what our relationship ought to be to the law as well.

Verses 17 and 18 (Matthew 5:17-18) are two of the most important verses in the entire Bible…they are very underline-worthy (If you write in your Bible)

Essentially, these verses summarize Jesus’ relationship to the law…

Jesus basically teaches that God’s moral law will be binding upon man through all ages - or to use a theological term, throughout every Dispensation.

Jesus had a very reverent attitude toward the entire canon of scripture that was available at the time – which today we refer to as the Old Testament.

In John 10:35 Jesus reminds the Pharisees that the “Scripture cannot be broken.” ….in other words, it is infallible, inerrant, and immutable (unchanging)

While at the same time, the ceremonial and judicial aspects of the law that were specific to the nation of Israel would soon be fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus – culminating with the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross.

This is why it would not be necessary for animal sacrifices to be brought to the temple after Jesus died on the cross – he was the perfect and ultimate sacrifice that finally had the power to cleanse us from our sins.

The animal sacrifices were never able to do that.

No longer would believers need to go to God through a mediating human priest after Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross – because now Jesus is our high priest – our perfect mediator before God.

Remember how the gospels tell us that the temple curtain was torn from top to bottom as Jesus breathed his final breath on the cross?...

The cross is what Jesus had in mind when he states in verse 17 (Matthew 5:17) that he had come to fulfill the law and the prophets.

His mission (As the fulfilling Messiah) was to uphold God’s eternal moral law, while at the same time, condemning the thousands of unbiblical traditions that the scribes & Pharisees had instituted in an attempt to transform God’s unattainable law into a list of regulations and ceremonial duties that could all potentially be attainable through human effort.

The cumulative effects of these prideful, mad-made traditions were twofold:

 1 – The traditions actually watered down God’s unreachable law by attempting to make it humanly possible to live in obedience to it.

2 – Secondly, all of these made-up traditions & regulations resulted in the majority of Jewish people feeling discouraged and defeated in their faith because they were expending all of their energy just trying to “Dot the i’s and cross the t’s of the thousands of regulations that were instituted by the Scribes & Pharisees…

Not only would this have been extremely exhausting, but it caused people to approach faith through a works-based lens of hollow obedience, rather than a faith that stemmed from the heart – which is what God wanted all along from His children.

The prophet Hosea said this about God’s desire for a relationship with His children: “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6)

In other words, God had always wanted His children to love Him from heart – and for this love to be manifested through a spirit of humility in relation to the law.

The law was always meant to be unattainable – it was meant to show people their inability to live up to its requirements.

This realization, then, was meant to cultivate humility in the hearts of the Jewish people – it was meant to turn them toward a Holy God in complete submission and their acknowledgment of their need for a savior.

Sadly, the Israelites rarely responded to God’s law in this way.

Rather, we see them make up countless traditions & regulations in an attempt to “Clarify” God’s law as a way of artificially making the law’s requirements theoretically attainable.

Isn’t it like human nature to do this?

Don’t we often deceive ourselves into thinking that we can do things that are simply unattainable?

Now, I’m all for dreaming big dreams and setting lofty goals – but there are certain things that we will never be able to do as human beings without God’s intervention.

For instance, we will never be able to travel faster than the speed of light…we will never be able to travel through time…we will never be able to survive flying into a black hole…we will never be able to breath in water without drowning…

And, despite what our culture preaches….boys will never be able to be girls, and girls will never be able to be boys…no amount of chopping and hacking will accomplish that result  - no matter how badly they may want it to be true.

The Pharisees so badly wanted it to be true that they could humanly live in obedience to God’s moral law…this way they could achieve everything on their own – and take great pride in so doing.

This is what Jesus begins to speak against in the remainder of our passage – and much of the entire Sermon.

In verse 20 (Matthew 5:20) Jesus states that our righteousness must “Surpass that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law” in order for us to enter the Kingdom of heaven.

The Pharisees and scribes were attempting to gain righteousness on their own through their meticulous and careful obedience to all of their man-made traditions.

Jesus is saying, on the contrary, the only way to be righteous is to be changed from within.

Remember Nicodemus? He was a Pharisee who secretly came to Jesus late one night to ask Jesus some questions about salvation.

If you recall, Jesus tells him in John chapter 3, verse 3 “…I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (John 3:3)

Jesus is telling Nicodemus that all of his external efforts in attempting to obey the law to gain personal righteousness are a practice in futility.

It was the heart that needed softening…not simply the deeds that needed doing.

In verse 21 (Matthew 5:21) of our passage for today, Jesus begins a long section of comparisons between how the law was perceived by the Jews of his day….and what the real intention of the laws were.

He begins many of these topics by saying “You have heard that it was said”…and then follows it up with “But I tell you”

For each of these topics, Jesus is repeating what the law already says, but then he goes on to explain in further detail how an outward conformity to these laws does not make one sinless – unless – the inward man (The Heart) is also conforming to these laws.

For example, in verses 21-26, Jesus talks about murder.

He says in verse 21 (Matthew 5:21) that they have “Heard that it was said to the people long ago, do not murder….”

Jesus is referring to the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 here – specifically, the 6th commandment in chapter 20, verse 13 that simply reads “You shall not murder.”

But he doesn’t stop here….does he.

Jesus then goes on to say in Verse 22 (Matthew 5:22) that “Anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.”

The Pharisees were teaching that as long as you don’t actually commit the act of murder, you have not sinned – no matter how much hatred for someone you might be harboring in your heart.

Jesus says: Not so Fast!  He is telling his listeners that sin can be just as real in their hearts and attitudes, as it can through an action of some kind.

Jesus is saying “I agree with the commandment, but I disagree with your interpretation of that commandment.”

One cannot claim to be righteous just because one has not committed the physical act of murder.

As one commentator put it: “It is possible for a person who has never been involved in so much as a fist fight to have more of a murderous spirit than a multiple killer. Many people, in the deepest feelings of their hearts, have anger and hatred to such a degree that their true desire is for the hated person to be dead. The fact that fear, cowardice, or lack of opportunity does not permit them to take that person’s life does not diminish their guilt before God.”

1 John 3:15 says “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.”

These are powerful words…and words that we all need to take to heart.

Verses 23-26 (Matthew 5:23-26) of our passage for today describe how unresolved conflict in our lives must be settled before our we can ever expect God to forgive us of our sins.

We’ve all heard that the shortest distance between two points is a what?...a straight line.

Spiritually, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, the shortest distance to God is through someone you are upset with (Or who is upset with you)…maybe it’s a family member that you haven’t spoken with over some incident that happened years ago….this happens so often…and is so spiritually damaging to everyone involved.

Taking care of a rift like this can be the fastest way to God’s forgiveness because you have settled the horizontal breach…now, scripture tells us, you are free to ask that the vertical breach be settled as well.

Ephesians 4:26-27 speaks to this truth “In your anger do not sin: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the Devil a foothold.”

Next week, we will be gathering around this table in front of me for the Lord’s Supper.

We are told in scripture that it is a sin to take part in communion if we have unconfessed sin in our lives.

In 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 (Our monthly Communion passage) the apostle Paul says: “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.”

In our final segment of scripture for today (Matthew 27-32) Jesus discusses the topics of lust, adultery, and divorce.

These words of Jesus are extremely difficult to hear because (Like anger) sexual lust is one of the most powerful influences on mankind.

In verse 27, Jesus begins in much of the same way as when he clarifies the 6th commandment dealing with anger.

Here, he is referencing the 7th commandment located in Exodus 20:14 “You shall not commit adultery.”

As with the commandment against murder, I’m sure that many people in Jesus’ audience had interpreted this commandment to mean that as long as the act of adultery has not been committed, then no sin has been committed.

Again, Jesus says…Not so fast!

In verse 28 (Matthew 5:28) He says “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Do you think that when Jesus said these words that a lot of fellas in the audience started to shuffle their feet a little more than usual…oh, look at the time – we should be heading back home now!

There’s a reason why these words are uncomfortable…why we cringe when we read these verses.

…And ladies, you’re certainly not exempt from falling prey to this sin either – perhaps this sin is more in a man’s wheelhouse, but visual lust can be something that both genders have to consistently battle against.

The most famous example of the sin of lust getting the best of someone would be King David and Bathsheba.

David is strolling around on the top of his house when he spots a young, attractive woman bathing.

Instead of casting his eyes elsewhere, he falls to the temptation to continue to watch her…and soon he was committing adultery in his heart.

The glance at Bathsheba didn’t ruin David…it was the gaze that ruined him.

Had David cast his eyes elsewhere after seeing this woman, no sin would have been committed…but he did not…

and this sin of lust (And his subsequent sin of murder concerning Bathsheba’s husband Uriah) led to years of emotional pain and torment in his life.

Lust is a serious, serious sin.

So much so that Jesus tells us in verse 29 (Matthew 5:29) that “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”

Do you think Jesus took this sin seriously?

Now, he is obviously using figurative language when he speaks of gouging out eyes and cutting off hands (In verse 30) but it speaks to the seriousness of this sin.

One of the early church fathers by the name of Origen actually took Jesus literally and had himself castrated in order to be in obedience to these words.

That’s not what we are to do literally, but it does mean that sometimes we may need to make some serious changes in our lives.

In other words, we need to get rid of those things in our lives that cause us to fall prey to the sin of lust.

If the people you hang out with cause you to sin in this way…start hanging around different people.

If the places you go cause you to sin in this way, stop going there.

If your phone causes you to fall prey to this sin, throw it away…get a flip-phone.

If the TV causes you to fall prey to this sin, throw it out.

If someone of the opposite sex who isn’t your spouse asks you to go out alone for lunch or dinner….you say no!

We need to be pro-active in setting healthy parameters in our lives against this sin that the enemy uses so often in our world today.

Lastly, Jesus brings up the issue of divorce.

This is such a difficult topic because divorce affects so many people.

The easiest way to interpret what Jesus is saying in verses 31 and 32 (Matthew 5:31-32) is in the context of how he introduced the heart-truths involved with anger and adultery.

He again uses the “You have heard, But I tell you” Kind of language.

Jesus says that they had the wrong idea about divorce from the beginning.

Men should no longer decide to divorce their wives for the most insignificant things – as was happening with many Jewish men of the time.

Many women were still had very little rights and they were regarded as little more than property.

Add to this the fact that one of the leading Rabbis of the time, Rabbi Hillel, was teaching that men could divorce their wives for anything that seemed ‘Unclean’ to them.

This idea of ‘unclean’ , and its usage, was used very liberally.

So your wife is a bad cook?....that’s unclean….Divorce!

Your wife spoke to your parents without your consent?...that’s unclean…Divorce!

Your wife went out with her head uncovered?...Whoa, blasphemy…Divorce!

Your wife spoke back to you in an aggressive tone?...Divorce, baby!

You get the point.

So, Jesus sets the record straight here in verse 32 (Matthew 5:32)

But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress….”

In other words, no longer would these Jewish men be able to give their wives a certificate of divorce simply because they felt like it.

It would take the highest of marital sins – sexual infidelity – for a man to divorce his wife.

By now, if there were any men left in the audience…I assure you they were very quiet.

In fact, I’m sure that by the time Jesus gets through with these three commandment clarifications, everyone was quiet.

These were new conditions conveyed to a Jewish culture that had drifted from the true reason for the commandments in the first place.

In conclusion today, be proactive in your battle against sin.

We cannot put ourselves in positions where we are likely to experience temptation

Jesus tells us this later in the book of Matthew (Matthew 26:41) “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Remember to put on your full spiritual armor every day through prayer, and through the reading of His Word.

Let’s Pray.