The Sermon on the Mount continues with Jesus’ teaching. After He told His disciples that He came to fulfill the law rather than destroy it, He immediately begins teaching about various laws. As we read several of these sections, think about the law from a different perspective. Jesus moves our understanding from an “external or legalistic” meaning to a “spiritual ”one. Literally, moving from an outward observance to an inward motivation and intention.
Murder: Matthew 5:21-26
- Jesus quotes one of the original Ten Commandments given to Moses centuries ago. Then, he quickly adds His “two cents” in verse twenty-two. What is the external/legalistic meaning and which is the internal?
- Is anger always bad? Why or why not?
- What is the long-term effect of deep-seated anger?
- Verses 23-26 complete Jesus’ teaching on the subject of murder. Jesus uses an example of a person placing a gift at the altar, yet his consciousness tells him that he has an unreconciled difference with another person. What action does Jesus suggest?
Adultery: Matthew 5:27-30
- Again Jesus quotes the O. T. law from Exodus. What is the external/legalistic meaning? And the internal meaning?
- Our human bodies are created sexual in nature. Yet, as human beings we tend to exploit this part of our bodies rather than look at what it really is, “a gift of God to His people reserved as a gift to the marriage.” Jesus says, “that lust is a form of adultery.” How can you find help with feelings of lust?
- Jesus concludes this section with some gruesome talk about surgery. Is He talking about “physical” surgery or “spiritual” surgery? Defend your position.
Divorce: Matthew 5:31-32
Divorce is a difficult subject from any perspective. It affects many families not only here (your local church) but all over the world.
- Divorce per se is not one of the Ten Commandments, but it was provided to God’s people by Moses in Deuteronomy 24. Let’s go back and read that section from Moses’ Law. What does it mean “something that displeases him?” Some would suggest it is a rhetorical question in the meanings are as diverse as the people it effects. That’s the difficulty in the external/legalistic O. T. Mosaic Law. The dialog shown below is an excerpt from Holman’s Bible Dictionary about the issue of divorce.
“The teachings of Jesus are the clearest to be found in the Bible concerning divorce. He refused to be drawn into the rabbinical controversy over the possible valid basis for divorce. When such an attempt was made (Matt. 19:3-9; Mark 10:2-12), Jesus referred His questioners to the Old Testament law. They cited the permission granted in Deuteronomy 24. Jesus pointed out that this was not God’s original intent. Divorce was permitted only because of “the hardness of your heart” (Mark 10:5). Then Jesus went back to God’s original intent which was permanent monogamy, one man and one woman together for life. He supported this by referring back to Genesis 1:27 and 2:24. God intended marriage to be permanent.
On another occasion as Jesus taught about divorce (Matt. 5:31-32), He referred to the passage in Deuteronomy 24 as common knowledge among His hearers. He did not give His approval to the practice of divorce. Rather, He showed the consequences of divorce in the lives of people. If a man divorced his wife, he made her an adulteress unless the basis of the divorce was her own immorality. This statement has been understood in various ways. One idea is that Jesus was giving here a justifiable ground for divorce. If the wife violated her marriage vows, the husband had the right to divorce her. However, another suggestion is that Jesus was not making a law. Instead, he was saying that the husband would make the wife become an adulteress unless she had already become one by her own action. A divorced woman in Palestine of that day had few choices. To survive she could remarry or become a prostitute. In either case she was guilty of adultery. In a few instances, the divorced wife might have been able to return to live with her parents. Whichever interpretation of Jesus’ statement is considered best, He indicated that God’s intention was permanent marriage.” (Source: Holman Bible Dictionary)
The last sentence in the paragraph above is most penetrating. “God’s intention was a permanent marriage.” How can we as Christians comfort someone who is divorced and feels empty, hurt, wronged, or deserted?
Other Teachings: Matthew 5:33-48
- Jesus continues His teaching of various issues related to human life.
- Why is Jesus taking time here to talk about oaths? What is so important about an oath anyway? Jesus also brings in the subject of profanity or swearing. In actuality, when employed we are asking God to invoke something on someone. What is God’s simple instruction to us here?
- Eye for an eye is difficult teaching. The O. T. clearly states in several places that if a life is taken, so must the offender’s life be taken. What does Jesus tell us we are to do? And what term best defines what Jesus is talking about in this section?
- Love your neighbor is clearly Scriptural, but “hate your enemy” is not. It was a tradition. What teaching is Jesus suggesting is the only way?