You have heard, but I say… (Matthew 5:21-48)

Introduction

There is an old saying that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. For the book could have a beautifully designed cover, but be a terrible story, a terrible read. On the other hand, a poorly designed cover with little appeasement to the eyes could be the grandest story to ever read.

The same could be argued about restaurants. Some of the best restaurants that I have eaten at look like a hole in the wall from the outside. A favorite BBQ restaurant in Memphis is hidden in an alley, down steep steps, but you enter in and have some of the best dry rub BBQ there is. Then, there is a little shack at the foot of the mountain in Chattanooga, but great food inside. While other places have all the luxury looks on the outside, all the fancy tables and garb even on the inside, but the food is simply overpriced and not that good.

But if this is true of books and restaurants, how much more important is it to not judge one’s righteousness from the outside? That there is a need to judge one’s righteousness from the inside out? That’s what we are going to think through this morning as we continue our study in the gospel according to Matthew from Matthew 5:21-48.

So, I invite you to take your copy of the Bible and turn with me to our sermon passage this morning, Matthew 5:21-48. And if you don’t have a Bible, please grab the Red Bible in the seat in front of you. You can find our passage beginning on page #963.

While you are turning there, as we have been studying this gospel account for a number of weeks so far, we are right in the midst of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount where Jesus is teaching his disciples how they are to be the new people of God, how they are those who are blessed, and how they are to be the light of the world and distinct from the nations. But in doing this, Jesus teaches them that they are called to a higher righteousness than that of the scribes and the Pharisees. And it is this point now that Jesus seeks to further unpack.

Therefore, let us hear the word of the LORD this morning from Matthew 5:21-48…

Here is what I think is the main idea of Matthew 5:21-48 is, “If we are to pursue the greater righteousness of the kingdom, we must pursue a righteousness of heart which comes from being yoked to Jesus and his writing of the law on our hearts.”

We are going to unfold this in 2 points: (1) What the King commands and (2) What the King gives.

Point #1: What the King Commands

In our passage this morning, Jesus has given us what is popularly referred to as 6 antithesis to the law. Antithesis are propositions that contrast with or reverse that which was previously mentioned or proposed. But again, Jesus has not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill. Therefore as he gives these greater righteous commands, he is not reversing the laws themselves, but giving a greater understanding to the law as was originally meant to be understood. This is why each of his 6 antithesis take the form of, you have heard, but I say to you.

Again, Jesus is not here to abolish these laws; he is showing the heart of the law. Therefore Jesus isn’t lowering the bar of righteousness, he is raising it. And Christian, this too must be our aim as we study these. We are to see and pursue this greater righteousness that our King has commanded. So what we are going to do here is take a look one by one here at these 6 antithesis and see what our King commands for us as Christians, as his disciples.

Antithesis #1: Anger

Verse 21…

This here is based on the sixth commandment from Exodus 20:13 “13 “You shall not murder.” This is what was heard, but Jesus then speaks. Verse 22…

Jesus seeks not to overturn the law against murder, but to amplify it, to raise the bar to the heart level. He does this in saying that one who is angry, one who insults his brother, one who calls his brother a fool, they are just as guilty of murder from within their hearts.

Consider these things that Jesus mentions, he says if one is angry with his brother, he is liable, he is subject to judgment. This rules not out all hate mind you in saying that he is liable or subject. For there is a right hatred of sin, Jesus himself showed this. But the anger of our hearts is enough to leave us subject for judgment, judgment by a Holy God. Judgment enough to be condemned as one guilty of murder from our hearts.

But anger is not the only thing Jesus says here. He says whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council. Literally this should read Raka, which means empty headed or ignorant. You can see this in your footnotes if you are using an ESV like I am preaching from. And to be liable before the council is like being liable to be before the judge of the court. To be put on trial.

Yet, Jesus keeps going and says that whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. The underlying Greek word that is translated you fool is where we get the phrase moron from. And this one, this one is liable to the flames of the judgment of hell.

Jesus seeks to raise the call to righteousness here. He seeks to teach his disciples that those before have missed the point in thinking themselves clean and pure as long as they didn’t actually murder anyone, never mind that they hated them within their hearts. Jesus aims at the heart and says if you have this anger and have said these things to your brother, you are guilty as one who murders. You have broken the law.

Therefore he goes to teach his disciples practically then at what this means for them as they seek to follow King Jesus. Verses 23-24…

Even before seeking to bring a gift to the altar, regardless of it being a means of worship, the one who realizes that a brother or sister has something against them is a call to leave the gift and turn and go to seek immediate reconciliation with this brother or sister. Jesus takes seriously the unity of the church, particularly in them working to reconcile differences.

But Jesus doesn’t stop with this illustration, he adds to it. Verses 25-26…

Here King Jesus draws out in practical matters to come to terms quickly, to settle accounts before it is too late. To make peace as soon as possible.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, friends who are joining us and listening in, Jesus does not just condemn here those guilty of actual murder, he condemns those who are guilty of anger and murder within one’s own heart. He condemns those who do not labor to seek true and biblical reconciliation with others.

Now it must be said, that reconciliation isn’t meant to be foolish reconciliation of continue on in the midst of the same old foolishness. The reconciliation is being called for particularly for the one who has wronged the other. Not the other way around. Let those who have ears to hear, hear these words of King Jesus.

Land O’ Lakes Bible Church, let us be a people who are quick to reconcile and keep short accounts with one another, so that we may rightly worship our God and walk in his righteousness. Let us be a people who guard our hearts against hating and insulting and calling foolish our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as others.

Antithesis #2: Lust

Jesus now recalls the seventh commandment coming from Exodus 20:14 “14 “You shall not commit adultery.” as we move to verse 27…

Here again, Jesus takes aim at the heart. Jesus again seeks not to lower the bar calling out adultery, but to raise it with his 2nd antithesis, verse 28…

Not only is physical and actual adultery condemned here, but so is that of adultery within the heart. For Jesus teaches that even to lust, that is to crave or have a longing desire after another who is not your spouse is as guilty as adultery. For it is adultery within the heart.

Hear these stirring words from J.C. Ryle,

Expository Thoughts on Matthew Matthew 5:21–37: Spirituality of the Law Proved by Three Examples

Many supposed that they kept this part of God’s law, if they did not actually commit adultery. The Lord Jesus teaches, that we may break it in our thoughts, hearts, and imaginations, even when our outward conduct is moral and correct. The God with whom we have to do looks far beyond actions. With him even a glance of the eye may be a sin.

You can remain pure and chaste in action, but if your heart and your eyes are filled with lust and longing desire, friend, brother, sister in Christ, you are guilty of adultery. You are guilty of sin and breaking the law of the Holy God. It is a serious matter. So serious that, though Jesus uses hyperbole here, calls us to see the need to kill this sin within. Verses 29-30…

Again, this is a bit of hyperbole. The Lord Jesus is not literally calling us to cut out our eyes or cut off our hands if we are filled with lust. But he is teaching us to mortify the sin within, because that sin will cost us, it might even cost us our bodies being cast into the fire of hell if we allow it to linger within.

Beloved, the call of the kingdom is to pursue a righteousness of heart, a righteousness that does not commit adultery even in the heart. Let us seek to be more careful by the ongoing renewal of our minds by laboring to change our hearts desire to long for God, not he or she who is not our spouse.

Antithesis #3: Divorce

Next, Jesus does not turn to one of the 10 commandments per say, but alludes to that found in Deuteronomy 24:1 “1 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house,”

Verse 31….

Israel because of their hardened hearts was given permission to get a divorce, to put away a wife. But because of continued hardness of hearts, Israel had began giving any reason to be divorced. Even no longer desiring to be married to a woman, a man could divorce his wife. But Jesus now points back to the law and gives his third antithesis. Verse 32…

One should not think they are free to divorce and remarry as they please. King Jesus says that one who divorces his wife outside the grounds of sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman likewise commits adultery.

Jesus here does not take divorce lightly. Divorce was never meant to be as free and easy as it is. There are some, maybe even some in this room who have been through a divorce. A divorce for wrong reasons. Friends, let me urge you to see the necessity of repentance on this matter. Jesus takes marriage seriously, as should we all.

The heart of the law Jesus aims to teach here is that divorce isn’t meant to be taken lightly. Yet, at the same time, Jesus does give proper grounds for divorce. He gives the ground of sexual immorality. Brother or sister, if your spouse has committed sexual immorality, you are certainly free from the covenant promise, for they have already broken this sacred covenant of marriage.

But I would add one practical reason here for separation and divorce as well, and that would be on the grounds of abuse, whether physical or sexual. For it is here too that the sacred covenant commitments have been broken. For abuse is to fail to love and cherish one’s covenant partner. Friend, if this describes you and you are in this situation, never think you are forced to remain in your circumstances. Know that you, friend, have advocates here in this church, starting with me and our elders. But outside of these, we would do well to throw out the idea of divorce ever being a godly act.

Antithesis #4: Oaths

In his fourth antithesis, Jesus turns to what was said in Numbers 30:2 “2 If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”

Verse 33…

But there is a problem here, Jesus does not disagree with the word of the LORD there in Numbers 30, but the people have presumed they are still able to swear grand oaths to ensure their word is indeed their word. Kind of like some using the phrase, I swear on my mother’s life or mother’s grave. They think that they can swear by the heavens or the earth or the great city Jerusalem.

And yet Jesus overturns this. Verses 34-37…

The call to greater righteousness is to actually be people of our word. To do what we say we will do, to mean what we say. We should not need to swear with grand oaths, especially since the things we are tempted to swear by are not ours or outside our control to swear. Hence what Jesus has said here in these verses.

The heart of the matter is, that as those who are called to greater righteousness, our yes is to be yes and our no is meant to be no. This is all we need to say.

Antithesis #5: Retaliation

Next, the LORD Jesus turns to a repeating theme in scripture, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. These statements are found in Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21. Matthew 5:38…

But again, Jesus now giving his fifth antithesis seeks to clarify once more. For the temptation here was not for the people understanding the level of justice that they could pursue, it was people seeking to see how far they could go to get even. Therefore Jesus objects, verses 39-41…

Jesus calls his disciples to not be those who seek retaliation, those who seek to get even. Therefore he does this in practical situations, that in the midst of being slapped on one cheek by someone, don’t slap back, turn and give them the other cheek to slap.

But he adds to this in those who would sue for a tunic, Jesus says don’t fight it, just give them the tunic and while add it go ahead and give them your cloak too. And one seeks to force to go one mile, go an additional mile with them.

We are helped here to hear the words of Spurgeon in giving clarity here. He writes,

The Gospel of the Kingdom: A Commentary on the Book of Matthew Chapter 5:21–48: The King Corrects Traditional Law

The courts of our Lord’s day were vicious; and his disciples were advised to suffer wrong sooner than appeal to them. Our own courts often furnish the surest method of solving a difficulty by authority, and we have known them resorted to with the view of preventing strife. Yet even in a country where justice can be had, we are not to resort to law for every personal wrong. We should rather endure to be put upon than be for ever crying out, “I’ll bring an action.”

This does not mean we must never appeal to legal matters. We certainly must to protect the innocent and others from being put in harms ways. But we must not go crying out to the law every time we are wronged, even if we have the legal right to do so. We must have wisdom here and seek to live a righteous life in the midst of evil, showing forbearance as the LORD Jesus did.

We are to be those who seek to be righteous of heart in trusting the LORD and showing his kindness even when undeserved. And to those who are truly vulnerable, verse 42…

As disciples of Jesus we are to not refuse to help those in great need. Now, this is not a call to give to each and everyone who asks in a foolish manner. For we do have other passages in the Bible that give aide here, Matthew 7:6 “6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10 “10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.”

But those who are truly needy are to be cared for by those who would enter into the kingdom.

Antithesis #6: Loving Enemies

And finally Jesus turns to a well known command to love our neighbor. Leviticus 19:18 “18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

And Jesus refers to this, Matthew 5:43…

Let it be clear, the command is to love our neighbor as ourselves, Jesus says this is like the great commandment to love the LORD our God. But the problem is, that they have heard that they are to hate their enemies.

Now, some have thought this idea comes from how God is described as hating his enemies from passages like Psalm 11:5 “5 The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.”

But this is not to be the understanding for God’s people at all. For while God hates the wicked, he sees as we cannot. He knows what we cannot. He loves and hates with purity as the all-knowing God. But we, we are not to hate at all. And this is Jesus’ sixth antithesis, Matthew 5:44…

Did you catch that? Jesus calls his disciples to love their enemies and pray for those persecuting them. Christian, does this describe you and your walk with the LORD? Do you show love to your enemies or are you filled with hate for them? Do you pray for those who persecute you? Or would persecute you if they had the option?

Disciples of Jesus are to be distinct from the world. And if we only love those who love us, we are no different from those of the world. For this is Jesus’ point. Verses 45-48…

Verses 45 and 48 call us to be like our Father in heaven who makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and who sends rain on the just and the unjust. He is the one who is perfect and has perfect love. And therefore to be his sons we are to imitate him in being perfect as well. For that is how we are to be distinct from the world.

For the world loves those who love them as we see in verses 46-47. The tax collectors, they love those who love them, the gentiles do the same. There is no reward for this, this is not a greater righteousness. A greater righteousness is to love those who are our enemies for God loved us while we were still sinners, for that is when Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

These six antithesis of King Jesus are again to raise the standard of the law, not lower. It is to call us to see the weightiness of the law. And to hopefully feel that weightiness.

The law of God was never meant to be thought to save us. We can never obey enough of the law to be righteous in our own obedience. Therefore the purpose of the law was to show us just how Holy God is and to warn us we need something more. A greater righteousness that none of us could obtain on our own.

What the King commands then is not obtainable by our own strength and will. We need God’s grace and mercy to us in another, a savior, King Jesus.

Point #2: What the King Gives

The greater righteousness of heart that the King has commanded in the elevating of the law is a righteousness that comes not of our own, but as a gift from the King. A gift that comes as King Jesus fulfills more scripture by writing the law of God onto our hearts. Fulfilling that promised in both Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 11. A work that is necessary if we are to ever have a greater righteousness than that of the scribes and Pharisees.

For you see, the law was never intended to be something that was thought to be kept. It was never meant to think one could keep it and live. The law was given to show the holiness of God and our brokenness. It was given to point us to our need for God’s grace. Grace that comes through King Jesus taking up his own cross and carrying it to Golgotha. Him being condemned as guilty so that we could be declared innocent. For as his blood was shed for the transgressions of many, that same blood has washed away the sins of all who believe.

Therefore now as the Father looks to us, he sees not our sin, not our wrong doing, he sees the perfect righteousness of his beloved Son, Jesus. Where previously we would have been guilty, now we stand as those who are justified in our union with Christ because of our faith in him. For in us declaring to believe, we are saying that yes the King’s greater law is true and right. That we indeed we were guilty, but we are now made righteous because of our belief that Jesus has come to take away our sins as the sacrificial lamb.

Oh Christian, see what grace has come upon us in Jesus! See the wonderful gift of our King to give and to work out this greater righteousness in us! Now by no means does this gift of righteousness mean that we can be slothful in pursuing righteousness.

For the same God who made us righteous in Christ is making us righteous through the process of sanctification. He will and is working this out in us. For Jesus is putting God’s righteous law into us, for he is writing it on our hearts through the work of the Spirit in us. And this heart work will be visible. For this heart work will bear fruit as we will see when we get to Matthew 7. Land O’ Lakes Bible Church, let’s pursue this kind of righteousness as Jesus continues engraving the law into our hearts.

And friend, if you are here this morning and you are not yet a Christian, what love could remember no wrong we have done when looking at the perfect law? Though our sins are many, God’s mercy is more in the LORD Jesus Christ! Turn from your sin today and come to Jesus and be saved! Today is the day of salvation if you will repent and believe in this Jesus!

Let’s pray…