SERMON ON THE MOUNT LESSON #4

These next three teachings of Jesus require a little bit of history to understand properly. Remember, when we read scripture we have to try to hear it like they did if we are to understand it for what it is really trying to teach us today.

Oaths (5:33-38):

1. How would you define what an “oath” is?

2. What are some other things we call that today?

If Jesus is condemning all oaths or promises then we have a problem because Paul used oaths at times (Romans 1:9 & Galatians 1:20). We know Paul wouldn’t swear by an oath while writing inspired scripture if Jesus commanded him not to.

You have to know how oaths were done when Jesus said this. In Jesus’ day the Pharisees had constructed a strict system for making oaths. It got very technical in an effort to create loopholes to keeping your word. Here is an example of two of their oaths – If you swore by Jerusalem was not a binding oath but if you swore an oath toward Jerusalem was binding (See D.A. Carson, Jesus Sermon on the Mount, 50). This was not based on scripture. They made up this system and it was probably in full force at the time Jesus was preaching and teaching. In other words, they had a whole system that allowed and rewarded dishonesty rather than in all things trying to uphold telling the truth in all situations.

3. What three examples does Jesus tell them not to swear by?

4. How does that information make sense of what Jesus is teaching in 5:34-35?

5. Why is there really no such thing as a small promise?

6. Why is it important that we, as Christians, place a high value on truthfulness?

7. What does it say about us if we can’t be trusted when we tell people things?

Eye for an Eye (5:38-42):

Jesus is not teaching pacifism as some have believed these verses to teach. Jesus does call us to be peacemakers (See 5:9) but these verses were not intended to address pacifism. In order to understand this teaching you again have to understand something about the culture Jesus was addressing. The culture in Jesus’ day was a culture of honor and shame. In Greco-Roman society one was to seek out honor and avoid public shame or disgrace at all costs. This is something we miss when we read this in 21st century America but it wasn’t missed by them. On a side note, this was also one of the things that made crucifixion so terrible. On top of the pain came public humiliation and shame.

So what does this have to do with Jesus’ teaching here? A slap in the face in their culture was a shaming act. It was degrading. They even had rules about which way you slapped someone and how much shame different types of slaps would bring someone. A slap with the back of the hand had a different purpose and a different legal penalty than a slap with the palm. So let’s see how this impacts how we view this passage.

8. If someone was right-handed and they struck you on the right cheek, which side of the hand did they use?

9. If they struck you again on the other cheek which side of their hand did they use?

A slap with the back of the hand was considered the most degrading and shaming. A slap with the palm of the hand was the slap you were more likely to give someone of equal status. So Jesus is teaching if someone slaps you with the back of the hand (right hand to right cheek) they have profoundly shamed you. Instead of fighting back and possibly further shame yourself, do something that really shows the perpetrator a lesson about your value as a person. Turn the other cheek to them and see if they will slap you with their palm. The message in their day

was…if you slap me again it shows I am your equal. It forces the one doing the slapping to lift the other’s status and recognize their value and the shameful way they treated them with the first slap. It is asking the question, “Will you recognize in my life that I am to be honored more than you thought?” We miss that in reading it today but they understood it because this was part of their world.

We don’t go around slapping people but we have other ways of dishonoring people.

10. What are some ways we can dishonor people today?

11. How does Jesus’ teaching here challenge us to recognize the worth in everyone, even people we get upset with?

12. Why is patience with others key in this process?

This also has a lesson for those who are abused or insulted. One is, we don’t let anyone else define our value. Only God can do that.

13. Why is it easy to let other people set the value of our self-worth?

14. Where should our worth come from?

Next Jesus addresses two additional situations in how we deal with those who might wish to take advantage of us.

15. What two examples does Jesus teach about in 5:40-42?

Two last pieces of background. In their world, most men only wore two pieces of clothing. To give both away would leave them naked. The point being, if someone is going to take advantage of you in court, doing this would really expose how rotten that they are that they would take everything you have and leave you standing their naked. This would shame the one using the legal system to take advantage of the less fortunate. The second piece of background is the custom of being bound to carry the pack of a Roman soldier one mile if they asked you to do so. By law, they couldn’t make you go further than that. What does Jesus say to do instead? Not only might you surprise the soldier by the life you are living you might make him fear discipline by his commanding officer if they found out you went twice as far as you were supposed to!

16. Why is it challenging to live a life of self-sacrifice?

17. Why is it challenging, as Americans, to let go of some of our rights from time to time?

18. How might God be glorified when we are willing to live like this?

In 5:42 Jesus talks about how we give to those who ask. This is a difficult teaching and we get all tied up on it if we try to make the wrong point out of it. We immediately think of wise giving and foolish giving and how we don’t need to be wasteful. The context of this verse is Jesus talking about living a life of self-sacrifice and he is using different examples to show how it can be done. Jesus’ point is not that we get tied up on how we use our money. His point is, it isn’t our money. It all came from God so God wants us to be generous people. If we recognize it all comes from God then we will deal with money in a whole new way. It is about the heart. D.A. Carson put it this way, “Christ will not tolerate a mercenary, tight-fisted, penny-pinching attitude which is the financial counterpart to a legalistic understanding of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” When confronted with opportunities to do good, Jesus is saying, we shouldn’t constantly be evaluating it through the lens of “what is in it for me” and only give in ways that advance our own personal interests.

We have many opportunities to give. How do you evaluate which ones to give to?

How do you think Jesus would evaluate this?

It is possible to be kind and gracious and generous and still turn down some requests to give to various needs, groups, or people. In all of these areas, Jesus was the ultimate example of a new kind of living, living the way God always wanted us to live. He didn’t just teach it and preach it. He lived it out (1 Thess 5:14-15 & 1 Peter 2:21-23)

Love of enemies (5:43-48):

19. How does loving and praying for our enemies reflect a godly life (see 5:45)

20. Why is it important for Christians to live exemplary lives in the world and not just try to be a tiny bit better than the people around us?

Jesus is not looking for a legalistic approach to greeting. The people you greet or choose not to greet can say a lot about how you view those people. How can choosing not to greet someone reflect a heart problem?

Last, Jesus calls for perfection (5:48). Jesus is saying God is the standard. It is not about being a little better than the pagans or better than another Christian. God is the standard and we, as God’s children, are trying to be like our heavenly Father. God is not looking for checklist keepers with rotten hearts. Ultimately God is looking for holiness in our lives.

Why does our holiness require dependence on God and hismercy?

Even though we can never be perfectly holy on our own, why is it an important thing to strive for?

Summary questions:

21. How do all of these teaching not just teach us to follow a set of rules but actually challenge the way we view our own lives and the lives of those around us?

22. Which of these teachings is most challenging for you? Why?

23. What would be different in your life if you really lived out what Jesus is teaching here? How would those around you probably respond?

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