C4 Edition Sudy of Matthew: Heart Issues

Matthew 5:17–26 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. “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 are 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 are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

A lot of people think that being a Christian is all about belonging to a church and acting religious. What do you think it takes to be a Christian?

I used to be a missionary. I lived in Germany, then in Croatia for several years. I learned that just because I lived in some place does not make me a citizen. The governments there treated me differently than they did to their citizens. There were certain benefits that the citizens had that I didn’t. Even though I looked like everyone else and sounded like them, I was not one of them.

Being a Christian is all about belonging to God’s kingdom. We use the word kingdom in church, but I don’t think most of us really understand it. God’s kingdom isn’t just in heaven. It’s here on earth. And we are not automatically part of that kingdom. What Jesus is saying to his disciples is that there is more to being a kingdom citizen than just church membership. God’s kingdom is a kingdom of the heart.

Our scripture tonight begins with Jesus saying,

Matthew 5:17–18 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

What is Jesus saying here? Is getting to heaven all about following rules? That’s what the religious leaders thought.

Matthew 5:20 ESV

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

What does Jesus mean when he says we need to be more righteous than the Pharisees? Who are the Pharisees?

The religious leaders and experts of Jewish law were masters at pointing out the ways others didn’t follow the rules and messed up. At the same time they would twist the Jewish laws to excuse their own misbehavior. They were supposed to be salt and light guiding their own people into right relationship with God, but they only heaped guilt and condemnation. When Jesus says that we need to be more righteous than the Pharisees, he’s talking about how the Pharisees do things that look righteous and religious, but they aren’t really righteous at all. Jesus is saying that what is in your heart is more important than the actions you take.

Verses 21-26 talk about how harboring anger and bitterness toward someone is the same as murder in God’s eyes, and how we need to care more about reconciliation than retribution.

Let’s look at verses 27-30.

Matthew 5:27–30 ESV

“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.

It’s not wrong to find someone attractive. But if you are letting yourself imagine about what it would be like to hook up with them, in God’s eyes you’ve already done it.

matthew 5:31-32

Matthew 5:31–32 ESV

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Jesus is talking about divorcing for the wrong reasons. Back then, there was no such thing as a “no fault” divorce. Only the men could file for divorce, and it was automatically assumed that the wife had cheated. But there were those guys who just got tired of their old wife and wanted a new one. By getting a divorce, he made everybody think his ex-wife had done something wrong. He would ruin her reputation, all so he could legally run off with his girlfriend. Jesus is saying that there is a difference between doing what is right and doing something legally.

Then Jesus talks about oaths. What is an oath? It’s a kind of promise, where you use special words to let people know how serious you are to keep your word. I swear on my grandma’s grave. But some people are good at saying things and then finding loopholes. Do you know what I mean? You come to them saying, “I thought you were going to do this.” And they say, “Well, I never actually said...” As Jesus says in Matthew 5:37,

Matthew 5:37 ESV

Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

We can look good on the outside but be rotten on the inside. Jesus wants us to live a different way.

Resist the urge to get payback when others treat you wrong. If you owe somebody, repay them quickly and generously. Don’t look down on the unfortunate, but help them as much as you can. And don’t worry about what others are doing or why they are doing it, even if they think they are taking advantage of you.

And then Jesus says that, when it comes to those who have wronged you, it’s not enough to just not hate them. God wants us to actively love them.

Jesus said, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The problem is, I’m not perfect. I make mistakes, and sometimes I do things for the wrong reasons. The only way to be righteous enough is through Jesus. When he died on the cross, Jesus took our sin, and he gave us his righteousness. It’s is for us to receive that righteousness, internalize it, live it out, and then share it with others so that they can find Jesus too.

Remember, Jesus’ righteousness is not about do’s and don’ts; it’s about a heart that is aligned with God’s heart. A heart this is right with God.Think about it. God’s kingdom is a kingdom of the heart. How can we be part of God’s kingdom if our hearts are filled with stuff he hates?

Being a Christian is first and foremost about the condition of our hearts. Being a Christian is about having a heart like God’s heart.