The Heart of the Matter

Text: Mt. 5:17-6:4

Main Point/FCF: God cares more about what is in our hearts than the mere external actions we perform.

Application: We need to examine our hearts to see if we are truly loving God and people as we ought.

Matthew 5:17–6:4 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. “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 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. “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Fulfillment of the Law (5:17-20)

Matthew 5:17–20 ESV

17 “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. 18 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. 19 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. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

What is the main point that Jesus makes in Matthew 5:17-20 regarding the Law?

Jesus gives us the fullest explanation of what God really intended when he gave the Law. If we are to be righteous, we must understand and obey the intent of the Law, not just the letter of the Law.

What is meant by the phrase ‘missing the forest for the trees’ in relation to our obedience to God? Do you ever fall prey to this way of thinking?

What examples does Jesus use to illustrate the true intent of the Law in his Sermon on the Mount?

Anger, Lust, Divorce, Oaths, Revenge, and Giving

How does Jesus’ fulfillment of the Law differ from the Pharisees’ understanding of it?

They viewed it as a list of “do’s and don’ts,” whereas Jesus gets shows us God’s heart.

Read Mt. 22:34-40.

Matthew 22:34–40 ESV

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

How does Jesus’ two-command summary of the Law and Prophets in Mt. 22 relate to his exposition of the Law here in the Sermon on the Mount?

In my sermon Sunday, I quoted R.C. Sproul:

Christ is the point of the law; Christ is the goal of the law; Christ is the meaning of the law. So if you try to follow and obey the law, but avoid Christ, you have missed the whole point of the law.

R. C. Sproul

How does knowing that Christ is the point of the Law change your approach to reading the Old Testament?

It causes us to ask “Why?” or “For what purpose?” when we read the OT.

Anger (5:21-26)

What practical steps can you take to seek reconciliation with someone you have a disagreement with?

How can recognizing the image of God in others impact the way we treat those we disagree with?

We tend to dehumanize our enemies, but seeing the image of God in them forces us to show compassion and empathy.

What do you think Jesus’ point is in vv. 25-26?

A willingness to repent and admit when we’re wrong is crucial in both our relationships with God and with others.

How does Jesus’ teaching on anger in Matthew 5:21-26 challenge common perceptions of how we view sin?

We tend to view sin as things we “do,” but Jesus’ teaching shows that sin begins in the mind and heart.

Lust (5:27-30)

Does Jesus actually want us to cut off our hands and gouge out our eyes if we lust?

No, this is hyperbole. Jesus’ teachings demonstrate that sin begins in the heart anyhow, so these “solutions” wouldn’t actually stop us from sinning.

What is Jesus’ point in vv. 29-30?

His point is that we should be so radically committed to purity that no sacrifice is too big if it helps us stay pure.

How does Jesus’ teaching on lust differ from our culture’s beliefs?

Our culture teaches and encourages promiscuity. Jesus demands our purity.

Divorce (5:31-32)

In the Torah (Gen-Deut), divorce is only mentioned in passing a few times. The only real teaching on divorce happens in Deuteronomy 24.

Deuteronomy 24:1–4 ESV

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, 2 and if she goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3 and the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife, 4 then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.

What situation was this law intended to address?

That of a divorced and remarried widow who wants to remarry her first husband.

Does it give approval for divorce?

No, not really. It merely forbids remarriage to the first husband after a subsequent marriage.

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 19

There was a significant debate between Pharisaical parties on the correct interpretation of Moses’ divorce regulations (

According to Mat. 19:8, why did the Law of Moses permit divorce?

Because of Israel’s hard hearts.

What does Jesus (and the NT) teach is God’s purpose for marriage?

It was always intended as a permanent union and it’s a picture of the Gospel (Eph. 5).

If a believer is divorced and remarried, are they forever living in sin?

No. Scripture treats the second marriage as a true marriage, regardless of how it began.

How can understanding God’s intent for marriage help heal wounds from past relationships?

When we understand God’s intent and repent of our sins, it helps us to move on and to better reflect God’s intent in our current relationships.

Oaths (5:33-37)

Has keeping your word ever been costly to you?

Some of our Protestant forerunners (i.e., the Puritans, Mennonites, etc.) teach that it is sinful to take an oath of any kind, including those required for public office, the armed services, in court, etc. How would you respond? What is the main point of Jesus’ command here?

There are contexts in which we sometimes have to take an oath. Jesus’ main point is that we should always keep our word as if we had taken an oath, regardless of whether we actually took an oath or not.

Revenge (5:38-47)

What are some movies that wouldn’t have a plot line if the main characters followed Jesus’ advice about how we should treat our enemies?

Rambo, The Equalizer, The Godfather, etc.

What biblical truths can we rely upon when we are tempted to seek revenge?

God knows all and sees all, and he will avenge and execute justice one day.

Many have argued that Jesus’ teaching on retaliation, loving your enemies, etc. forbids self-defense or war. What do you think?

What truth about God is given as the basis for loving our enemies in 5:45?

God is gracious to all, even to those who reject him.

Mt. 5:48 commands us to be perfect. Is perfect obedience possible? What does Jesus mean by this?

The Methodist Holiness movement (started by John Wesley) teaches that a Christian can progress to a point in their sanctification in which they are free from sin. But the clear testimony of Scripture says otherwise.

1 John 1:8 ESV

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

The word used by Jesus is teleios, which can mean ‘perfect’ but can also mean ‘attaining an end or purpose, complete.’ When it is used of people, it often means “being mature, full-grown, mature, adult.” It is the same word used in I Cor. 14 to contrast maturity with immaturity:

1 Corinthians 14:20 ESV

20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

Giving (6:1-4)

How does 6:1-4 tie back to 5:16 and how does it relate to the passage we’ve just studied and the Beatitudes (5:1-12)?

The end goal of our Christian walk is to bring glory to God, rather than ourselves. Our giving, just as our marriage, purity, and relationships with others, are to bring glory to God.

Skim the Beatitudes (5:1-12) and this section on giving (6:1-4). How does Jesus motivate his disciples to live this lifestyle of self-denial?

He promises eternal, spiritual rewards.

Is it wrong or less ‘holy’ to seek spiritual rewards in heaven through our good works on earth?

No. Jesus himself “endured the cross...for the joy that was set before him.”