Kingdom ethics

Matthew 5:21–48 ESV

“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 ha s 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.

The Radical Ethos of God's Kingdom

Bible Passage: Matthew 5:21–48

Introduction

Citizens of the upsidedown kingdom

1. Anger to Peace

Matthew 5:21-26

Jesus expands the understanding of 'Do not murder' to include anger and reconciliation.

Tree and fruit Tripp analogy?

The upsidedown kingdom requires not being satisfied with your brokeness, but affressing the root of conflict before it escalates, mirrioring Christ’s reconciliatory nature.

Challenge our people to seek peace and unity in their personal relationships, prioritizing the mending of broken ties as a reflection of Christ’s love and the Kingdom’s peace.

2. Pure Hearts and Intentions

Matthew 5:27-37

Jesus deepens the commandments against adultery and false oaths to include thoughts and intentions.

Go after porn

Go after divorce

Purity and truthfulness emerge from a heart aligned with God’s Kingdom.

The Holy Spirit empowers believers to maintain integrity and sincerity in all aspects of life, calling them to a standard of inward purity that reflects His holiness.

3. Radical Love and Forgiveness

Matthew 5:38-48

Jesus’ call to love enemies and reject retaliation represents the highest form of Kingdom living.

Get our people to consider reflecting and embodying Christ’s radical love, that was directed at his enemies (us), and how that compells us to love and serve those who oppose those who hate us.

Inspire them to break cycles of vengeance and hate, choosing instead the transformative power of love that Jesus exemplified, thus living out the radical ethos of the Kingdom.

Encourage a stocktake of our lives. To think about our anger, lust, word, vengance, or response to those around us and think about where we might need the balm of the gospel this week.

My own notes:

Context:

Sermon on the mount, the heart has been laid out, now the how is being laid out.

Jesus speaking to those who have followed him to this point.

Observations:

Jesus is quoting the Mosaic law and turning up the heat on each of them

He clearly says that the breaking of this law makes one liable to the judgement of hell (vs 22)

It is as if Jesus is pointing out the hyprocasy of the Jewish leaders

These seem impossible to keep by ones self.

Meaning:

Heart centered obedience. Jesus calls us to live a life of radical tranformation of our heart, that aligns our actions with his kingdom standards of love and reconciliation. His focus is on internal attituides rather than external obedience. He calls us to move beyond mere adherence to rules towards a life that reflects His character if we are to live the good life. But this is only acheived if we understand that this is done by grace through faith, not works through self righteousness.

Application:

To do a stocktake of our lives. To think about our anger, lust, word, vengance, or response to those around us and think about where we migth need the balm of the gospel this week.