MCG 8/13: Matthew 5:43-6:3

The last of the hard sayings of Jesus:

Outline:

Main idea: Jesus is applying both the Law and people’s actions to show that the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven are people who are obedient in both action and their hearts. All of this hinges on 5:48

I. Context and Overview

Placement in Sermon on the Mount

Jesus continues correcting misunderstandings of the Law.

Moves from external compliance to the heart’s true intent.

Flow.

In this passage, we are moving from one sub point into another. The first demonstrated through the Law the evil that is concealed in the Pharisee’s hearts. The second demonstrates this by showing through their actions the unrighteousness in their hearts. All of this contrasts those accepted into the Kingdom of Judea against those accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 5:43–48: Love your enemies.

Matthew 6:1–4: Practicing righteousness in secret.

II. Section 1 – Love Your Enemies (5:43–48)

False Teaching Addressed (v. 43)

We are picking off in verse 43 of Matthew at the end of the hard sayings of Jesus.

Lets start by reading the text

Matthew 5:43–48 “43 “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Jesus begins by saying “you have heard it said” This signals that what he is about to say is subversive and countercultural. Jesus is the common misinterpretations of the Law by providing the correct interpretations.

What is Jesus providing the correct interpretation for here?

Leviticus 19:18

Leviticus 19:18 CSB

18 Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.

We all know “ Love your neighbor as your self” And it does not explicitly say to not hate your enemy. By following the letter of the law in this command, the people violate the spirit of the Law. Just from that one verse, we see that the sprit is not disunity, but unity and love. It should leave no room for hate That is why Jesus needs to clear the air.

Does anyone have any ideas where an idea like this could come from?

This is not an entirely unscriptural idea, look at passages such as Psalm 5:4 and Psalm 5:5 “5

Psalm 5:4 CSB

4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil cannot dwell with you.

Psalm 5:5 CSB

5 The boastful cannot stand in your sight; you hate all evildoers.

and finally, Psalm 139:21–22

Psalm 139:21–22 CSB

21 Lord, don’t I hate those who hate you, and detest those who rebel against you? 22 I hate them with extreme hatred; I consider them my enemies.

with texts like these, it becomes clear how the Jewish people could come to the conclusion that they were to love their neighbor, and hate evildoers. And if they are righteous then their enemies must be wicked.

But to come to this conclusion, they had to ignore a number of other Old Testamant texts. such as Exodus 23:4–5

Exodus 23:4–5 CSB

4 “If you come across your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him. 5 “If you see the donkey of someone who hates you lying helpless under its load, and you want to refrain from helping it, you must help with it.

By choosing certain texts to support their conclusion, the Jews decided that what was easy was also right. When Jesus addresses this, He turns it all on its head.

Jesus’ Command (v. 44)

Rather than hating their enemies, Jesus commands that the Jews should love their enemies.

What?? They should treat their enemies the same as their friends???

How are you supposed to feel the same way about your enemies as you do to your friends? That doesn't make sense. No matter how hard I try, I will never want to spend time with my enemies or want to talk with them.

Does this mean that we are doomed to fail, or is Jesus getting at something different here?

How are we supposed to love our enemies?

Jesus tells us how.

Someone read Luke 6:27-36

Luke 6:27–36 CSB

27 “But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and from someone who takes your things, don’t ask for them back. 31 Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Love is not liking someone. Love is doing something for someone. Jut like Moses said in Exodus 23:4–5 Loving your enemy means doing things despite your feelings toward them. This is why Jesus commands that we pray for those who are actively trying to do us harm. we are to be showing active good will toward those who actively oppose us.

Exodus 23:4–5 CSB

4 “If you come across your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him. 5 “If you see the donkey of someone who hates you lying helpless under its load, and you want to refrain from helping it, you must help with it.

Radical shift: Love and pray for your enemies.

Active goodwill, not just absence of harm.

Reasoning (v. 45)

Not only does Jesus correct the misintrepretation of Leviticus 19:18, He gives reasoning as to why we should do this. Matt 5:45

Matthew 5:45 CSB

45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Why should we love our enemies?

Because God loves his enemies. If we are to be like God, we must love everyone who God loves and we know who God loves because we know who has the sun shine on them and the rain fall on them.

This is not to say that everyone is going to heaven. Just as God loves the rightous and the wicked, He will also judge the rightous and the wicked. He is impartial to everyone except his only begotten Son who he is immeasurably, indescribably partial to.

Reflecting God’s character — He blesses both the good and the evil.

Comparison and Challenge (v. 46–47)

As a second point of evidence to what He is saying, Jesus pionts out that it is unremarkable to love your friends and hate your enemies. The wicked to the same.

Loving only those who love you is common and unremarkable.

The Standard (v. 48)

Finally, in juxtaposition to the wicked who hate their enemies, Jesus says Matt5:48

Matthew 5:48 CSB

48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Why Does Jesus end this section of the sermon with the command to be perfect as the Father is perfect?

He has brougt much of the Law to bear in this section, and he is concludign with the command that can summarize the Law. He reminds his listerners of what the Spirit of the law is.

It is striking that Jesus says to be perfect here. The idea of perfection has not been brought up prior to this. However, this seems to be the point that Jesus was driving to in all of His hard sayings. The idea that concludes this section is do not be like the world. Be like God. This means following all of the commandments of the Law, which Christ has brought to us, totally and without reservation. Just the father impartially shines the sun on the whole world, we must impartially love everybody.

Be like God and be perfect- Cf. Leviticus 19:2

Leviticus 19:2 CSB

2 “Speak to the entire Israelite community and tell them: Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

Why does Jesus command us to be perfect as God is. He is reminding us of the standard that we are supposed to live up to. God is the standard, and everything below that is unacceptable. If we are not loving as perfectly as God is loving then we are falling short. We are in disobedince

Finally, this verse should remind us of 5:20. Jesus has spent these past 28 verses demonstration what the righteousness of the Pharisees looks like, and immediately contrasting it with the perfection of the Father. Those who enter into the kingdom of Heaven are the ones who are as perfect as the Father.

The question that this raises for me is “What happens when I don’t do that” But Jesus does not address that here. We are supposed to be wondering how we are ever supposed to live up to these standards the same way that the unchanging Father does. .

III. Section 2 – Practicing Righteousness in Secret (6:1–4)

Matthew 6:1–4 CSB

1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 2 So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 3 But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

We are getting a slight shift in gears here. Jesus has finished applying the Law to the people to demonstrate their hypocrisy, and He is now demonstrating it to them with their actions. He is showing them that the way that they practice religion is selfish, whereas true worship of God is focused on God Jesus uses three different examples of Jewish piety, alms giving, praying, and fasting. and uses these to demonstrate drive home his point that those who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven are obedient in their actions AND their hearts.

Warning (v. 1)

Read Gen 4:3-5

Genesis 4:3–5 CSB

3 In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but he did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent.

Why was Able’s offering accepted whereas Cain’s offering was rejected?

Hebrews 11:4 By faith, Able’s offering was approved.

Able did not offer up a good offering because he offered more than Cain did, or something better than Cain did. It was his heart that made Able’s offering better than Cain’s

Don’t do acts of righteousness for public approval.

The word hyprocite did not have a negative connotation when Jesus used it. It is the word for actor. when Jesus uses this, his wanting his audience to think of the Greek dramas. Where the actors would wear various masks and pretend to be other people. The Piety of the Pharisees is as real as the masks of an actor.

Example – Giving to the Needy (v. 2–3)

Describe the behavior that Jesus is condemning in verse 2

It is self aggrandzing. It comes from a bad place in the heart. It is unlike Cain’s offering which was acceptable.

They have their reward. And they are happy that they do. For the hypocrite, The praise of men is the reward that they are seeking. They dont even care about pleasing God. They are blowing their own horn.

Jesus Contrasts the hypocritical way of giving in verse 2 with a better way of giving in verse 3

How do these two ways of giving differ?

The hypocrite gives in with fanfare while the pious gives in secret.

Because the pious gives because he wants to please the father. That is their reward, and they are satisfied with it.

What do you think it means that your right hand should not know what your left is doing?

You should not even praise yourself for giving. praise from anyone, even yourself is not a pure motivation for giving. The only motivation nescessary is that praise of the Father.

The Father sees in secret and rewards openly.

Conclusion

What I want you to see from this lesson is how the whole of the Sermon on the mount works togethere to make one point. Jesus is providing evidences to differentaiate between the people who are not in the Kingdom of Heaven, and those who are. He brings the Law to bear against his audience, showing how following the Spirit of the Law and the letter leads to righteousness. He then uses the works of the Pharisees to clearly demonstrate what a heart that is in HIs Kingdom looks like by contrasting it to the false piety of the Jews.

Examine motives: Am I doing good for God’s glory or my reputation?

Practice acts of generosity without recognition.

Keep a “spiritual discipline” of hidden obedience.

IV. Key Cross-References

Leviticus 19:18 – Love your neighbor.

Proverbs 25:21–22 – Kindness to enemies.

Luke 6:27–36 – Parallel teaching on love for enemies.

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 – Motives in love matter.

V. Discussion Questions

Why do you think loving enemies is so difficult in practice?

How can praying for enemies change our hearts toward them?

What modern examples can you think of where people give “to be seen”?

How can we cultivate habits of doing good in secret?

VI. Summary

Main Point: True righteousness is love that mirrors the Father’s mercy and is motivated by God’s approval, not human praise.