Sermon Tone Analysis

Opening Illustration

Aron Ralston is a rock climber and a few years back climbing in a remote wilderness area .. he fell in a crevice and a large rock crushed and pinned his left arm .. he couldn’t move .. food and water running out .. after 5 days he knew the only way to escape was to cut off his arm with his blunt leatherman pocketknife .. yep .. let that sink in .. to save his life and get to safety he has to be drastic .. it called for something EXTREME

As Jesus addresses the nation ISRAEL .. the situation is DESPERATE … they are pinned down by their own sinfulness .. hard-heartedness … and are facing the judgement of God

Though they are the BLESSED nation .. they failed to be a BLESSING to others and were very half hearted about following God’s way .. being obedient .. they’ve followed other gods and are indifferent about God

CRUNCH TIME .. Jesus is here .. the KING is here .. the KINGDOM is here .. the appropriate response is REPENT .. time is running out .. they are trapped and there is a need for an EXTREME RESPONSE

There is a THOROUGH REPENTANCE needed ..SEVER the ties with the things that are holding you back .. get a REAL perspective on what your situation is .. God requires a RIGHTEOUSNESS from the heart

Who’s RIGHTEOUSNESS?

We’ve been seeing Matthew reconstructing his gospel account and showing how the coming of Jesus fulfils the PROPHECY of the OT .. God’s SOVEREIGN plan is working through .. His KING has come!

The KINGDOM has come!

With the coming of Jesus the LAW is fulfilled .. the way we respond to God and each other is TAUGHT and fleshed out in Jesus .. it is RADICAL and it will not pass away .. we need our hearts of STONE replaced with hearts of FLESH

Then Jesus drops the BOMBSHELL .. v.20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

And everyone is looking at each other and asking .. “What did he just say?”

If the Pharisees and the teachers of the law can’t get in .. what hope do the rest of Israel have??!

For the Israelite .. THE standard of RIGHTEOUSNESS is the Pharisee .. law teachers .. you don’t get better than that .. they’re so pious .. so careful what they do .. dress and act according to the law to the last detail .

BUT Jesus knows that these guys have reduced following God to a list of RULES .. lots of rules .. might look impressive on the outside BUT their HEART isn’t in it at all .. there’s no HUNGER or THIRST for RIGHTEOUSNESS

And Jesus says .. in their present condition they will NOT be in the KINGDOM of heaven .. so who’s RIGHTEOUSNESS do we need?

Jesus now spells out EXACTLY what means to obey the law of God .. to keep his ways.

It is NOT a rigid LEGALISM .. it is a warm heart that moves towards others .. love that is expressed as God intends

FOLLOWERS of Jesus show EXTREME commitment to God .. WHOLEHEARTED devotion and that’s RADICALLY DIFFERENT to what anyone in Israel is doing!

Let’s look at some EXAMPLES .. this is what RIGHTEOUSNESS from the HEART looks like ..

I Tell You

You can see the formula as we move through the balance of the chapter .. Jesus is taking up SIX legal texts from the OT .. some coloured with a Pharisaical tint .. “You have heard that it was said ...

Jesus is not opposing the law ..

He is interpreting it .. no interacting with rabbinical scholars .. just an AUTHORITATIVE command .. I tell you ..

“You have heard that it was said

ANGRY ENOUGH TO KILL vv.

21-26

You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’

22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment.

Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court.

And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Jewish law .. you shall not murder

The thinking is .. OK .. right I can’t shoot someone .. put a knife in their back .. poison their coffee or bore someone to death with my grandchild stories and photos .. BUT that doesn’t mean I can’t INSULT people .. I can still ignore the people I don’t like .. and I can pass on the stories about them and tell others what idiots they are .. I can express my ANGER .. show people I won’t tolerate fools

Our thinking becomes “Well I’ve ticked the box .. that person isn’t physically dead .. no need to call the police .. I’ve kept the law .. Jesus says NO! That’s not righteous behaviour at all

We all have this DEFAULT .. whats the LEAST I have to do .. MINIMUM effort at obedience

You see this HUMAN RESPONSE around this time of the year .. tax time .. we sweat for hours .. or pay people to work out how we can be technically paying the tax law and still pay the least possible tax

Sometimes we carry that over to our relationship with God .. how can I keep God happy with the least amount of obedience

So .. commandment 6 .. don’t murder .. it is going beyond the LETTER of the law .. and entering into the SPIRIT of the law .. we’re not ticking boxes here .. we’re striving to live God’s way .. here the Spirit of the law is .. DON’T HURT OTHER PEOPLE

Don’t express anger coz that’s just like putting a knife in the back .. don’t call people contemptible names .. you RACA .. WRONG .. you should be taken to the sanhedrin for them to pass judgement

Jesus is FILLING OUT what the intention of the law always was .. if you have a heart to love God and your neighbour you are not just looking for the MINIMUM REQUIREMENT .. how much you can get away with (Pharisee) .. you’re thinking of how you can EXCEL

VIRTUAL ADULTERY vv.

27-30

You shall not commit adultery.’

28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Another commandment where you can think you’ve ticked the box .. I’m not cheating on my spouse so I’m obeying the commandment .. BUT .. I tell you .. says Jesus .. when you deliberately fantasise about someone else being your wife .. when you desire someone else as a sexual partner .. crave someone else’s body .. it might be in your mind but it betrays your heart .. your DEVOTION for God wavers .. you are being UNFAITHFUL

Lust is strongly a male thing .. hence the warning ...anyone who looks at a woman lustfully... but thats not to say that women don’t desire a relationship with another man .. a husband that cares about them .. cherishes them .. talks to them .. nurtures them .. makes them feel loved and secure … rather than this bloke that takes her for granted .. is so self centred .. is abusive and demanding

It’s interesting that God warns that we shouldn’t covet … you shouldn’t covet your neighbours wife the same word for covet / lust

This is so important Jesus talks about radical and extreme measures to make sure you are not tempted .. gouging out eyes .. chopping off hands .. it’s extreme language and overstated ie not to be treated literally .. but it does highlight we can’t be casual … there’s a very high view that God has for MARRIAGE … we are to take serious measure to guard and protect our relationships .. the call is to be FAITHFUL .. which links with the next verses ...

DIVORCE vv.

31-32

31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’

32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery

Jesus is again speaking into the abuses of the people of his day .. there is a very causal attitude to MARRIAGE and DIVORCE .. there’s a link to .. a bloke could go to the Sanhedrin .. bring a complaint about his wife

31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’

n 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery

eg.

she ruined the dinner, she’s unattractive .. I just don’t like her anymore .. he can then get a certificate of divorce

So … you can keep the LETTER of the law .. get a CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE .. just like Moses did and is permissible .. tick the box .. kept the rule but lost the heart of what it means to be in relationship with your wife ..

this is the most important human relationship you can have .. the building block of society .. creation ordinance For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Jesus sees this as FOUNDATIONAL .. God’s ideal is marriage for life … the original intention is that a sexual union in marriage creates a PERMANENT BOND … an UNBROKEN BOND … yet so many of the blokes in His day just see their marriages as something that should indulge them .. a wife should meet his needs and satisfy him .. and if she doesn’t then he has a pile of certificates in his top drawer with blank spaces .. he just has to fill in her name

Now .. this is quite a sensitive area coz so many of us are affected by MARRIAGE BREAKDOWN .. divorce is part of life .. many families are affected .. living in this fallen broken world means that RELATIONAL BREAKDOWN is part of our experience .. sometimes with very bitter consequences and heart wrenching tensions among wives/husbands/kids

This is NOT a clear cut .. black and white situation .. this is complicated … there’s a multitude of reasons for FAMILY and MARRIAGE breakup .. not just adultery .. and then there is the question of RE-MARRIAGE ..

If you’d like to talk further on this please let me know

OATHS OR INTEGRITY vv.

33-37

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfil to the Lord the vows you have made.’

34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.

36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.

37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one

So .. here the letter of the law is DON’T BREAK AN OATH … make sure you keep your vows .. on whatever esp on issues relating to God … the Spirit of the law is to promote HONESTY in relationships .. just be HONEST .. the sort of person where you don’t have to make an oath in the first place .. you’ve got integrity .. you say you’ll do something and it is going to happen .. being that person that people know you will mean what you say … and … say what you mean .. you don’t have to invoke anything or anyone else as testimony to your character

BEYOND JUSTICE vv.38-42

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’

w 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.

If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.

40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.

41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.

42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

This a law in the OT that made sure people were protected .. the victims and doers of the crime were protected so that the punishment would be proportionate to the crime .. no more than an eye for an eye

And sure .. you could live like that .. keeping the letter of the law .. tit for tat .. someone slaps me on the cheek when I’m going to slap them back .. though our natural instinct is to inflict greater pain on someone .. squirt me with a water pistol and I’m looking for a fire hose

We are constantly hearing of things like that .. road rage .. cut someone off on the road and they might pull out a gun or a knife

Jesus is saying that the Spirit of the law is to go the extra mile .. KINGDOM people are those who give .. v.42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

..

It’s not “Hey I gave you $20 the other day .. I want it back” … it’s “Hey I gave you $20 the other day .. do you need more?”

When your heart is in it .. it’s going beyond the surface obedience .. box ticking “righteousness”

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES … vv.43-48

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour  and hate your enemy.’

44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you ....

Last example .. and well known.

The only commandment in the OT is … love your neighbour .. the hate you enemy bit is an addition from the LEGALISTIC pharisees … good jewish pastime to hate everyone who’s not a jew .. get stuck into people that don’t think like you do .. you can put a God spin on it if you like .. God didn’t actually say it BUT He meant to say … when you see your enemy, put the boot in

Jesus says NO! The command is to love .. EVERYONE .. esp the UNLOVELY .. the difficult .. the opposition .. those who insult and oppose you

You really stand out as different when you won’t gossip about the people who don’t like you and give you a hard time .. when we as Christians don’t retaliate .. isn’t that hard to do .. maybe IMPOSSIBLE?!

Kingdom people want to EXCEL in doing God’s will .. not just tick a box .. no matter how hard that is humanly speaking

So .. Who’s RIGHTEOUSNESS? .. v.48

Imagine if you are a Jew and listening to this .. Jesus saying that your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

and then v.48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect

Right .. of course .. the standard is : PERFECTION .. HOLY

The New International Version.

(2011).

().

Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Jesus want his people to have a heart that excels in righteousness .. to be perfect as the Father is perfect

So .. is this sermon .. this sermon on the mount .. is it just a scalding from the preacher to TRY HARDER .. you can do it!

Jesus is NOT saying .. do this and you’ll earn your way to heaven

AND .. this is not just for the jews .. here is a level of devotion that is the standard for all who would be followers of Jesus