Sermon Tone Analysis

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Blessings (that turn the wisdom of world upside down).

yorktown //

You are Salt.

You are light.

point of which is pointing to God’s glory.

Do not murder (said… interesting, not “written.”)

Specifically addressing the teaching of the law; not the law itself.

Start/seed/spark of that is anger; which liable to judgement...

xxxMoses example.xxx

Point is reconciliation.

Jesus demonstrates the contrast between a true and full righteousness based on the "spirit" of the law, and a superficial righteousness based on the mere "letter" of the law.

Next Jesus focuses on the 7th commandment.

Again, “heard it said.”

Implies that what they have heard strays from the intent and Jesus gives it the fulness it lacks.

Literal Meaning taught: taking those words at face value, strictly in terms of the letter of the law, the scribes and Pharisees were able to say, "I've never committed 'adultery'; therefore, I am innocent."

Their hearts, however, were anything but pure.

(rom 2:28 - not outwardly, but inwardly)

Again, Jesus speaks with the authority of the Author.

I say to you.

And with his words of fulfillment, he targets the motives behind the act.

and here now is that word.

epithyméō

earnest desire / lustful intent / to crave.

Luke 22:15

(evil desire) active… led to idolatry...

Sense is pretty strong.

Christians aren’t being told here that we need to fit ourselves with blinders.

Noticing someone is not the same as lusting after them; appreciating someone is not the same as lusting after them.

“look with lustful intent” ; desire.

And I’ll also point out here that we aren’t all just single-minded simpletons.

There are lots of reasons that one might desire another person.

It’s not all beauty and sex.

We kind of infer that from the text, but the word translated here as lustful intent is specifically a-sexual in nature: intellect, skill, talent, kindness, Godly countenance…for whatever reason, Those who “earnestly desire” or “lust” have “set their heart upon” someone other than their covenant spouse, and have committed adultery.

Jesus zooms us out of the letter-of-the-law interpretation concerning this seventh commandment from God...

[don’t read]

and reminds us that because God is a covenant-keeping God, we, who are the citizens of his Kingdom according to Matthew, the light-bearers for His Glory according to Jesus, his children according to Hebrews, the temple of his holy spirit according to Paul - we are to be a covenant-keeping people.

A holy people.

[don’t read]

Deuteronomy

-19

A marriage is meant as a gift of relationship to reflect the love, kindness and patience of our covenant-keeping God.

A marriage is meant as a gift to reflect the love and longsuffering of our covenant-keeping God.

And so we

God often referred to his covenant with Israel as a marriage, and we know that Israel often lusted after the things they saw outside of their marriage.

And God called them out for their adulterous ways.

And so just as we saw last week in looking at murder, anger, and reconciliation, we see now that the essence of adultery and lust, is broken relationships, seeking the reconciliation and restoration that only God can bring.

So we notice someone,

Fairly dramatically illustrated:

It is just at this point that God, full of mercy and compassion for us, intervenes, to direct us in relationship-building that reflects His Glory.

Those who deal treacherously with their spouse are guilty of breaking a covenant relationship.

This is "adultery."

All this helps to uderstand what Jesus meant a bit earlier, back in:

and also in

Back to practice.

Matthew 5:29-30

Obviously this is figurative language.

To pluck out one’s eye or to cut off one’s hand, this would not remove one’s lustful desire.

Jesus is telling His disciples in the strongest possible language to remove every occasion for this sin.

What we’ve seen in scripture last week and this week make is so very important to know that we have a savior; Jesus who shows us the fullness and perfection of the law, also shows us the fulness of God’s love for us, in that he took on the punishment of our judgement for us.

He stood in our place and died our death so that in him we will live, just as he does now, having overcome death.

That means that death is no longer the end for those who believe and who love the Lord and who purpose themselves to his service.

For them, God works all things toward Good.