Matthew 5:33-48.

Read vv33-48.

The sum of the ten commandments is love—love to God, supreme love, with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength and with all our mind (; ; ); and

love to man, our neighbor, as ourselves (; ; ; ).

Supreme love to God gives birth to and includes love to man (; ).

Love is the sum of the commandments.

(1) It is the highest form of, and therefore the only acceptable, obedience (; ). "But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in him:” ()

(2) The law requires likeness to God: God is love ().

(3) There is no true obedience without love (; ; . "The commandments, Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not covet; and any other commandment, are summed up by this commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself.” ()

(4) Love must manifest itself in action and in the prescribed manner (; ; ; , , ). "The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and yet doesn’t keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” ()

From vv21–48 Six different times Jesus contrasts traditional interpretations of OT texts or themes with His understanding of their meaning and application.

In five of the six antitheses, he also prescribes proactive, positive action (commands) as an antidote to what is prohibited.

Let’s unpack the rest of chapter 5 together, letting God’s Word speak to our hearts.

"“Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord.” ()

Part of obeying the Third commandment, which reads: "Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name.” ()

"Do not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God; I am the Lord.” ()

asks this question: "Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?” ()

That is…God’s presence with His people, ultimately heaven itself.

Listen closely to this answer: "The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not appealed to what is false, and who has not sworn deceitfully.” ()

So far there is no problem with v33, but then He

not only takes issue with the methods that the Pharisees and others used to get round this clear demand for truth,

but also rejects all swearing of oaths: ‘I tell you, don’t take an oath at all’ (5:34).

We must deal with the two matters separately.

The Pharisees’ intention was to enable people to avoid keeping their promises or, indeed, being held to the truth of what they had said.

They did this by subtly keeping God out of the picture.

They substituted other words for the name of God.

Jesus exposes the folly of this casuistry from two angles.

First, he demonstrates that it is impossible to avoid the living God.

Jesus says that heaven is God’s throne (end of v34).

The earth (v35) is His footstool and that Jerusalem is the city of the great King.

The other option was to swear by their ‘head’ (5:36)—a totally inadequate guarantee of truth.

They, unlike God, ‘cannot make even one hair white or black’, so how can they assess, let alone punish, untruth or broken vows?

So what does Jesus instruct us to do? "But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.” ()

This seems to indicate that in ordinary conversation we should be, and be known to be, so truthful that no oath is necessary.

The devil, no doubt, delights in our lies, pretence, ambiguities, broken promises, exaggerations and deceptions.

The Christian is commanded to ‘put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body’ ().

Indeed, the unity and maturity of that body is said by Paul to come from ‘speaking the truth in love’ ().

(in v11) To ‘falsely say all kinds of evil against’ someone is the mark of the persecutor, not of the Christian.

If we are persecuted for telling the truth, about and because of Christ, so be it.

The Lord pronounces us ‘blessed’ ().

Jesus moves on to speak about revenge.

Christ’s exhortation to turn the other cheek is, perhaps, the most misunderstood aspect of his teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.

The words to which the greatest exception is taken today, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth’ (5:38), are certainly to be found in the Old Testament (; ; ).

What Jesus is denying is the misuse of these words to justify personal retaliation and revenge.

Far from permitting personal revenge, the Old Testament instructions about eyes and teeth are given to the judges.

However, Jesus is not content merely to oppose personal revenge, in order to ‘leave room for God’s wrath’,

any more than the apostle Paul was when he urged his readers, ‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good’ (, ).

As in the rest of these sections, Jesus is very concerned that we should live a positively righteous and godly life.

However, Jesus is not content merely to oppose personal revenge, in order to ‘leave room for God’s wrath’, any more than the apostle Paul was when he urged his readers, ‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good’ (, ). As in the rest of these sections, Jesus is very concerned that we should live a positively righteous and godly life. A summary of verses 38–42 might be: ‘Do not be content with merely foregoing revenge. Be positively loving and unselfish in spite of the cost.’

A summary of verses 38–42 might be:

Do not be content with merely foregoing revenge.

Be positively loving and unselfish in spite of the cost.

(v39) "But I tell you, don’t resist an evildoer.”

These words don’t mean that we condone felonies.

It’s wrong to take these words to mean that “good men” should allow evil to prosper by doing nothing.

“On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” ()

A slap on the right cheek, (in Jesus’ day) with the back of the hand,

is an insult,

a show of personal contempt, or

even religious persecution,

not a mugger trying to steal your wallet.

Jesus further illustrates his point (in v40) of not demanding our rights by the case of someone being sued.

We must go further than not resisting; we must voluntarily give what we are not obliged to give:

not only, “your shirt, let him have your coat as well.”

In v41, not only must we not react angrily when forced into service, as a Jew could be compelled by a Roman soldier to carry his luggage for ‘one mile’. We must carry it ‘two miles’.

Where to you think the phrase “going the extra mile” came from (when secular writers use that phrase of someone going beyond the call of duty?

The next requirement: "Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” ()

Jesus isn’t saying for us to all give to the professional beggars that work I-65 but to have a disposition of the heart of a readiness to give generously.

A readiness to give to the genuinely needy, even when it is risky.

Jesus’ blade is dangerously sharp.

His teaching is radical.

He calls for real self-denial, for a willingness to put others’ interests before our own.

Then we move into (perhaps) the most striking set of remarkable exhortations.

Many of the Jews of Christ’s day would have found His command to “Love your enemies” (in v43) totally unacceptable, as would many people of our day.

Legg, J. (2004). The King and His Kingdom: The Gospel of Matthew Simply Explained (p. 94). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

The question is, ‘Do we?’ ‘Love’, of course, is not the same as ‘like’.

Christ’s disciples may find their enemies highly objectionable and be unable to do anything about it.

They must nevertheless and in every way, seek their good and do them good, not harm.

One kind, though not the only kind, of enemy is the persecutor, who is very much in Christ’s mind in this chapter.

‘Pray for those who persecute you’, he tells them and us (5:44).

We mustn’t be content with the worlds standards.

"For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? "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?” ()

On the contrary, we must be like our ‘Father in heaven’ (5:45).

Christians are to be different, truly revolutionary!

To love our enemies is to be like God:"... For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” ()

There is a grace and love of God which is common to all men (as we note here concerning God’s love.

Another note here about God’s love. The love described here is to all mankind.

The love described here is to all mankind.

It’s all still grace because God’s doesn’t owe mankind anything except justice for our sin

so this love is still the unmerited grace that provides them these good things as rain and sunshine.

This love goes even to the non-elect.

It’s all still grace because God’s doesn’t owe mankind anything except justice for our sin so this love is still the unmerited grace that provides them these good things as rain and sunshine.

However, this does not alter the fact that God has a special, saving love and grace for those whom He has chosen before the foundation of the world.]

We show that we are ‘sons’ of God when we love our enemies and do good to them, as he does.

This love goes even to the non-elect.

However, this does not alter the fact that God has a special, saving love and grace for those whom He has chosen before the foundation of the world.

May I say to you, as well, that instead of sneering at ‘do-gooders’,

Some deny that God loves even the non-elect, but this passage must mean that he does. This does not alter the fact that God has a special, saving love and grace for those whom he has chosen before the foundation of the world.

we should try to outdo them in love and kindness to all men, even those who count themselves our enemies.

Look at how Jesus makes His piercing point: "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?” ()

“what are you doing out of the ordinary?”

You see, these commands are not the base of the column (so to speak), they’re the cap of it.

Precepts are not given to us as a way to obtain life, but as the way in which to exhibit life.

The commands of Christ are not upon the legal tenor of “this do and live,” but upon the gospel system of “live and do this.”

Legg, J. (2004). The King and His Kingdom: The Gospel of Matthew Simply Explained (pp. 95–96). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

We are not to be attentive to the precepts in order to be saved, but because we are saved.

Why should Jesus come to us and ask, “what are you doing out of the ordinary?”

Why should Jesus expect more from us than ordinary people? Well number 1. You AFFIRM more than others.

The last Sunday of March, we’ll be hearing several testimonies of God’s saving grace and will hear folks AFFIRM God’s work in their lives.

Their professions of faith should be supported by actual facts, otherwise, they are deceivers.

Many-a-impostor and hypocrite have affirmed the work of Christ but ended up being stony-ground hearers.

"And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. "But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away.” ()

Not so in v23, "But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”” ()

A true believer affirms that they’re renewed in their hearts.

They affirm that they know the

evils of sin and

have repented of them and

have fled to Christ for pardon!

They affirm that they’ve received

new hearts and new spirits.

They affirm that they’re children of God and an heir of heaven.

All of Roselawn and the surrounding community do not affirm these things.

And in looking at Jesus’s words to us this morning:

“what are you doing out of the ordinary”.

Because we talk a big game don’t we?

And so dear “affirming” believer, if you affirm all the things mentioned,

then your life will prove it and if your life doesn’t prove it,

then you stand convicted of a flagrant falsehood.

Why should Jesus expect more from us than ordinary people?

Well number 1. You AFFIRM more than others.

Number 2. You are ACTUALLY more than others.

Why should Jesus expect more from us than ordinary people?

More than the ordinary is expected of the true believer because of what’s actually true.

We’re not just merely talking about what we are but what we actually are.

It is a fact that the believer in Christ is born again.

He is not only as other men are, made by God, but he has been twice made, new born, new created in Christ Jesus.

Please turn to .

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” ()

You received this new birth with two primary goals.

Here’s the most straightforward answer is that you were identified and came into

(1.) in order that you would be characterized and known for possessing this “living hope”.

This is a hope shot through with the focus on the final outcome of your present resurrection existence, which culminates with the bodily resurrection at the end of time.

It is no fiction but a matter of truthful experience; we have passed from death unto life.

That actually happened. Now we have this living hope and have our souls set on Christ!

Fact, we’ve received the Spirit of God into our souls.

"Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.” ()

God has given us a nature that is higher than the world’s nature, the “Spirit who comes from God”.

God lives in the believer: "On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you.” ()

You know that Christ is in You, and that we’re partakers of the divine nature.

"By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.” ()

Another actuality is that we’re chosen in Christ before the world ever existed.

"For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.” () "But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God has chosen you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.” ()

And we are actually loved with an everlasting love.

"the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you.” ()

You’re chosen, everlastingly loved, and particularly redeemed as well, from humanity.

You find phrases like "...These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were redeemed from humanity as the firstfruits for God and the Lamb.” ()

Or listen to this particular redemptive language of Jesus: "“I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, "just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.” ()

"...Christ loved the church and gave himself for her” ()

You have God’s nature in you

You have God’s election upon you.

You have God’s redemption setting you free from condemnation.

So you are ACTUALLY way more than others.

Children of God while others are heirs of wrath.

You are light in the Lord while others lay in darkness.

You are the sheep of His pasture while others roam upon the wild mountains of pride!

So if all that you AFFIRM is an ACTUALITY then certainly you will do things out of the ordinary!

Why should Jesus expect more from us than ordinary people?

I’m appealing to your heart and not your intellect this morning.

Number 2. You are ACTUALLY more than others.

Number 3. You are ABLE to do more than others.

Jesus should expect more from us than ordinary people because we can do all things through Christ “who strengthens me.” ().

We’re told to "...be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.” () "I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me.” () "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” ()

Why should Jesus should expect more from us than ordinary people?

Why should Jesus expect more from us than ordinary people?

Number 3. You are ABLE to do more than others.

Number 4. You are ANTICIPATING more than others.

Why should Jesus expect more from us than ordinary people?

So, you AFFIRM, and ACTUALLY are ABLE to do more than the ordinary

Why should Jesus expect more from us than ordinary people?

Number 4. You are ANTICIPATING more than others.

"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” ()

This is not just setting before us the aim of sinless perfection, unattainable in this life.

It does include that, but Jesus is using ‘perfect’ in the sense of ‘all-round’ and consistent’.

In connection with the immediately preceding verses, this means that his disciples must love not only one another, but also their enemies.

The wider context means that, unlike the Pharisees, they must not be selective,

picking and choosing which commands they will keep.

Nor must they be like the worldlings, doing enough to get by,

or the tax-collectors, just concerned for their ‘mates’.

They and we must be like the heavenly Father, loving all men, with an all-round holiness of heart, word and action.

Thus we shall achieve a righteousness far exceeding that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law.

The verse is also a motivation.

We must live as those who have been chosen and redeemed and called to be children of God.

We must live as those who are to inherit the kingdom of heaven and see God.

If we only realize what God has planned for us and given to us even now, and what lies before us in the heavenly kingdom,

we shall live and love differently,

radically differently, and so let our light shine before men, to the praise of God, our heavenly Father.