Sermon Tone Analysis

Matt 5:17-18

The last two weeks we saw how the Scribes and the Pharisees relaxed the Law

and there is a pattern that is established where Jesus quotes or refers to a law that is being taught and he says something like this

Scripture does not tell us to avenge ourself in order to obtain justice.

You’ve heard it said: then he quotes the law or the teaching

then he says but I say to you - and then Jesus goes to interpret and teach the true meaning of said laws that the scribes and Pharisees had twisted for their own personal gain.

Generally - sure the scribes and Pharisees didn’t murder, sure they didn’t commit adultery… so in that they obeyed the law in that sense…

But they were failed to keep the Law in that they still had anger… they still spoke words that were that of a murderer… and so proved to have the heart condition of that of a murderer

They failed to keep the Law in that they still looked at women with lustful intents in their heart… and so they proved to be unable to keep the law in that they had the heart of adulterers…

As to all of us:

Then last week we saw specific teachings that are recorded in the gospels where the Pharisees taught.

We see it in we see that taught that it was permissible for a man to divorce his wife so long as he handed her a certificate of divorce.

And that is the practice that he confronted in the sermon on the mount

And again in we see how they taught that some oaths were more binding than others and in doing so there were times where it lies became permissible and Jesus rejects this teaching as being unlawful as well…

And this week we see the final two topics that Jesus addresses in this pattern

You’ve heard it said, but I say to you

I would love some help with this: Can someone look up

And as you do let us read matt 5:38

(say to volunteer) can you look up

someone else look up

And another 22

Who has

Who has

Who has

So what with these and in mind… we need to also interpret

Because the law is not giving permission for avenging yourself:

What the scribes and the Pharisees likely taught or practiced regarding this law was that they could justify hurting others at least as badly as they had been heard.

And yet this law was not given to allow a person to exact revenge, rather it was given to legislate justice so that Israel, and therefore us today can see that God is a god justice.

Scripture does not tell us to avenge ourself in order to obtain justice.

Scripture in undeniably clear: vengeance is not ours to execute on our own

And this is what Jesus teaches by providing four different examples to illustrate what the citizen of the kingdom of heaven ought to look like

matt

This has less to do with injury and more to do with being insulted

So when insulted what are you to do?

Jesus says give him the other cheek - that is allow there to be an additional insult to that which has been given…

Instead of retaliating with another insult in an attempt to avenge yourself.

Jesus says offer your other cheek.

Deut:

What is Jesus saying…

If someone takes your tonic give them your cloak as well…

Jesus in effect is saying - Give to them that which the Law would restrict them from taking from you…

And if he takes it, know that the Lord hears your cries and he sees the injustice that has been done to you....

Matt

Matt 5:38

Matt 5:

Jesus here is referring to a practice that was used by the Roman soldiers.

By Roman law, a soldier could ask any citizen to carry their burden (the gear that they were hauling) up to a mile

Matt

We see this similar practice being put to use in when Simon is forced to carry Jesus’ cross.

Yet there was a legal limit to how far they had to go… They only had to go one mile, and yet what is Jesus telling his disciples to do?

He says go two miles… Go further than what the law would require of you…

And finally:

Matt 5:

This is a radical form of generosity and responding to those who might wrong us that Jesus is calling us to

The point is this:

Scripture does not tell us to avenge ourself in order to obtain justice.

And further, Jesus even says not only to not avenge yourself, but to repay the evil with that which the law wouldn’t even require of you.

Or as Paul puts it in Romans 12

Let’s continue… and I need help again: someone look up

and another look up

And for the rest of us: look at what Jesus says next:

Matt 5:

Now in part Jesus is quoting from the Law

What does says…

and prov 24:17

Notice the phrase in there you shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people…

then it goes “but you shall love your neighbor as yourself”

The teaching and understanding of this law was that the “neighbor” was those who were “their own people” that is ethnic Israelites

And so what was being taught was they had to love fellow Israelites, while there was permission to hate their enemies so long as they were not Israelites…

Let’s contextualize this to the church

It would be as if we hated anyone who wasn’t a Christian

Or someone who didn’t go to LWC

Or anyone who was different than you

And so what was being taught was they had to love fellow Israelites, while there was permission to hate their enemies so long as they were not Israelites…

But what does the scripture say about how we should respond to our enemies?

Read

Again listen to

Or as Jesus puts it:

:45

Loving only those who are easy to love makes you no different from the rest of the world.

Which at the end of the day… is not being salt and light like we saw earlier in

If we only love those who are easy to love, we fail to be the merciful from

We fail to be the peacemakers of matt 5:9

And we see examples of this kind of love displayed in the early church…

Look at the radical love that was demonstrated by Stephen

Listen to how Jesus continues to describe the radical love that we are supposed to have for our enemies

Matt 5:44-

He is calling us to be like our Father in heaven…

And not like the rest of the world

Matt 5:46

He isn’t after us just being civil...

obeying laws in the Scripture

Obeying laws in our own government… what is he after?

Is it to be like the rest of the world?

Like the tax collectors and the gentiles?

Is it to be like the scribes and the Pharisees?

Who does he want us to be like?

Matt

Remember back in v 20

Everything in between v 20 and 48 are examples of the kind of righteousness that we need… And they aren’t exhaustive as a way to follow these six principles and if we can then we can be right with God… Rather they are samples that are intended to establish a pattern wich is to be learned so as to know how one can act for every possible situation we might face.

The Law is an accurate representation of the character and nature of God