Sermon on the Mount Laws

Living Law

Have you ever had someone telling you one thing and then immediately tell you another?

Have you ever had someone tell you one thing and then immediately tell you something else?

Now I am thinking your teacher tells you your test will have multiple choice questions and then you get to the test and there is like none and if you feel like what they said earlier didn’t hold up to what you got.

Or how about this, you were told that hey this is the last chore you have to do, take out the trash. Dang that is easy Imma just full sprint in minus 40 weather and then run back inside and its back to listening to tswift or playing more fortnite. As soon as you run inside again you get told hey, there is more garbage to take out or hey here is the recycling, or hey now take the trash bin to the curb.

Like bro! you said one thing but not its completely different.

Well we we get to the sermon on the mount we can read a little bit into where the audicene of this sermon on the side of this hill feel the same way. They are wondering to themselves? bro Moses the big dog of the Old Testament gave us all these rules, the Law to follow, is this Jesus guy just going to change that on us?

See Jesus starts talking about the Law and what it means for the people of bible is that Jesus looks like he changing the way they live, sweet new rules! But rather Jesus says this, Matthew 5:17-18

Matthew 5:17–18 NIV

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Think of what it would mean if there was no laws? Would that be good or bad?

Jesus sets it straight, “I am not here to abolish or get rid of the law” but he rather says “I am here to fufill them”. He is trying to point to the reasoning of why we do these laws and that reasoning his him.

Jesus is this fullfillment of the Law he is the reason for the Law, the reason we follow these rules, or do these things that are harder to do then just not doing them is becuase we are following Jesus. Even more he is trying to say that he is the way.

The reason to follow is Jesus

Everything that we have read in the old testament laws will be either fufilled or while be rediscussed.

So thats how it starts

Jesus says, listen to him becuase he is going to fufill the law! isn’t that awesome that its not just a rule book but rather a messiah, a saviour, someone who we can look to and say that is why I act, that is why I live a certain way?

What does Jesus mean when he says he is here to fufill the law?

Jesus gives off these Laws

do not murder

Do not divorce

do not make oaths based on God or his rule

do not seek revenge but instead love someone who is against you.

When we look at these Laws of what to do and what not to do it starts to become a rule book that seems easy to push aside. See Jesus knows that there was this big law book when it came to the time of Moses, the ten commandments which were ten rules that God gave his people.

Jesus also knows that somewhere along the line the rule book turned into the playbook that turned into the autobiography of the person following it. See Jesus knew that people followed the Law of Moses to gloryify themselves. So now where he is coming to fufill this Law he says its not about what you do, but rather why you do it.

So why we do live a life with less ‘freedoms’ (more laws) then someone else?

It’s a Heart Thing

Lets look deeper into one of these verses. Lets go with murder becuase I hope nobody has murdered someone here. Jesus says, Matt 5: 21-22

Matthew 5:21–22 NIV

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 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.

When it comes down to it, if you murder someone that is breaking the law, both the canadian goverments law but also the law of moses and the law of Jesus, but here is where it drastically changes.

If you hate somebody then you are actually breaking the Law. Jesus doesn’t just say hey don’t go and murder someone, but he over emphasises it by saying, “if you become angry with another you will be subject to judgemnet”.

Murder and a hating heart go hand in hand in the kingdom of God. one is not higher then the other in the kingdom of God. on earth yes murder is 100% illegal while hating someone is not.

In any of the passages in the seconad half of Matthew chapter 5 there is the law of the action, the action is something wrong. However there is also the law of the heart, whatever consumes the heart that is against the law is wrong.

Jesus tackles the root of the issue. What is your heart posture to those around you.

are you currently angry with another?

are you lusting over someone?

are you wanting revenge for something?

are you taking commitment to another level via swearing a oath?

are you loving your enemies or are you just saving face?

You can follow the Law yes, but what will that do for you? will you really be a changed person just by your actions alone or will your changed heart have anysay into your life with Jesus?

Jesus is not just after you for the way you act, he wants to have the heart for it. A heart that loves others, a heart that wants to do good, a heart that helps people as we will dive into next week.

So maybe this week that means you need to watch your temper not just on the outside but on the inside?

or you need to watch how you live your life when it comes to the relationships around you?

Maybe its not shooting back when someone gets on your badside?

How do you need to check your heart this week?

why is Jesus is encouraging us to check our heart?

If we live out these Laws what will that do for us? Think back to the Salt and Light.

Anyone want to share how you can live this out this week?