This post is a commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus' most significant teaching in the book of Matthew. The Sermon on the Mount is a reversion of the law of God as given by Moses-- more streamlined, more accurate and applicable to everyone who has God's Spirit. If we live by this teaching of Jesus, then we will be in line to enter God's kingdom, and in the best place to live in God's Spirit now.
But there are many who say that the Sermon isn't for Christians today-- if you think that, please read the last bit, Matthew 7:25-27. Jesus there says that those who hear the sermon but refuse to obey it will be judged on the last day. He repeats this in Matthew 12:46-50. Please don't be fooled by those who think the Sermon is for those in the past. It is for today, for today's people. Let us live it out and place our hope on Jesus, our King and Lawgiver.
Steve Kimes
Pastor of Anawim Christian Community
Monday, April 23, 2007
Who Are The People of God? Matthew 5:3-10
We can look around at the different religions and the many different kinds of Christianity and we can wonder, who among all of these different kinds of religious people does God really care for? Some religions are strict, others are lax; some are private and personal, while others are public and in-your-face; some are meditative, others are ethical, while others are very social. And each one of them has their own ideas of what makes up the people of God and who really belongs.
Of all the people in the world, Jesus is one of the few who we can trust to really know what God prefers. Jesus lived among his people and taught and healed—but more importantly, God gave his stamp of approval on his life and teaching beyond anyone else, because God raised him from the dead. No other religious teacher or prophet or theologian could claim that. So rather than delving into theology or religious doctrine, let’s just look at what Jesus said about the subject.
The Beatitudes—Matthew 5:3-10
The Beatitudes are Jesus’ blueprint for God’s people. He didn’t come up with it himself—although he packaged it. Most of this teaching comes from the Hebrew Bible (which is usually today called the Old Testament). It is called “the beatitudes” today because each statement speaks about a blessing that the people of God will receive. “Beatitude” comes from a Latin word which means “state of bliss”. And these statements explain who will receive a state of blessing or fortune from God. Before we explain it, though, let’s hear what Jesus has to say about God’s people for himself:
The poor in spirit are fortunate because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Those who grieve are fortunate, because they will be cheered. The meek are fortunate, because they will inherit the earth. Those hungry and thirsty for justice are fortunate, because they will eat their fill. The merciful are fortunate, because they will be granted mercy. The clean in heart are fortunate, because they will see God. The peacemakers are fortunate, because they will be called 'sons of God.' Those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness are fortunate, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Who are these people?
The first thing we want to look at are the characteristics of God’s people. Jesus statements about these characteristics can be divided in two: a. Situational characteristics and b. Ethical characteristics.
The Anawim of God
Some of the characteristics of God’s people relate to the awful situations they find themselves in:
· The poor in spirit (oppressed, especially economically),
· The grieving (remorseful about the situations they find themselves in),
· The meek (lowly, disenfranchised or outcast),
· Those hungering and thirsting for justice (greatly desiring right to prevail in their lives)
· And the persecuted (rejected or spoken ill of).
This isn’t exactly a top-ten of things that we want to be! These characteristics can be summarized in one Hebrew word—anawim. The Bible speaks much of the anawim, because they are the kinds of people God focuses on, and desires to help more than anyone else. (Read Exodus 22:21-24; Psalm 37:11 and Psalm 34:6.) That’s because they have no one else but God to turn to. No power on earth will pay attention to them, because most people would prefer to pretend that they didn’t even exist. Some of the anawim in our society are the homeless, the mentally ill, the elderly, the chronically sick and all the various others who are socially outcast. These are the poor, the lowly, the outcast—and they are God’s people. If a person thinks that they are of God or His people, but have never experienced this kind of rejection by society, then they are not, in reality of God’s true people.
The Loving of God
However, one cannot just be rejected or poor and be of God’s people. Many teachers and theologians today will teach that Jesus said that everyone who is poor or outcast represents him. But that simply isn’t true. Jesus said that those of his “brothers” who are needy are his people. And Jesus said that his brothers would “do the will of my Father in heaven”. In other words, they listened to and obeyed God. But what kind of obedience is Jesus talking about? Not drinking on a Friday night? Studying the Bible every day? Standing on a street corner yelling, “You’re going to hell” to everyone you see? Hmmm… let’s see what Jesus says:
· The merciful (those who do good to everyone in need without exception);
· The clean in heart (those who do what is right because they have a mind focused on God, and not because of superficial reasons)
· The peacemakers (those who do good to their enemies, who refuse to judge on appearances and who gather people to be devoted to God);
· And the persecuted for righteousness’ sake (those who are rejected because they were doing the good God said to do).
These are the people who keep two things on their main agenda: They are devoted to God first and foremost, not allowing anything else in their lives to get in the way of their love of God. Second, they are doing everything they can to benefit other people, no matter who they are. This makes sense, because Jesus said that these two things are to be the focus of everyone who lives for God (Matthew 22:35-40). They love God and they love other people. And sometimes they get burned because of it. Sometimes they are rejected or even physically hurt because of it. But they know it’s worth it.
How can it be worth it?
It doesn’t seem worth it. Jesus is saying that God’s people are those who are so focused on devotion to God and assisting others that they get hurt by it. It just doesn’t seem right. But it really is—in fact, it is a weird sense of justice that indicates that these are God’s people and not others. Just look at what God’s people get:
· Theirs is the kingdom of heaven (God lets them rule His coming nation!)
· They will be cheered (God gives them happiness!)
· They will inherit the earth (God gives them land and city to be in charge of!)
· They will eat their fill (God will give them true justice—forever!)
· They will receive mercy (God will overlook their faults and meet their needs!)
· They will see God (God will let them be in his presence!)
· They will be called sons of God (God will call them his own!)
All wrapped up, these are the blessings of God that almost everyone wants. It is peace, security, true spirituality, all of one’s needs met, a peaceful society to live in. It is winning the real lottery—obtaining true happiness that you could never get with cash.
So why do these people get it, and not others? Because only God is offering it, and only those who are truly devoted to God and His ways will get it. And how can anyone know that we were really devoted—and not just faking it? How can anyone know that we really cared about other people and weren’t just faking it? Because we acted in love even though we were living in hard times. We stayed right with God, even though we suffered for it. We continued to help others, even though people thought we were wrong to do it. We suffered and loved at the same time.
How fortunate are the oppressed because they will rule God’s kingdom!
How fortunate are the sorrowful, because God will cheer them up.
How fortunate are the lowly, because God will give them the earth.
How fortunate are those who desperately desire justice, because they will get just what they want.
How fortunate are those who act in compassion, for God will be compassionate to them.
How fortunate are those single-minded on God, for they will see Him.
How fortunate are the creators of peaceful communities, for God will make them rulers.
How fortunate are the sufferers for righteousness, because they will rule God’s kingdom!
Of all the people in the world, Jesus is one of the few who we can trust to really know what God prefers. Jesus lived among his people and taught and healed—but more importantly, God gave his stamp of approval on his life and teaching beyond anyone else, because God raised him from the dead. No other religious teacher or prophet or theologian could claim that. So rather than delving into theology or religious doctrine, let’s just look at what Jesus said about the subject.
The Beatitudes—Matthew 5:3-10
The Beatitudes are Jesus’ blueprint for God’s people. He didn’t come up with it himself—although he packaged it. Most of this teaching comes from the Hebrew Bible (which is usually today called the Old Testament). It is called “the beatitudes” today because each statement speaks about a blessing that the people of God will receive. “Beatitude” comes from a Latin word which means “state of bliss”. And these statements explain who will receive a state of blessing or fortune from God. Before we explain it, though, let’s hear what Jesus has to say about God’s people for himself:
The poor in spirit are fortunate because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Those who grieve are fortunate, because they will be cheered. The meek are fortunate, because they will inherit the earth. Those hungry and thirsty for justice are fortunate, because they will eat their fill. The merciful are fortunate, because they will be granted mercy. The clean in heart are fortunate, because they will see God. The peacemakers are fortunate, because they will be called 'sons of God.' Those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness are fortunate, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Who are these people?
The first thing we want to look at are the characteristics of God’s people. Jesus statements about these characteristics can be divided in two: a. Situational characteristics and b. Ethical characteristics.
The Anawim of God
Some of the characteristics of God’s people relate to the awful situations they find themselves in:
· The poor in spirit (oppressed, especially economically),
· The grieving (remorseful about the situations they find themselves in),
· The meek (lowly, disenfranchised or outcast),
· Those hungering and thirsting for justice (greatly desiring right to prevail in their lives)
· And the persecuted (rejected or spoken ill of).
This isn’t exactly a top-ten of things that we want to be! These characteristics can be summarized in one Hebrew word—anawim. The Bible speaks much of the anawim, because they are the kinds of people God focuses on, and desires to help more than anyone else. (Read Exodus 22:21-24; Psalm 37:11 and Psalm 34:6.) That’s because they have no one else but God to turn to. No power on earth will pay attention to them, because most people would prefer to pretend that they didn’t even exist. Some of the anawim in our society are the homeless, the mentally ill, the elderly, the chronically sick and all the various others who are socially outcast. These are the poor, the lowly, the outcast—and they are God’s people. If a person thinks that they are of God or His people, but have never experienced this kind of rejection by society, then they are not, in reality of God’s true people.
The Loving of God
However, one cannot just be rejected or poor and be of God’s people. Many teachers and theologians today will teach that Jesus said that everyone who is poor or outcast represents him. But that simply isn’t true. Jesus said that those of his “brothers” who are needy are his people. And Jesus said that his brothers would “do the will of my Father in heaven”. In other words, they listened to and obeyed God. But what kind of obedience is Jesus talking about? Not drinking on a Friday night? Studying the Bible every day? Standing on a street corner yelling, “You’re going to hell” to everyone you see? Hmmm… let’s see what Jesus says:
· The merciful (those who do good to everyone in need without exception);
· The clean in heart (those who do what is right because they have a mind focused on God, and not because of superficial reasons)
· The peacemakers (those who do good to their enemies, who refuse to judge on appearances and who gather people to be devoted to God);
· And the persecuted for righteousness’ sake (those who are rejected because they were doing the good God said to do).
These are the people who keep two things on their main agenda: They are devoted to God first and foremost, not allowing anything else in their lives to get in the way of their love of God. Second, they are doing everything they can to benefit other people, no matter who they are. This makes sense, because Jesus said that these two things are to be the focus of everyone who lives for God (Matthew 22:35-40). They love God and they love other people. And sometimes they get burned because of it. Sometimes they are rejected or even physically hurt because of it. But they know it’s worth it.
How can it be worth it?
It doesn’t seem worth it. Jesus is saying that God’s people are those who are so focused on devotion to God and assisting others that they get hurt by it. It just doesn’t seem right. But it really is—in fact, it is a weird sense of justice that indicates that these are God’s people and not others. Just look at what God’s people get:
· Theirs is the kingdom of heaven (God lets them rule His coming nation!)
· They will be cheered (God gives them happiness!)
· They will inherit the earth (God gives them land and city to be in charge of!)
· They will eat their fill (God will give them true justice—forever!)
· They will receive mercy (God will overlook their faults and meet their needs!)
· They will see God (God will let them be in his presence!)
· They will be called sons of God (God will call them his own!)
All wrapped up, these are the blessings of God that almost everyone wants. It is peace, security, true spirituality, all of one’s needs met, a peaceful society to live in. It is winning the real lottery—obtaining true happiness that you could never get with cash.
So why do these people get it, and not others? Because only God is offering it, and only those who are truly devoted to God and His ways will get it. And how can anyone know that we were really devoted—and not just faking it? How can anyone know that we really cared about other people and weren’t just faking it? Because we acted in love even though we were living in hard times. We stayed right with God, even though we suffered for it. We continued to help others, even though people thought we were wrong to do it. We suffered and loved at the same time.
How fortunate are the oppressed because they will rule God’s kingdom!
How fortunate are the sorrowful, because God will cheer them up.
How fortunate are the lowly, because God will give them the earth.
How fortunate are those who desperately desire justice, because they will get just what they want.
How fortunate are those who act in compassion, for God will be compassionate to them.
How fortunate are those single-minded on God, for they will see Him.
How fortunate are the creators of peaceful communities, for God will make them rulers.
How fortunate are the sufferers for righteousness, because they will rule God’s kingdom!
Character and Conflict-- Matthew 5:11-16
Jesus already spoke about his unique vision of the character of the true people of God in the first part of the Sermon on the Mount, called the Beatitudes. However, Jesus’ vision really is unique—in fact, it is disagreed with by most religious leaders that have ever lived, including most Christian ones! Jesus really did know who God really desires to help, because Jesus is the only one to hear it directly from the Father. He has the full vision of God, while all other prophets and religious teachers only have a part of God’s plan.
Most teachers say that God’s people are righteous—but they think that God’s people just need to follow a particular code or list of rules to be God’s people. Jesus is saying that rules aren’t the heart of God’s people. Rather God’s people are interested in being merciful to other people and in having a motivation to be right before God in everything they do—whether their list of rules is long or short. Most religious teachers say that wealth and a good life are signs of God’s blessing. Jesus says that those who are oppressed and poor and looking to God to help them out of the trouble they find themselves in—these are the ones who will truly be blessed by God.
Jesus’ teaching is strange to most people, and most people will strongly disagree with it. This makes it difficult for those following what Jesus truly says. If everyone says that to be a good Christian you just need to pray a prayer, what does that mean for those who follow Jesus’ words to be merciful and clean in heart? If everyone says that to be a good Christian, everything will be going well in your life, what does that mean for those who listen to Jesus’ words about oppression and persecution?
After the Beatitudes, Jesus gives us some additional words of encouragement to remain in the character of God’s people. He gives three teachings, all of which are reflections on enduring in God’s character, although the world tells you something differently.
1. Act Like A Lottery Winner—Matthew 5:11-12
You are fortunate when they disparage you and persecute and speak all kinds of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and show gladness, because your reward is much in heaven, for even so did they persecute the prophets who were before you.
Jesus tells us that it makes sense that we will be spoken ill of, especially by people who hold to their own views about religion or how life should be lived. They will say, “Don’t allow yourself to be oppressed—you need to agree with us and to do what we do.” And if you don’t—in other words, if you stick with Jesus in opposition to their points of view—then people will say terrible things about you—even lies and horrible slander. This is normal, Jesus says. More than normal, it is a cause of great joy!
How can this be? Normal people don’t get lied about, slandered, hated and then have a party about it. That just doesn’t make sense. Jesus tells us to remember the prophets of God. They were speaking the truth of God and have been honored by God’s people for countless generations. However, they were rejected and hated and slandered about by the generation they spoke to. They weren’t liked at all! But what happened to them? They received great reward from God. God gave them much more after their life in His presence than they could possibly expect on earth.
This means that the prophets, although they were despised on earth, were actually like secret lottery winners. No, they haven't collected their prize yet, but they had the ticket. The ticket to winning the lottery, Jesus says, is living a merciful, godly life and being persecuted for it. So if you’ve got the ticket—act like it! Be happy, jump up and down, sing praises to God, have a party! Sure, people will think you’re nuts—“No, I don’t think I want to go to your ‘Persecution Party’”—but since you know the secret, you might as well enjoy it (Acts 5:41).
2. Don’t be like Marlon Brando—Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt is foolish, with what will it be made salty? It is capable for nothing except as an outcast to be trampled on by men.
In Jesus’ day, salt was used for a number of things—just like today. We use salt for seasoning food, for snow covered sidewalks, for liquid absorption and much more. Jesus wasn’t using the image of salt to speak of it’s use, rather he was using salt because of it’s ability to still look like salt, but not to be useful anymore. Salt can lose its “salty” character, and so it is no longer useful to anyone for anything.
Even so, Jesus says, can God’s people lose their basic character. We have to remember that the basic character of God’s people is to have our hearts focused on God, to be merciful and to be oppressed because of our stand to follow Jesus. But in a world—especially a church—that is telling us that God’s people are NOT like that, it is easy to focus on what other people say are the characteristics of God. But if we lose focus, if we lose track of what Jesus says is most important—mercy, devotion and being persecuted—then we are like salt that is no longer useful. We will no longer be God’s people. We will only be fit to be thrown out of God’s kingdom.
Jesus is telling us not to be like Marlon Brando. Marlon Brando was famous as a character actor. In front of the camera, he was a new person, a different character than he really was. However, when he lived his real life, he was something completely different. Marlon Brando was a consummate actor—able to believably be what he was not. Jesus is saying that we are to constantly be the people of God—and that means acting like it all the time. We must always be merciful. We must always have devotion to God. And we must not shrink from or be depressed by persecution. We must embrace the characteristics of God’s people, and be glad that we are who God made us to be, and never be anything else.
3. Show off like a sports star
You are the light of the world. A city being set on a mountain is not able to be hidden. And nor is a lamp burned and placed under a container, but upon a lampstand and to shine everywhere in the house. Thus, shine your light before men, so that they can see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
When we are God’s people—the real ones, not the fake ones that the world is filled with—we often want to shrink back and hide. We don’t want people to see our true character, because they might think we are stupid (or worse, they might tell us so). We’d rather show people that we are normal, in other words, just like them. If people saw that we were constantly, 100 percent devoted to God in all things—they’d think we were fanatics. If people saw that we were always being merciful, they’d think that we were soft-hearted or easy to take advantage of. If people saw that we were pleased to receive persecution, they might use it as an excuse to abuse us. If people saw that we were seeking God for justice, they might think that we were idiots or lazy.
And so we are tempted to go undercover with our true character. To hide the true character of God’s people with something that is more acceptable. Jesus, however, tells us to do just the opposite—we need to show off! The work that we do, the character that we’ve become isn’t our own decision, but it is God’s work. If it is God’s work, then we shouldn’t hide it! Instead, we need to display God’s work as often as possible.
First of all, Jesus says, God’s character in your life CANNOT be hidden. If you put a city on a mountain—that can’t be hidden. Even so, Jesus says, that’s what God’s people are like. They are like the sun in the sky—try as you like, you can’t hide it’s presence. (I Timothy 5:25)
But also, Jesus says, God’s character in us SHOULDN’T be hidden. A lamp is made to shine the light. Even so, God’s people are placed on earth to display God’s light. Does Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods hide in closets because they don’t want to be boastful about their abilities? Absolutely not! They show it to as many people as possible! Even so, we are to show God’s work.
This doesn’t mean that we are to show off how much we pray or whatever to impress people (Matthew 6:1-2). Rather, we show our devotion and especially the persecution we suffer to show God’s glory. Perhaps people won’t be impressed with us. Perhaps they will find us disgusting. But that’s just shows who are in God’s people and who aren’t.
Don’t be ashamed of being what God made you to be: Devoted to Him.
Most teachers say that God’s people are righteous—but they think that God’s people just need to follow a particular code or list of rules to be God’s people. Jesus is saying that rules aren’t the heart of God’s people. Rather God’s people are interested in being merciful to other people and in having a motivation to be right before God in everything they do—whether their list of rules is long or short. Most religious teachers say that wealth and a good life are signs of God’s blessing. Jesus says that those who are oppressed and poor and looking to God to help them out of the trouble they find themselves in—these are the ones who will truly be blessed by God.
Jesus’ teaching is strange to most people, and most people will strongly disagree with it. This makes it difficult for those following what Jesus truly says. If everyone says that to be a good Christian you just need to pray a prayer, what does that mean for those who follow Jesus’ words to be merciful and clean in heart? If everyone says that to be a good Christian, everything will be going well in your life, what does that mean for those who listen to Jesus’ words about oppression and persecution?
After the Beatitudes, Jesus gives us some additional words of encouragement to remain in the character of God’s people. He gives three teachings, all of which are reflections on enduring in God’s character, although the world tells you something differently.
1. Act Like A Lottery Winner—Matthew 5:11-12
You are fortunate when they disparage you and persecute and speak all kinds of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and show gladness, because your reward is much in heaven, for even so did they persecute the prophets who were before you.
Jesus tells us that it makes sense that we will be spoken ill of, especially by people who hold to their own views about religion or how life should be lived. They will say, “Don’t allow yourself to be oppressed—you need to agree with us and to do what we do.” And if you don’t—in other words, if you stick with Jesus in opposition to their points of view—then people will say terrible things about you—even lies and horrible slander. This is normal, Jesus says. More than normal, it is a cause of great joy!
How can this be? Normal people don’t get lied about, slandered, hated and then have a party about it. That just doesn’t make sense. Jesus tells us to remember the prophets of God. They were speaking the truth of God and have been honored by God’s people for countless generations. However, they were rejected and hated and slandered about by the generation they spoke to. They weren’t liked at all! But what happened to them? They received great reward from God. God gave them much more after their life in His presence than they could possibly expect on earth.
This means that the prophets, although they were despised on earth, were actually like secret lottery winners. No, they haven't collected their prize yet, but they had the ticket. The ticket to winning the lottery, Jesus says, is living a merciful, godly life and being persecuted for it. So if you’ve got the ticket—act like it! Be happy, jump up and down, sing praises to God, have a party! Sure, people will think you’re nuts—“No, I don’t think I want to go to your ‘Persecution Party’”—but since you know the secret, you might as well enjoy it (Acts 5:41).
2. Don’t be like Marlon Brando—Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt is foolish, with what will it be made salty? It is capable for nothing except as an outcast to be trampled on by men.
In Jesus’ day, salt was used for a number of things—just like today. We use salt for seasoning food, for snow covered sidewalks, for liquid absorption and much more. Jesus wasn’t using the image of salt to speak of it’s use, rather he was using salt because of it’s ability to still look like salt, but not to be useful anymore. Salt can lose its “salty” character, and so it is no longer useful to anyone for anything.
Even so, Jesus says, can God’s people lose their basic character. We have to remember that the basic character of God’s people is to have our hearts focused on God, to be merciful and to be oppressed because of our stand to follow Jesus. But in a world—especially a church—that is telling us that God’s people are NOT like that, it is easy to focus on what other people say are the characteristics of God. But if we lose focus, if we lose track of what Jesus says is most important—mercy, devotion and being persecuted—then we are like salt that is no longer useful. We will no longer be God’s people. We will only be fit to be thrown out of God’s kingdom.
Jesus is telling us not to be like Marlon Brando. Marlon Brando was famous as a character actor. In front of the camera, he was a new person, a different character than he really was. However, when he lived his real life, he was something completely different. Marlon Brando was a consummate actor—able to believably be what he was not. Jesus is saying that we are to constantly be the people of God—and that means acting like it all the time. We must always be merciful. We must always have devotion to God. And we must not shrink from or be depressed by persecution. We must embrace the characteristics of God’s people, and be glad that we are who God made us to be, and never be anything else.
3. Show off like a sports star
You are the light of the world. A city being set on a mountain is not able to be hidden. And nor is a lamp burned and placed under a container, but upon a lampstand and to shine everywhere in the house. Thus, shine your light before men, so that they can see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
When we are God’s people—the real ones, not the fake ones that the world is filled with—we often want to shrink back and hide. We don’t want people to see our true character, because they might think we are stupid (or worse, they might tell us so). We’d rather show people that we are normal, in other words, just like them. If people saw that we were constantly, 100 percent devoted to God in all things—they’d think we were fanatics. If people saw that we were always being merciful, they’d think that we were soft-hearted or easy to take advantage of. If people saw that we were pleased to receive persecution, they might use it as an excuse to abuse us. If people saw that we were seeking God for justice, they might think that we were idiots or lazy.
And so we are tempted to go undercover with our true character. To hide the true character of God’s people with something that is more acceptable. Jesus, however, tells us to do just the opposite—we need to show off! The work that we do, the character that we’ve become isn’t our own decision, but it is God’s work. If it is God’s work, then we shouldn’t hide it! Instead, we need to display God’s work as often as possible.
First of all, Jesus says, God’s character in your life CANNOT be hidden. If you put a city on a mountain—that can’t be hidden. Even so, Jesus says, that’s what God’s people are like. They are like the sun in the sky—try as you like, you can’t hide it’s presence. (I Timothy 5:25)
But also, Jesus says, God’s character in us SHOULDN’T be hidden. A lamp is made to shine the light. Even so, God’s people are placed on earth to display God’s light. Does Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods hide in closets because they don’t want to be boastful about their abilities? Absolutely not! They show it to as many people as possible! Even so, we are to show God’s work.
This doesn’t mean that we are to show off how much we pray or whatever to impress people (Matthew 6:1-2). Rather, we show our devotion and especially the persecution we suffer to show God’s glory. Perhaps people won’t be impressed with us. Perhaps they will find us disgusting. But that’s just shows who are in God’s people and who aren’t.
Don’t be ashamed of being what God made you to be: Devoted to Him.
Jesus and the Law-- Matthew 5:18-20
Did Jesus embrace the Law of Moses?
Did Jesus support Moses, or was he Moses’ worst enemy? Did Jesus fully accept all of the law of Moses, or did he reject every command? And why even bring it up? Well, it is important. If someone comes up to you and insists that you not do any activity on the Sabbath (however he interprets that), then you need to know what Jesus thought of Moses’ command of the Sabbath. If you are struggling whether as a Christian how seriously you should take the food laws of Moses, you should know something about this subject.
Why is Jesus bringing up this subject?
In the context Jesus was speaking—the Sermon on the Mount to a large group of Jews in the midst of Israel—it seems that the answer would be simple. Of course he supports the Law! That’s what everyone would expect. So why even bring up the subject? First of all, Jesus brought it up because people around him questioned him about it. They asked, “Are you getting rid of the Old Testament?” So Jesus felt that he should answer the question.
So why did they bring it up? Because there were many times that Jesus sounded as if he was opposing the commands of the Old Testament. Sometimes it seemed as if Jesus was going to throw the whole thing away and start again. And many Christians throughout the years thought he was doing just that. Not only that, but the next section Jesus was going to discuss is full of many statements that sounds like he is contradicting the Old Testament. The section is called the Six Antitheses, where Jesus quotes the Old Testament, and then he makes a statement that seems to contradict the verse.
So which is it? Does Jesus support the Old Testament, or oppose it? Let’s read what he says:
Some think that I am setting aside the Old Testament, especially Moses’ law—but I have not come to do that. Rather, I have come to complete the Old Testament. Pay attention, here: even the least bit of Moses’ law will stand written, until every minor part of it is done as it stands written. Therefore, whoever is lax with Moses’ law and teaches others to do the same—they may enter the coming kingdom, but they will be unimportant there. But whoever emphasizes obedience in their own lives and in others’, they will be called great in God’s kingdom. Unless you have a better righteousness than today’s Bible teachers, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus’ general view of Moses’ law
Generally, Jesus is very affirming of the Old Testament, especially Moses’ law. Jesus says that Moses’ law will remain and it will be authoritative until the end of the age, when God’s kingdom will come. Not only that, but Jesus affirms the teaching of the whole law. The true teachers teach the whole Old Testament, Jesus said, leaving nothing out, even the least significant command. It seems as if Jesus fully supported the law.
How did Jesus fulfill the law of Moses?
Jesus thought so highly of Moses’ law, that he claimed that he would complete or fulfill it to the utmost extent. But what did Jesus actually mean by that? He meant three things:
a. Jesus would obey the Mosaic Law to the full extent
Jesus was a fully observant Jew, and never disobeyed the law of Moses. No Jew could accuse him of sin, which was determined by the law of Moses—not even his enemies (John 8:46). Jesus obeyed the law better than Moses or David did. Not only did Jesus obey the law that was written down to the letter, but he obeyed the Greater Law that stood behind the Mosaic Law.
b. Jesus would fulfill the paradigms that were only partially fulfilled in the Mosaic Law
All throughout the books of Moses, as well as the rest of the Hebrew Bible, there were many examples of God’s people, but all of them failed in some way. Moses and David were murderers, Aaron participated in idolatry, Abraham was a deceiver and Jacob was greedy. The children of Israel failed God’s law again and again. However, Jesus took Moses’ and David’s place, as well as the nation of Israel as a whole, and he fulfilled all of their roles perfectly, without any fault before God. Thus, Jesus fulfilled every role the Hebrew Bible presents—he was an obedient deliverer, a just judge, a devoted mediator, and a holy nation who endured through testing. Many of the Scriptures that Jesus was fulfilling were not prophecies at all, but simply stories that needed to be completed (see Matthew 2:15 and Hosea 11:1-2).
c. Jesus would fulfill the prophecies that are stated in the Hebrew Bible
Jesus stated many times that the Scripture would be fulfilled in him (for example, Matthew 26:31, 54). By this, he meant that there were many things in the Hebrew Scriptures that God says would happen. However, they had not occurred yet. Jesus said that he himself would be the focus of the completion of these promises.
Did Jesus contradict Moses?
Many people have trouble with Jesus saying, “Whoever is lax with Moses’ law will be least in God’s kingdom.” This is because they see Jesus opposing Moses in many places in his teaching: Concerning divorce, about how to treat one’s enemies, whether Gentiles can enter God’s kingdom, and in many other areas Jesus on the surface seems to be contradicting Moses. Does this mean that Jesus’ himself would be least in God’s kingdom? Looking closer, however, Jesus does not oppose the Torah in any way. Often Jesus is seen as doing away with Sabbath and cleansing laws of Moses’ law, but he is not doing so. At times he is prioritizing them, so that if they are in conflict, it can be seen which laws should be obeyed in a certain context. At times he is adjusting them, to make them be interpreted in light of compassion and justice. And at times he is heightening them, so they are to be interpreted in light of God’s higher laws. But never does he just say that this law has no place; nor does he set aside any command. To look at this closer, see the tract: “Did Jesus Oppose the Law?”
Does this mean that we need to place a railing on our roofs? (Deuteronomy 22:8)
Jesus is supporting the law to such a degree, does he then expect us to live it out? Should we start wearing God’s word on our forehead and stop eating bacon? Not necessarily. We need to remember that Jesus is speaking to his fellow Jews, not Gentiles. There are two cases in Matthew that he spoke to Gentiles and spoke of his demands. His demand for them was not to follow Moses, but to have faith (Matthew 8:5-13; 15:21-28) At first, Jesus sent his disciples to Israel alone, but when he sent them finally to the Gentiles, they were to teach Jesus’ commands, not Moses’. (Matthew 10:1, 5-6; 28:19-20). We were not born under the law, so if we do not obey it, we are not disobeying it, because we were never submitted to it. However, in proclaiming Jesus as Lord, we are submitting ourselves to Him—so we need to obey Jesus even as the Jews obeyed Moses (only better).
The higher righteousness
Finally, Jesus points out that simple obedience to Moses’ law isn’t good enough. After all, the Pharisees and Sadducees were trying very much to obey Moses’ law—and yet they still failed. Why is this? Because they were focusing on some specific laws, such as tithing and sabbath-keeping, but not on the laws that would cause one not to be judged by God. Moses’ law isn’t enough—we need to obey the Higher Law.
In order to assist us to be fully acceptable and obedient to God, Jesus taught us how to follow the law by which God will judge us on the final day. This higher law is: The one who is faithful to God will receive reward from God; The one who is merciful to others will receive mercy from God; The one who is lowered by others will be raised by God; Whatever one repents of will not be held against them. These laws do not replace the law of Moses, but they adequately explain how anyone could obey any law and be right before God. This could be another way in which Jesus fulfills the law: by teaching the true obedience of it.
This is the law that Jesus is going to explain to his disciples through the next sermon on the mount. This is the law God demands obedience of. This is the law that will cause us to have life. It is simpler than Moses’ law, but, in the end, much more difficult to do. We need God’s help for obedience.
Moses’ law is good and holy—
Jesus’ law is the pure law of God
Did Jesus support Moses, or was he Moses’ worst enemy? Did Jesus fully accept all of the law of Moses, or did he reject every command? And why even bring it up? Well, it is important. If someone comes up to you and insists that you not do any activity on the Sabbath (however he interprets that), then you need to know what Jesus thought of Moses’ command of the Sabbath. If you are struggling whether as a Christian how seriously you should take the food laws of Moses, you should know something about this subject.
Why is Jesus bringing up this subject?
In the context Jesus was speaking—the Sermon on the Mount to a large group of Jews in the midst of Israel—it seems that the answer would be simple. Of course he supports the Law! That’s what everyone would expect. So why even bring up the subject? First of all, Jesus brought it up because people around him questioned him about it. They asked, “Are you getting rid of the Old Testament?” So Jesus felt that he should answer the question.
So why did they bring it up? Because there were many times that Jesus sounded as if he was opposing the commands of the Old Testament. Sometimes it seemed as if Jesus was going to throw the whole thing away and start again. And many Christians throughout the years thought he was doing just that. Not only that, but the next section Jesus was going to discuss is full of many statements that sounds like he is contradicting the Old Testament. The section is called the Six Antitheses, where Jesus quotes the Old Testament, and then he makes a statement that seems to contradict the verse.
So which is it? Does Jesus support the Old Testament, or oppose it? Let’s read what he says:
Some think that I am setting aside the Old Testament, especially Moses’ law—but I have not come to do that. Rather, I have come to complete the Old Testament. Pay attention, here: even the least bit of Moses’ law will stand written, until every minor part of it is done as it stands written. Therefore, whoever is lax with Moses’ law and teaches others to do the same—they may enter the coming kingdom, but they will be unimportant there. But whoever emphasizes obedience in their own lives and in others’, they will be called great in God’s kingdom. Unless you have a better righteousness than today’s Bible teachers, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus’ general view of Moses’ law
Generally, Jesus is very affirming of the Old Testament, especially Moses’ law. Jesus says that Moses’ law will remain and it will be authoritative until the end of the age, when God’s kingdom will come. Not only that, but Jesus affirms the teaching of the whole law. The true teachers teach the whole Old Testament, Jesus said, leaving nothing out, even the least significant command. It seems as if Jesus fully supported the law.
How did Jesus fulfill the law of Moses?
Jesus thought so highly of Moses’ law, that he claimed that he would complete or fulfill it to the utmost extent. But what did Jesus actually mean by that? He meant three things:
a. Jesus would obey the Mosaic Law to the full extent
Jesus was a fully observant Jew, and never disobeyed the law of Moses. No Jew could accuse him of sin, which was determined by the law of Moses—not even his enemies (John 8:46). Jesus obeyed the law better than Moses or David did. Not only did Jesus obey the law that was written down to the letter, but he obeyed the Greater Law that stood behind the Mosaic Law.
b. Jesus would fulfill the paradigms that were only partially fulfilled in the Mosaic Law
All throughout the books of Moses, as well as the rest of the Hebrew Bible, there were many examples of God’s people, but all of them failed in some way. Moses and David were murderers, Aaron participated in idolatry, Abraham was a deceiver and Jacob was greedy. The children of Israel failed God’s law again and again. However, Jesus took Moses’ and David’s place, as well as the nation of Israel as a whole, and he fulfilled all of their roles perfectly, without any fault before God. Thus, Jesus fulfilled every role the Hebrew Bible presents—he was an obedient deliverer, a just judge, a devoted mediator, and a holy nation who endured through testing. Many of the Scriptures that Jesus was fulfilling were not prophecies at all, but simply stories that needed to be completed (see Matthew 2:15 and Hosea 11:1-2).
c. Jesus would fulfill the prophecies that are stated in the Hebrew Bible
Jesus stated many times that the Scripture would be fulfilled in him (for example, Matthew 26:31, 54). By this, he meant that there were many things in the Hebrew Scriptures that God says would happen. However, they had not occurred yet. Jesus said that he himself would be the focus of the completion of these promises.
Did Jesus contradict Moses?
Many people have trouble with Jesus saying, “Whoever is lax with Moses’ law will be least in God’s kingdom.” This is because they see Jesus opposing Moses in many places in his teaching: Concerning divorce, about how to treat one’s enemies, whether Gentiles can enter God’s kingdom, and in many other areas Jesus on the surface seems to be contradicting Moses. Does this mean that Jesus’ himself would be least in God’s kingdom? Looking closer, however, Jesus does not oppose the Torah in any way. Often Jesus is seen as doing away with Sabbath and cleansing laws of Moses’ law, but he is not doing so. At times he is prioritizing them, so that if they are in conflict, it can be seen which laws should be obeyed in a certain context. At times he is adjusting them, to make them be interpreted in light of compassion and justice. And at times he is heightening them, so they are to be interpreted in light of God’s higher laws. But never does he just say that this law has no place; nor does he set aside any command. To look at this closer, see the tract: “Did Jesus Oppose the Law?”
Does this mean that we need to place a railing on our roofs? (Deuteronomy 22:8)
Jesus is supporting the law to such a degree, does he then expect us to live it out? Should we start wearing God’s word on our forehead and stop eating bacon? Not necessarily. We need to remember that Jesus is speaking to his fellow Jews, not Gentiles. There are two cases in Matthew that he spoke to Gentiles and spoke of his demands. His demand for them was not to follow Moses, but to have faith (Matthew 8:5-13; 15:21-28) At first, Jesus sent his disciples to Israel alone, but when he sent them finally to the Gentiles, they were to teach Jesus’ commands, not Moses’. (Matthew 10:1, 5-6; 28:19-20). We were not born under the law, so if we do not obey it, we are not disobeying it, because we were never submitted to it. However, in proclaiming Jesus as Lord, we are submitting ourselves to Him—so we need to obey Jesus even as the Jews obeyed Moses (only better).
The higher righteousness
Finally, Jesus points out that simple obedience to Moses’ law isn’t good enough. After all, the Pharisees and Sadducees were trying very much to obey Moses’ law—and yet they still failed. Why is this? Because they were focusing on some specific laws, such as tithing and sabbath-keeping, but not on the laws that would cause one not to be judged by God. Moses’ law isn’t enough—we need to obey the Higher Law.
In order to assist us to be fully acceptable and obedient to God, Jesus taught us how to follow the law by which God will judge us on the final day. This higher law is: The one who is faithful to God will receive reward from God; The one who is merciful to others will receive mercy from God; The one who is lowered by others will be raised by God; Whatever one repents of will not be held against them. These laws do not replace the law of Moses, but they adequately explain how anyone could obey any law and be right before God. This could be another way in which Jesus fulfills the law: by teaching the true obedience of it.
This is the law that Jesus is going to explain to his disciples through the next sermon on the mount. This is the law God demands obedience of. This is the law that will cause us to have life. It is simpler than Moses’ law, but, in the end, much more difficult to do. We need God’s help for obedience.
Moses’ law is good and holy—
Jesus’ law is the pure law of God
Six Antitheses-- Matthew 5:21-48
The largest distinct section of the Sermon on the Mount is Matthew 5:21-48. This is also called the “six antitheses” because Jesus makes six quotations or paraphrases of commands of Moses in the Bible, and then he says, “But I say” and makes a similar but stronger statement. These antitheses—or oppositional statements—form the outline of this section, with other passages that relate to Jesus’ commands added to them.
What Jesus is teaching about the law
The hardest thing to understand about what Jesus is saying here, is that it looks like he is just flat contradicting God’s word in the Law. He is saying, “Moses said one thing, but I am saying another.” This is especially hard to understand because Jesus just said that he did not come to set aside the Law. But if we look at each statement closely, we will notice that Jesus isn’t denying anything that Moses says. He quotes Moses, or a paraphrase of Moses, and rather than denying that it isn’t true, he makes a statement that could be taken in addition to Moses. In other words, it is like he is saying, “What Moses said is right, but it isn’t enough. Let me fill it out some more.” So Jesus isn’t denying Moses, but actually making broader applications of Moses that wouldn’t be understood in a literal reading of the Law. Jesus is interpreting the Law, not contradicting it.
Jesus’ and other’s interpretations of Moses
Why is Jesus interpreting Moses? Isn’t God’s word complete in itself? Obviously, Jesus feels that there is something inadequate in how God’s word is expressed, because Jesus—God’s Son—needs to finish it out. But why? Because there were teachers who were taking important points of God’s word and interpreting it wrongly. Jesus knew what God desired because he experienced in heaven God’s will. And though Moses’ law is an expression of God’s will, it is being interpreted wrongly. The interpretations Jesus primarily attacks in the six antitheses are those which limit personal responsibility. Jesus is mostly contradicting the attitude of, “I can follow God and still do what I want.” People who make excuses, who minimize the impact of God’s word in their lives. Anyone who comes to God’s word and still remain the same person, Jesus says, does not truly want to submit to God.
Now let’s look at each antitheses. We will see what interpretation Jesus was contradicting, and we will also look at his interpretation:
1. You have heard that it was said to the ancients, “You shall not murder and whoever murders will be guilty to judgment.” But I say to you that everyone who is angry against his brother is guilty to judgment. Whoever says to his brother, “Raka” will be guilty to the Sanhedrin. Whoever says, “Idiot” will be guilty to the hell of fire.
Moses’ law—“Do not murder.”
Some taught it meant—“As long as you don’t murder, you can express other kinds of hatred.”
Jesus said—“Anyone who expresses even the smallest amount of hatred will be condemned by God.”
2. You have heard that it was said, “Do not commit adultery.” But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with covetousness for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Moses’ law—“Do not have sex with someone not your spouse.”
Some taught it meant—“As long as you don’t have sexual intercourse, you can express your desire in other ways.”
Jesus said—“Even the smallest expression of your illicit desire indicates that you are an adulterer.”
3. And it was said, “Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a divorce notice.” But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on grounds of sexual unfaithfulness, makes her commit adultery and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Moses’ law—“If you divorce, give your spouse a divorce notice.”
Some taught it meant—“You can get divorced for any reason.”
Jesus said—“Unless your spouse has already broken faith in the marriage, the one who enforces the divorce is the one who breaks faith in the marriage.”
4. Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, “Do not break an oath, but you shall pay back to the Lord your oaths.” But I command you, do not swear at all—either by heaven (for it is God’s throne), or by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King, Nor swear by your head for you are not able to make one hair while or black. But let your word be, “yes, yes; no, no.” But whatever more than this is of the evil one.
Moses’ law—“Make all oaths in Yahweh’s name.”
Some taught it meant—“Any oath made in someone else’s name, apart from God’s, need not be kept.”
Jesus said—“Every promise made is before God. Keep it or lose your integrity and be a liar like Satan.”
5. You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you do not resist an evil person.
Moses’ Law—“Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, life for life.”
Some taught it meant—“Any authority who steals from me or oppresses me, I can rebel against.”
Jesus said—“Do good to those who oppress you.”
6. You have heard that it was said, “You will love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and he sends rain upon the righteous and the unrighteous.
Moses’ Law—“Love your neighbor. Do not do good to nations who have hated you.”
Some taught it meant—“Destroy those who hate God. Express hatred to those who persecute you.”
Jesus said—“Do good to your enemies, for that is what God constantly does. If you act like God, you will be rewarded by God.”
Preparation for judgment
Since Jesus was just interpreting Moses’ law, does it mean anything to us, really? Absolutely. Jesus is not only telling us how Moses’ law is inadequate, he is also telling us what God expects of us. Jesus states clearly in the first antitheses the threat of judgement on the last day if we fail to obey God’s real commands—the commands that control our minds. And these commands do not change, whether we are submitted to Moses’ law or a law of any nation. We will not be judged according to Moses or the law of the U.S. congress. Rather, we will be judged by God’s law, the obedience of which is in one’s mind and desires.
The internal law
What are these laws? Jesus mentions a few of them here: Do not express hatred for another, but do good to everyone no matter what they did to you. Do nothing sexually immoral. Do not break any commitments you make. Do not rebel against any authority, even evil ones. These are not laws that we can just wake up one day and say, “Well, it’s illegal to do this, so I think I’ll just stop.” Rather, these are laws that must begin to be obeyed in our minds. Our thoughts are what determine what our small, seeming insignificant actions will be. Thus, we must depend on the Spirit of God to obey in this way. Without the Spirit, we cannot obey God.
What Jesus is teaching about the law
The hardest thing to understand about what Jesus is saying here, is that it looks like he is just flat contradicting God’s word in the Law. He is saying, “Moses said one thing, but I am saying another.” This is especially hard to understand because Jesus just said that he did not come to set aside the Law. But if we look at each statement closely, we will notice that Jesus isn’t denying anything that Moses says. He quotes Moses, or a paraphrase of Moses, and rather than denying that it isn’t true, he makes a statement that could be taken in addition to Moses. In other words, it is like he is saying, “What Moses said is right, but it isn’t enough. Let me fill it out some more.” So Jesus isn’t denying Moses, but actually making broader applications of Moses that wouldn’t be understood in a literal reading of the Law. Jesus is interpreting the Law, not contradicting it.
Jesus’ and other’s interpretations of Moses
Why is Jesus interpreting Moses? Isn’t God’s word complete in itself? Obviously, Jesus feels that there is something inadequate in how God’s word is expressed, because Jesus—God’s Son—needs to finish it out. But why? Because there were teachers who were taking important points of God’s word and interpreting it wrongly. Jesus knew what God desired because he experienced in heaven God’s will. And though Moses’ law is an expression of God’s will, it is being interpreted wrongly. The interpretations Jesus primarily attacks in the six antitheses are those which limit personal responsibility. Jesus is mostly contradicting the attitude of, “I can follow God and still do what I want.” People who make excuses, who minimize the impact of God’s word in their lives. Anyone who comes to God’s word and still remain the same person, Jesus says, does not truly want to submit to God.
Now let’s look at each antitheses. We will see what interpretation Jesus was contradicting, and we will also look at his interpretation:
1. You have heard that it was said to the ancients, “You shall not murder and whoever murders will be guilty to judgment.” But I say to you that everyone who is angry against his brother is guilty to judgment. Whoever says to his brother, “Raka” will be guilty to the Sanhedrin. Whoever says, “Idiot” will be guilty to the hell of fire.
Moses’ law—“Do not murder.”
Some taught it meant—“As long as you don’t murder, you can express other kinds of hatred.”
Jesus said—“Anyone who expresses even the smallest amount of hatred will be condemned by God.”
2. You have heard that it was said, “Do not commit adultery.” But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with covetousness for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Moses’ law—“Do not have sex with someone not your spouse.”
Some taught it meant—“As long as you don’t have sexual intercourse, you can express your desire in other ways.”
Jesus said—“Even the smallest expression of your illicit desire indicates that you are an adulterer.”
3. And it was said, “Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a divorce notice.” But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on grounds of sexual unfaithfulness, makes her commit adultery and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Moses’ law—“If you divorce, give your spouse a divorce notice.”
Some taught it meant—“You can get divorced for any reason.”
Jesus said—“Unless your spouse has already broken faith in the marriage, the one who enforces the divorce is the one who breaks faith in the marriage.”
4. Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, “Do not break an oath, but you shall pay back to the Lord your oaths.” But I command you, do not swear at all—either by heaven (for it is God’s throne), or by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King, Nor swear by your head for you are not able to make one hair while or black. But let your word be, “yes, yes; no, no.” But whatever more than this is of the evil one.
Moses’ law—“Make all oaths in Yahweh’s name.”
Some taught it meant—“Any oath made in someone else’s name, apart from God’s, need not be kept.”
Jesus said—“Every promise made is before God. Keep it or lose your integrity and be a liar like Satan.”
5. You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you do not resist an evil person.
Moses’ Law—“Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, life for life.”
Some taught it meant—“Any authority who steals from me or oppresses me, I can rebel against.”
Jesus said—“Do good to those who oppress you.”
6. You have heard that it was said, “You will love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and he sends rain upon the righteous and the unrighteous.
Moses’ Law—“Love your neighbor. Do not do good to nations who have hated you.”
Some taught it meant—“Destroy those who hate God. Express hatred to those who persecute you.”
Jesus said—“Do good to your enemies, for that is what God constantly does. If you act like God, you will be rewarded by God.”
Preparation for judgment
Since Jesus was just interpreting Moses’ law, does it mean anything to us, really? Absolutely. Jesus is not only telling us how Moses’ law is inadequate, he is also telling us what God expects of us. Jesus states clearly in the first antitheses the threat of judgement on the last day if we fail to obey God’s real commands—the commands that control our minds. And these commands do not change, whether we are submitted to Moses’ law or a law of any nation. We will not be judged according to Moses or the law of the U.S. congress. Rather, we will be judged by God’s law, the obedience of which is in one’s mind and desires.
The internal law
What are these laws? Jesus mentions a few of them here: Do not express hatred for another, but do good to everyone no matter what they did to you. Do nothing sexually immoral. Do not break any commitments you make. Do not rebel against any authority, even evil ones. These are not laws that we can just wake up one day and say, “Well, it’s illegal to do this, so I think I’ll just stop.” Rather, these are laws that must begin to be obeyed in our minds. Our thoughts are what determine what our small, seeming insignificant actions will be. Thus, we must depend on the Spirit of God to obey in this way. Without the Spirit, we cannot obey God.
Anger and Reconciliation-- Matthew 5:21-26
Okay, we all have to admit it. People are jerks. Even the greatest people in the world—the most righteous or nicest people—do or say jerky things sometimes. And we just want to respond back. In kind. Oh, we can try to hold it in sometimes, and perhaps we’re successful (most of the time). But in our heads we are running a script that reads like a Don Rickles set. We are cutting them down, wittily tearing them apart. Or maybe, if we are the more physical type, we are thinking more than that. Perhaps we are clenching our fist to keep from punching someone out.
Anger is something we all need to deal with. All of us have anger, we just may deal with it in different ways. Jesus himself had anger and had to find ways to deal with it (Mark 3:5). God made us all with anger. But what are we to do with it? Jesus discusses that right now:
Anger and Hostility
You’ve heard the teaching, how Moses told the ancients, “Don’t murder.” Some tell you that God judges just those who are guilty of murder. But I command you that every person who is hostile to others is going to be judged by God. In the kingdom, the one who dishonors another will be condemned by the Supreme Court. And the insulter will be punished by hellfire.
Jesus’ teaching here seems pretty extreme. He is in agreement with Moses—Murder is a bad thing, and everyone who murders will be judged by God. But Jesus says that murder isn’t the limit of God’s judgement. In fact, if anyone gives another a display of anger, then they will be judged by God—even something as small as an insult. They will receive the same kind of judgement as a murderer—hell!
That doesn’t seem to make any sense. Why would God punish someone for insulting another—something almost all of us has done at one point or another—just the same as a murderer? The reason is that God isn’t actually punishing the act—he is punishing the attitude. It is the attitude that often accompanies anger that God is punishing—the intent to harm another person.
Not all anger is wrong, Scripture makes that clear (Ephesians 4:26), and Jesus—as well as other saints in the Bible—have had anger which was right before God. But most anger is anger in sin (James 1:19-20). The difference between righteous anger and sinful anger is this: the attitude of benefit or of harm to another. If anger causes you to act in harm to another, then you will be punished.
In Scripture, there are three types of harm that will be punished. If one does physical punishment with the intent to harm, it will be punished by God. If one dishonors another, especially in public, they will be punished by God. And if anyone refuses to help another in their need, they will be punished by God (I John 3:16-17).
The Need for Reconciliation
Of course, this doesn’t probably make us feel good about ourselves. Almost all of us have insulted someone or lashed out in anger against someone else—even if it was a small act. Does this mean there is no hope? No, in fact, Jesus tells us how to solve our problem before God:
If you wish to make an offering to God and remember that you have wronged someone, then don’t finish making your offering. Making everyone else wait, first go and make it right with the one you wronged—then go to God.
You are going to God with all of these around you. Whomever you have wronged will accuse you before God. And for your debt to them, God will put you under the authority of Satan and Satan will put you in judgment. And you will not be released until you have repaid your debt, even the smallest bit.
In this passage, Jesus is giving us two examples of us going before God. In the first, we are approaching God to worship Him and to take our request before Him. In the second, we are hoping to have a good hearing before God on judgment day. In both of these cases, we are assuming (or hoping) that God will accept us and help us. However, Jesus says, we need to be more careful when we approach God. You see, if there is someone whom we have wronged in some way who approaches God with a complaint against us, then we will not be received favorably. In fact, even in our time of prayer, we will be judged.
So what should we do? We should do what we should always do when we sin—we must repent. Repentance means different things with different sins, but for a sin of anger—acting in harm against another—then we need to reconcile. What does it mean to reconcile when we have harmed another? It means that we need to do everything we can to be at peace with the other person. Perhaps it will mean an apology. Perhaps it will mean redressing some wrong. But we need to do what we can to fix the situation. Only in the effort of making peace will we gain forgiveness.
This doesn’t mean that our forgiveness by God is dependant on someone forgiving us. Rather, it means that we need to address the problem. “In as much as you are able, be at peace with everyone,” Paul says (Romans 12:19). Beyond that, the Lord does not hold us liable if we are unable to make the other person forgive us.
A Process of Reconciliation
Of course, reconciliation isn’t easy, no matter how you look at it. After all, if we did something to harm another, they probably deserved it—at least a little. And they probably didn’t even think they did anything wrong! However, our object is not to make sure that the wrongs done against us are righted. Rather, we want to focus on getting our relationship with God right again. With that in mind—admitting that we could still be angry at the other person we harmed in our anger—we might want to go through the following steps in making reconciliation:
Pray to the Spirit for God’s love for the person you are angry with
Determine how you would act if you cared for them and their well-being
Act on that determination with prayer and devotion to God
Apologize for whatever you did wrong, even if they do not respond in a way that you find appropriate
Approach a mature, gentile brother or sister to help you deal with the situation
Make a list of the things you could do to keep peace between you and the person you are angry with. If you can’t think of anything, ask someone else what they think you could do.
Pray that the person would do his or her best to reconcile as well.
Talk to the person to express how they hurt you
Once you have done everything you can, let it go.
Be angry with actions to help the other, not harm them.
The solution to sinful anger is reconciliation.
Anger is something we all need to deal with. All of us have anger, we just may deal with it in different ways. Jesus himself had anger and had to find ways to deal with it (Mark 3:5). God made us all with anger. But what are we to do with it? Jesus discusses that right now:
Anger and Hostility
You’ve heard the teaching, how Moses told the ancients, “Don’t murder.” Some tell you that God judges just those who are guilty of murder. But I command you that every person who is hostile to others is going to be judged by God. In the kingdom, the one who dishonors another will be condemned by the Supreme Court. And the insulter will be punished by hellfire.
Jesus’ teaching here seems pretty extreme. He is in agreement with Moses—Murder is a bad thing, and everyone who murders will be judged by God. But Jesus says that murder isn’t the limit of God’s judgement. In fact, if anyone gives another a display of anger, then they will be judged by God—even something as small as an insult. They will receive the same kind of judgement as a murderer—hell!
That doesn’t seem to make any sense. Why would God punish someone for insulting another—something almost all of us has done at one point or another—just the same as a murderer? The reason is that God isn’t actually punishing the act—he is punishing the attitude. It is the attitude that often accompanies anger that God is punishing—the intent to harm another person.
Not all anger is wrong, Scripture makes that clear (Ephesians 4:26), and Jesus—as well as other saints in the Bible—have had anger which was right before God. But most anger is anger in sin (James 1:19-20). The difference between righteous anger and sinful anger is this: the attitude of benefit or of harm to another. If anger causes you to act in harm to another, then you will be punished.
In Scripture, there are three types of harm that will be punished. If one does physical punishment with the intent to harm, it will be punished by God. If one dishonors another, especially in public, they will be punished by God. And if anyone refuses to help another in their need, they will be punished by God (I John 3:16-17).
The Need for Reconciliation
Of course, this doesn’t probably make us feel good about ourselves. Almost all of us have insulted someone or lashed out in anger against someone else—even if it was a small act. Does this mean there is no hope? No, in fact, Jesus tells us how to solve our problem before God:
If you wish to make an offering to God and remember that you have wronged someone, then don’t finish making your offering. Making everyone else wait, first go and make it right with the one you wronged—then go to God.
You are going to God with all of these around you. Whomever you have wronged will accuse you before God. And for your debt to them, God will put you under the authority of Satan and Satan will put you in judgment. And you will not be released until you have repaid your debt, even the smallest bit.
In this passage, Jesus is giving us two examples of us going before God. In the first, we are approaching God to worship Him and to take our request before Him. In the second, we are hoping to have a good hearing before God on judgment day. In both of these cases, we are assuming (or hoping) that God will accept us and help us. However, Jesus says, we need to be more careful when we approach God. You see, if there is someone whom we have wronged in some way who approaches God with a complaint against us, then we will not be received favorably. In fact, even in our time of prayer, we will be judged.
So what should we do? We should do what we should always do when we sin—we must repent. Repentance means different things with different sins, but for a sin of anger—acting in harm against another—then we need to reconcile. What does it mean to reconcile when we have harmed another? It means that we need to do everything we can to be at peace with the other person. Perhaps it will mean an apology. Perhaps it will mean redressing some wrong. But we need to do what we can to fix the situation. Only in the effort of making peace will we gain forgiveness.
This doesn’t mean that our forgiveness by God is dependant on someone forgiving us. Rather, it means that we need to address the problem. “In as much as you are able, be at peace with everyone,” Paul says (Romans 12:19). Beyond that, the Lord does not hold us liable if we are unable to make the other person forgive us.
A Process of Reconciliation
Of course, reconciliation isn’t easy, no matter how you look at it. After all, if we did something to harm another, they probably deserved it—at least a little. And they probably didn’t even think they did anything wrong! However, our object is not to make sure that the wrongs done against us are righted. Rather, we want to focus on getting our relationship with God right again. With that in mind—admitting that we could still be angry at the other person we harmed in our anger—we might want to go through the following steps in making reconciliation:
Pray to the Spirit for God’s love for the person you are angry with
Determine how you would act if you cared for them and their well-being
Act on that determination with prayer and devotion to God
Apologize for whatever you did wrong, even if they do not respond in a way that you find appropriate
Approach a mature, gentile brother or sister to help you deal with the situation
Make a list of the things you could do to keep peace between you and the person you are angry with. If you can’t think of anything, ask someone else what they think you could do.
Pray that the person would do his or her best to reconcile as well.
Talk to the person to express how they hurt you
Once you have done everything you can, let it go.
Be angry with actions to help the other, not harm them.
The solution to sinful anger is reconciliation.
Sexual Immorality-- Matthew 6:27-30
What’s wrong with sex?
As soon as we start talking about “sexual immorality” we start getting guilt feelings. Either we feel guilty about sexual matters we’ve been involved in or what we’ve thought about that we wish no one to know. It’s a touchy subject, even though televisions, movies, magazines and even comic books bombard us with sex every chance they get. Publicly, we seem to be able to speak about sex at will, but in one-on-one conversation, we seem to have a difficult time talking about it, even with someone we are having sex with!
So what is the matter with us? Is there something wrong with sex? No, absolutely not. Sex was created by God, and he wants us to have sex. However, sex is also a private issue, in that a couple’s sexual practice shouldn’t really be discussed in public. Also, we recognize that sex is an action that is easy for us to misstep. Almost all of us have had sexual experiences that have been wrong—sin for us, possibly harming another, or we have been shamed about our sexual actions.
And there are so many ways to go wrong with sex. Our society obsesses about it, yet doesn’t want to talk openly and fairly about what is right and wrong with it. Jesus, of course, had no such limits. He spoke clearly and openly about what is right and wrong with sex.
You’ve heard the teaching, “Just don’t commit adultery.” But I say to you that if you even look at the opposite sex with desire to possess, then you have already intended to commit sexual immorality, and so you will be judged by God.
What is adultery?
Adultery is used specifically to talk about sexual involvement when one of the parties is already married to another person. It is cheating on your spouse or being involved with a married person. However, in Scripture, the term “sexual immorality” means more than just adultery. It includes incest, any kind of homosexual sex, bestiality, pre-marital sex and even sex with a woman who is on her monthly period. Sexual immorality not only tells us not to have sex outside of marriage, but it also tells us who God says we cannot marry.
Why is adultery so bad?
Adultery and sexual immorality are a problem because we are denying God. God created us sexually, so that we would love in a committed relationship with the opposite sex and have children. This is God’s plan, in general, for humanity’s sexuality. Surely people could reject that form of sexuality—people have almost from the beginning. But if we deny God’s plan for sexuality, then we are also rejecting a relationship with God. God considers adultery and sexual immorality to be an “abomination” a hateful practice. And God will not abide with those who so flout his desire.
Adultery and sexual immorality can sometimes hurt other people. To break a commitment because of sexual desire is a slap in the face. Sexual carelessness can destroy many lives with disease and apathy. But sexual immorality doesn’t hurt people every time. Sometimes it seems good for everyone involved. But it will always hurt your relationship with God. You become a practicer of abominations in God’s eyes. Your body is full of corruption. You could not possibly stand before God. Even your prayers become disgusting.
What is Chastity?
Jesus’ main point here has to do with the difference of enacting sexual immorality and the desire to do it. We all have some kind of sexual desires. We are all human. Jesus, in listening to the preachers of his day, heard them say, “Of course you will want her—just don’t have sex with her. But it’s okay to look, after all, we’re only human.” Jesus, however, says that any action—no matter how small—displays our action. Not only should we not have sex with the object of our desire, but even a look of desire is enough to display our sexual lust. To look with lust, or any other sexual action—flirting, masturbation, “heavy petting”—all of these display our sexual intent, even if we don’t go “all the way.” Jesus isn’t just interested in keeping our sexual organs pure—he wants us to be Chaste.
What is Chastity? It is an old-fashioned word for an idea that isn’t very popular anymore. It is keeping oneself sexually pure, not only in action, but in heart. For a single person, it is denying oneself sexually in any way. For a married person, it is keeping one’s sexual thoughts and actions on only one person—one’s spouse.
Tips To Maintain Chastity
With this discussion on sexual immorality, Jesus gives two tips to remain chaste:
If your good eye is what is encouraging you to fall from devotion to God, pluck it out and throw it away. It is to your benefit to lose even a part of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown away into hell. If your good hand is what is encouraging you to fall from devotion to God, chop it off and throw it away. It is to your benefit that you lose even a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown away into hell.
Flee Immorality
Sexual immorality is a sin, and it separates us from God. Therefore, we should stay away from anything that causes it in us. No matter what that thing is. Perhaps for one person it is pornography. Perhaps for another it is television. Perhaps for another it is dating. Perhaps for another it is the area of town where prostitutes hang out. Perhaps for another it is a relationship that always leads to sex or thinking about sex. Whatever the case, we need to maintain purity, in both body and mind. Whatever causes us to sin, Jesus recommends, we should cut it off.
Does this mean that we should be cutting off parts of our body? Perhaps even our sexual organs (God forbid!). No. Jesus says in another place that the source of our sin is not our body, but our mind (Matthew 15:18-20). But what is it that leads our mind? A picture? A place? A person? Whatever it is that leads our mind to sin, we need to be separated from it. We shouldn’t try to fight the sexual temptation—just run away from it. (I Corinthians 6:18)
Immorality is serious
The second tip Jesus gives us about remaining chaste is to remember what is the results of sexual immorality. Jesus doesn’t mince words here—sexual immorality leads to hell. If we persist in sexual immorality without repentance, then we will go to hell and our life will be an eternal death. We should remember what the consequences of our sin are, before we do it. Because afterward is too late. Once we’ve acted, we’ve acted.
We should always meditate on the eternal consequences of all that we do. If we remain chaste, we live with God. If we live in sexual immorality, we burn in hell. Let us take this word seriously. Jesus knows—he has passed through both heaven and hell and know what kind of people are in both.
Casual sex is death.
Let’s keep our minds pure.
As soon as we start talking about “sexual immorality” we start getting guilt feelings. Either we feel guilty about sexual matters we’ve been involved in or what we’ve thought about that we wish no one to know. It’s a touchy subject, even though televisions, movies, magazines and even comic books bombard us with sex every chance they get. Publicly, we seem to be able to speak about sex at will, but in one-on-one conversation, we seem to have a difficult time talking about it, even with someone we are having sex with!
So what is the matter with us? Is there something wrong with sex? No, absolutely not. Sex was created by God, and he wants us to have sex. However, sex is also a private issue, in that a couple’s sexual practice shouldn’t really be discussed in public. Also, we recognize that sex is an action that is easy for us to misstep. Almost all of us have had sexual experiences that have been wrong—sin for us, possibly harming another, or we have been shamed about our sexual actions.
And there are so many ways to go wrong with sex. Our society obsesses about it, yet doesn’t want to talk openly and fairly about what is right and wrong with it. Jesus, of course, had no such limits. He spoke clearly and openly about what is right and wrong with sex.
You’ve heard the teaching, “Just don’t commit adultery.” But I say to you that if you even look at the opposite sex with desire to possess, then you have already intended to commit sexual immorality, and so you will be judged by God.
What is adultery?
Adultery is used specifically to talk about sexual involvement when one of the parties is already married to another person. It is cheating on your spouse or being involved with a married person. However, in Scripture, the term “sexual immorality” means more than just adultery. It includes incest, any kind of homosexual sex, bestiality, pre-marital sex and even sex with a woman who is on her monthly period. Sexual immorality not only tells us not to have sex outside of marriage, but it also tells us who God says we cannot marry.
Why is adultery so bad?
Adultery and sexual immorality are a problem because we are denying God. God created us sexually, so that we would love in a committed relationship with the opposite sex and have children. This is God’s plan, in general, for humanity’s sexuality. Surely people could reject that form of sexuality—people have almost from the beginning. But if we deny God’s plan for sexuality, then we are also rejecting a relationship with God. God considers adultery and sexual immorality to be an “abomination” a hateful practice. And God will not abide with those who so flout his desire.
Adultery and sexual immorality can sometimes hurt other people. To break a commitment because of sexual desire is a slap in the face. Sexual carelessness can destroy many lives with disease and apathy. But sexual immorality doesn’t hurt people every time. Sometimes it seems good for everyone involved. But it will always hurt your relationship with God. You become a practicer of abominations in God’s eyes. Your body is full of corruption. You could not possibly stand before God. Even your prayers become disgusting.
What is Chastity?
Jesus’ main point here has to do with the difference of enacting sexual immorality and the desire to do it. We all have some kind of sexual desires. We are all human. Jesus, in listening to the preachers of his day, heard them say, “Of course you will want her—just don’t have sex with her. But it’s okay to look, after all, we’re only human.” Jesus, however, says that any action—no matter how small—displays our action. Not only should we not have sex with the object of our desire, but even a look of desire is enough to display our sexual lust. To look with lust, or any other sexual action—flirting, masturbation, “heavy petting”—all of these display our sexual intent, even if we don’t go “all the way.” Jesus isn’t just interested in keeping our sexual organs pure—he wants us to be Chaste.
What is Chastity? It is an old-fashioned word for an idea that isn’t very popular anymore. It is keeping oneself sexually pure, not only in action, but in heart. For a single person, it is denying oneself sexually in any way. For a married person, it is keeping one’s sexual thoughts and actions on only one person—one’s spouse.
Tips To Maintain Chastity
With this discussion on sexual immorality, Jesus gives two tips to remain chaste:
If your good eye is what is encouraging you to fall from devotion to God, pluck it out and throw it away. It is to your benefit to lose even a part of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown away into hell. If your good hand is what is encouraging you to fall from devotion to God, chop it off and throw it away. It is to your benefit that you lose even a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown away into hell.
Flee Immorality
Sexual immorality is a sin, and it separates us from God. Therefore, we should stay away from anything that causes it in us. No matter what that thing is. Perhaps for one person it is pornography. Perhaps for another it is television. Perhaps for another it is dating. Perhaps for another it is the area of town where prostitutes hang out. Perhaps for another it is a relationship that always leads to sex or thinking about sex. Whatever the case, we need to maintain purity, in both body and mind. Whatever causes us to sin, Jesus recommends, we should cut it off.
Does this mean that we should be cutting off parts of our body? Perhaps even our sexual organs (God forbid!). No. Jesus says in another place that the source of our sin is not our body, but our mind (Matthew 15:18-20). But what is it that leads our mind? A picture? A place? A person? Whatever it is that leads our mind to sin, we need to be separated from it. We shouldn’t try to fight the sexual temptation—just run away from it. (I Corinthians 6:18)
Immorality is serious
The second tip Jesus gives us about remaining chaste is to remember what is the results of sexual immorality. Jesus doesn’t mince words here—sexual immorality leads to hell. If we persist in sexual immorality without repentance, then we will go to hell and our life will be an eternal death. We should remember what the consequences of our sin are, before we do it. Because afterward is too late. Once we’ve acted, we’ve acted.
We should always meditate on the eternal consequences of all that we do. If we remain chaste, we live with God. If we live in sexual immorality, we burn in hell. Let us take this word seriously. Jesus knows—he has passed through both heaven and hell and know what kind of people are in both.
Casual sex is death.
Let’s keep our minds pure.
Faithfulness-- Matthew 5:27-37
To many people, commitment is a scary word. To commit is to determine not just what we do now, but what we do in the future—and who knows what will happen? So, for many it is better to just not commit, but to leave things ambiguous. Most of us, however, recognize that commitments are a part of life. Without a commitment, then who can trust you to do anything? So we make commitments all the time. We promise this or that. We get married. We sign contracts. We rent places and begin utilities. We take on jobs, even employees. Commitment is part of a full life, even if life is uncertain.
But for most people, making a commitment is not the same as keeping it. We can chose to default on a commitment, and it isn’t that big of a deal. Sure, we can promise to be somewhere and then just not show up. We can divorce our spouse because it “didn’t work out.” We can default on a contract and pay whatever penalty is required. We can fail our employers, not pay those who work for us. It happens everyday. No big deal, right? Well, it is for God.
Jesus is speaking of God’s righteousness, and He is saying that faithfulness—fulfilling one’s commitments—is essential to God. God looks at our behavior and determines how loving we are to others. And one of the major measuring sticks God used to determine our love for others is to see if we have fulfilled our commitments.
Commitment in Marriage
You’ve heard the teaching, “Just don’t commit adultery.” But I say to you that if you even look at the opposite sex with desire to possess, then you have already intended to commit adultery, and so you will be judged by God.
Jesus is serious about the marriage commitment. Just because you remain married to someone, doesn’t mean that you have kept your commitment to them. The commitment in marriage means that one remains sexually loyal to one’s spouse. This loyalty is not just faithfulness in one’s sexual practice, but even in one’s sexual thinking. God will judge us for our faithless thinking, as well as our faithless actions. How will we be judged? God will look at even the smallest actions and words to see if we remain faithful to our words. If we do not remain faithful, then we will be judged by God.
This kind of faithfulness is important not only in marriage, but in every commitment we make. If we make a commitment, we shouldn’t undermine the commitment in small ways, or in our words. We must be faithful to our promises in every way, and so be loving to others.
Commitment to not destroy another
You’ve heard it taught, “If you want to divorce your wife, just give her a written notice of the fact.” But I command you that if you divorce your spouse you are causing them to be unfaithful to your marital covenant—unless they have already been unfaithful. This means that if you marry a divorcee, you are committing adultery.
A person can be faithful sexually to one’s spouse, but still be faithless to the marriage. Of course, the main way one can break one’s commitment in marriage is to have a divorce. As divorce was allowed in Moses, Jesus didn’t necessarily have a problem with the act of the written divorce. However, Jesus did have a couple problems with divorce. First of all, a marriage is made by God, so how can a man break it (Matthew 19:6). But in this context, Jesus is pointing out another fact of divorce—that the one writing the divorce is damaging others. Jesus points out that the one divorced (not of their own will, nor did they already break the commitment of marriage by sexual unfaithfulness) has few options but to get married again—and that would cause them to be judged by God.
The first thing is that if we prove faithless in our promise to another, we cause them to be faithless as well. A divorcee will get married again, thus causing the sexual commitment to be broken. A default on a contract means that the other person, who was not defaulted, will have to default some area in their lives to make up for the first person’s default. Broken promises snowball—one leads to another, until it is an avalanche of faithlessness.
The main point of what Jesus is saying here, is that to break one’s commitment is to harm another—possibly to destroy them. When we remain faithful in our commitments, we are doing good to them, even if it proves difficult to us. In everything we do, Jesus says, we want to do what is best for others. And faithlessness is never best.
Keeping promises
Again, you have heard it taught that Moses said, “Don’t break your oath.” They teach you, “As long as you invoke God, you need to keep your promise.” But I say to you, invoke nothing in your promises— not heaven nor earth nor Jerusalem. If you invoke any of them, you are ultimately invoking God— for heaven is God’s throne, the earth is God’s footstool and Jerusalem is God’s city. You might as well not invoke your head, either—it is God who determines what happens to your head. You don’t have the power to make a hair of it either white or black. Instead of invoking anything, just make a promise and keep it. Or say you can’t do it. But if you do anything else, you are an evil person, associated with Satan.
In Jesus’ day, there were many people who invoked God when they made a promise. It was supposed to be a guarantee that they would keep the promise, or else God would judge them with a curse. But there were many who didn’t actually use God’s name—but they would use something that sounded like God’s name. Perhaps it was Jerusalem, or their own head. But, they would say, since they didn’t use God’s name, the oath wasn’t binding. Thus, they escaped the requirement of keeping a commitment.
Jesus, however, busts that whole mentality. He says that the promise is made, no matter what phrase accompanies it or whether no phrase at all accompanies it. Anyone who is interested in keeping right with God will not use shady language to make it unclear what their promises are. God’s people, Jesus says, makes clear promises and keeps them. Or they say they won’t promise something. But they are clear and they have integrity and honesty in speech, at all times.
The results of breaking commitments
Of course, all of us have broken promises at one time or another—whether intentionally or not. However, if we are characterized by breaking our commitments, Jesus says that three things will happen to us. First of all, we become associated with Satan, and we are in his camp. Satan is the father of lies, and those who break their commitments are in his moral territory, and so belong to him. Those who break commitments are judged by God, and so will receive no blessings from God. And, worst of all, those who break commitments will go to hell, eternal punishment.
How can we keep our promises?
1. Don’t make a promise unless you are sure
Sometimes it is easy to say “yes” and hard to say “no,” even if we can’t really do it. We need to slow down before making promises to make sure we can do it. Perhaps we can check with someone else before we make a commitment, to make sure we can really do it. But we should take care that we really can do what we say before we agree to it.
2. If we cannot keep a promise, let the one we made the promise to know ASAP
Sometimes we are unable to keep a promise. We need to do all we can so that we reduce this possibility to a minimum, but we need to recognize that sometimes things happen that could not be foreseen. But if that is the case, we need to let people know as soon as possible that we can’t keep our promise. Remember, if we fail in our promise, we are keeping others from being faithful to their promises as well. The sooner we let them know, the sooner they can find a way to keep their promises.
3. Don’t be faithless in our words or little deeds
If you make a promise, then keep it fully. Don’t complain about fulfilling the promise, or make hints that you might not keep it. Keep the promise not just with your actions, but with your words. And also, if you promise to do something, don’t do a half-fulfillment. If you promise to paint someone’s room, don’t finish half-done. Do this in every area of commitments—fulfill your commitment to the fullest of your ability, whether that be bills or a marriage or a contract. Be complete in your faithfulness.
4. Ask the Spirit for strength to keep our commitments
We are human, and we are limited. We need God’s help to keep our promises and commitments. We need God to give us His faithfulness so we can be faithful to others. If we need God’s help, we need to ask for God’s help. So let’s do that as often as we need to.
Keep commitments, no matter how small
In the biggest way possible
But for most people, making a commitment is not the same as keeping it. We can chose to default on a commitment, and it isn’t that big of a deal. Sure, we can promise to be somewhere and then just not show up. We can divorce our spouse because it “didn’t work out.” We can default on a contract and pay whatever penalty is required. We can fail our employers, not pay those who work for us. It happens everyday. No big deal, right? Well, it is for God.
Jesus is speaking of God’s righteousness, and He is saying that faithfulness—fulfilling one’s commitments—is essential to God. God looks at our behavior and determines how loving we are to others. And one of the major measuring sticks God used to determine our love for others is to see if we have fulfilled our commitments.
Commitment in Marriage
You’ve heard the teaching, “Just don’t commit adultery.” But I say to you that if you even look at the opposite sex with desire to possess, then you have already intended to commit adultery, and so you will be judged by God.
Jesus is serious about the marriage commitment. Just because you remain married to someone, doesn’t mean that you have kept your commitment to them. The commitment in marriage means that one remains sexually loyal to one’s spouse. This loyalty is not just faithfulness in one’s sexual practice, but even in one’s sexual thinking. God will judge us for our faithless thinking, as well as our faithless actions. How will we be judged? God will look at even the smallest actions and words to see if we remain faithful to our words. If we do not remain faithful, then we will be judged by God.
This kind of faithfulness is important not only in marriage, but in every commitment we make. If we make a commitment, we shouldn’t undermine the commitment in small ways, or in our words. We must be faithful to our promises in every way, and so be loving to others.
Commitment to not destroy another
You’ve heard it taught, “If you want to divorce your wife, just give her a written notice of the fact.” But I command you that if you divorce your spouse you are causing them to be unfaithful to your marital covenant—unless they have already been unfaithful. This means that if you marry a divorcee, you are committing adultery.
A person can be faithful sexually to one’s spouse, but still be faithless to the marriage. Of course, the main way one can break one’s commitment in marriage is to have a divorce. As divorce was allowed in Moses, Jesus didn’t necessarily have a problem with the act of the written divorce. However, Jesus did have a couple problems with divorce. First of all, a marriage is made by God, so how can a man break it (Matthew 19:6). But in this context, Jesus is pointing out another fact of divorce—that the one writing the divorce is damaging others. Jesus points out that the one divorced (not of their own will, nor did they already break the commitment of marriage by sexual unfaithfulness) has few options but to get married again—and that would cause them to be judged by God.
The first thing is that if we prove faithless in our promise to another, we cause them to be faithless as well. A divorcee will get married again, thus causing the sexual commitment to be broken. A default on a contract means that the other person, who was not defaulted, will have to default some area in their lives to make up for the first person’s default. Broken promises snowball—one leads to another, until it is an avalanche of faithlessness.
The main point of what Jesus is saying here, is that to break one’s commitment is to harm another—possibly to destroy them. When we remain faithful in our commitments, we are doing good to them, even if it proves difficult to us. In everything we do, Jesus says, we want to do what is best for others. And faithlessness is never best.
Keeping promises
Again, you have heard it taught that Moses said, “Don’t break your oath.” They teach you, “As long as you invoke God, you need to keep your promise.” But I say to you, invoke nothing in your promises— not heaven nor earth nor Jerusalem. If you invoke any of them, you are ultimately invoking God— for heaven is God’s throne, the earth is God’s footstool and Jerusalem is God’s city. You might as well not invoke your head, either—it is God who determines what happens to your head. You don’t have the power to make a hair of it either white or black. Instead of invoking anything, just make a promise and keep it. Or say you can’t do it. But if you do anything else, you are an evil person, associated with Satan.
In Jesus’ day, there were many people who invoked God when they made a promise. It was supposed to be a guarantee that they would keep the promise, or else God would judge them with a curse. But there were many who didn’t actually use God’s name—but they would use something that sounded like God’s name. Perhaps it was Jerusalem, or their own head. But, they would say, since they didn’t use God’s name, the oath wasn’t binding. Thus, they escaped the requirement of keeping a commitment.
Jesus, however, busts that whole mentality. He says that the promise is made, no matter what phrase accompanies it or whether no phrase at all accompanies it. Anyone who is interested in keeping right with God will not use shady language to make it unclear what their promises are. God’s people, Jesus says, makes clear promises and keeps them. Or they say they won’t promise something. But they are clear and they have integrity and honesty in speech, at all times.
The results of breaking commitments
Of course, all of us have broken promises at one time or another—whether intentionally or not. However, if we are characterized by breaking our commitments, Jesus says that three things will happen to us. First of all, we become associated with Satan, and we are in his camp. Satan is the father of lies, and those who break their commitments are in his moral territory, and so belong to him. Those who break commitments are judged by God, and so will receive no blessings from God. And, worst of all, those who break commitments will go to hell, eternal punishment.
How can we keep our promises?
1. Don’t make a promise unless you are sure
Sometimes it is easy to say “yes” and hard to say “no,” even if we can’t really do it. We need to slow down before making promises to make sure we can do it. Perhaps we can check with someone else before we make a commitment, to make sure we can really do it. But we should take care that we really can do what we say before we agree to it.
2. If we cannot keep a promise, let the one we made the promise to know ASAP
Sometimes we are unable to keep a promise. We need to do all we can so that we reduce this possibility to a minimum, but we need to recognize that sometimes things happen that could not be foreseen. But if that is the case, we need to let people know as soon as possible that we can’t keep our promise. Remember, if we fail in our promise, we are keeping others from being faithful to their promises as well. The sooner we let them know, the sooner they can find a way to keep their promises.
3. Don’t be faithless in our words or little deeds
If you make a promise, then keep it fully. Don’t complain about fulfilling the promise, or make hints that you might not keep it. Keep the promise not just with your actions, but with your words. And also, if you promise to do something, don’t do a half-fulfillment. If you promise to paint someone’s room, don’t finish half-done. Do this in every area of commitments—fulfill your commitment to the fullest of your ability, whether that be bills or a marriage or a contract. Be complete in your faithfulness.
4. Ask the Spirit for strength to keep our commitments
We are human, and we are limited. We need God’s help to keep our promises and commitments. We need God to give us His faithfulness so we can be faithful to others. If we need God’s help, we need to ask for God’s help. So let’s do that as often as we need to.
Keep commitments, no matter how small
In the biggest way possible
Divorce (A sidenote on Matthew 19:4-6)
Half of the marriages in our society end in divorce. We decry this abuse of the marriage commitment, but the fact is that there are just as many divorces among believing Christians as there are among unbelievers. If marriage is sacred, it is so because Jesus made it so, yet the people of Jesus seem to be treating divorce with the same carelessness as unbelievers. This is a travesty—or is it? What did Jesus really say about divorce and remarriage? What if we were wrong about the evil of divorce? Well, let’s look at what Jesus says and make our own decisions:
“Don't you know your Bibles? God created humanity as a man and a woman and He said, ‘I made them two sexes so that a man would leave his parents and establish a new family and the two individuals would become one flesh.’ Clearly, then, God said that the two are not two, but one. Since God welded the two together, it would be an act of evil for a human to tear the two apart." Matthew 19:4-6
What is Marriage?
Before we understand what divorce is, we have to understand what Jesus says marriage is. Jesus points out that marriage was established at the time that God created men and women. Jesus says that God created men and women to be paired off, united together. A man is made to separate from his parents and to be united with a woman. Once they are united by their mutual commitment, then they are a new family—a unique entity, a separated unit from the families they came out of. So what is marriage? It is not just two individuals living together, seeing if they can handle it. It is not a government-processed document. It is a God-created unit, established by mutual commitment, sealed with a sexual union.
What is Divorce?
Given Jesus’ understanding of marriage, what does that mean divorce is? The idea behind divorce is that it is freeing. There was a commitment that was limiting two individuals, and now they are free from that commitment. There was a family, and now that family is dissolved. For those who initiate divorce, it is a positive thing, an act of freedom.
For Jesus, however, there is another component. The marriage, the mutual commitment, the unique family itself, was created by God. God didn’t just create the institution of marriage, but he creates each new family made up of his people. The two are united by God. And so a divorce isn’t a document of freedom, but of rebellion. A divorce isn’t just splitting a family, but it is spitting in God’s face. Divorce is saying to God, “Your creation means nothing to me. And I can break it any time I want.”
Personal Results of Divorce
"Moses didn't deny you divorce because of your rebellious stubbornness— but this was not God's plan in creation. Hear me— anyone who divorces his wife and marries another is unfaithful to his marriage commitment, unless the marriage was already broken by unfaithfulness.” Matthew 19:8-9
So what is the result of divorce? The first result of initiating a divorce is a break in one’s relationship with God. Divorce is an indication of one’s rebellion against God. God may be patient with rebellion, but he does not live with rebellion. Divorce is a sin, because it is denying God’s work and plan.
But Jesus says that divorce is even more serious than that. This is because a divorce is usually built on a lie. A written divorce implies that it is this piece of paper that has broken the marriage, and that the document itself dissolves the commitment. However, Jesus says that a piece of paper does no such thing. A divorce is like a grade-schooler telling his friend in anger, “You’re not my best friend anymore.” But just because it is said doesn’t make it so. Only when that child gains a new “best friend” is that initial friendship broken.
Even so, Jesus says that a marriage is not broken by a divorce. Rather, it is the commitment and sexual union with another that breaks that marriage. Thus, a divorce doesn’t actually “free” anyone, but it sets them up for a new level of sin. Not only does a divorce spit in the face of God’s creation, but it also makes one believe that one is free to be sexually committed to someone else. Which means that they are set up to participate in sexual sin, as well as rejection of God’s creation. Thus, one sin leads to another.
Relational Results of Divorce
“You’ve heard it taught, “If you want to divorce your wife, just give her a written notice of the fact.” But I command you that if you divorce your spouse you are causing them to be unfaithful to your marital covenant—unless they have already been unfaithful. This means that if you marry a divorcee, you are committing adultery.” Matthew 5:31-32
Jesus’ main point in the sermon on the mount, though is not what divorce means to the one initiating the divorce, but what the divorce means to others. Again, a divorce makes it seem as if one is free to be sexually committed to another person, but it isn’t true. The marriage commitment still exists. So if we initiate a divorce, then it may seem good to our spouse, or even necessary, for them to marry again, and so have a sexual commitment to someone else. But what does this mean? It means that the divorce encouraged both of the people in the new marriage to have committed adultery—to have committed a sexual sin before God. Not only has this act of rebellion broken one’s relation with God for oneself, but potentially for three people altogether. Jesus’ point here is that divorce harms others, not just oneself. Divorce is not a personal act of freedom—it is an act of destruction, of hatred against others.
Is Divorce Always Wrong?
Is divorce a consistent evil before God? Not necessarily. Again, a divorce is a document that communicates the dissolution of a family. While the divorce does not create that division, it may be used to legally establish that the family no longer exists. Divorce doesn’t break a marriage commitment, but sexual commitment to another does—this is also known as unfaithfulness or adultery. So one whose spouse has committed adultery has the right to initiate a divorce.
In Christ, however, we have to ask whether we want to take up that right. If our spouse has committed adultery once—or even more than once— and is deeply repentant, Jesus says that we must forgive them. This doesn’t mean just that we don’t hold bad feelings toward them—it means that we completely reconcile. This could also mean that we set aside the formality of divorce to see if we can re-establish the broken marriage.
Is Remarriage Always Wrong?
In the same way, Jesus does not ask us to look at each and every remarriage as evil. A remarriage that occurs when the old marriage is still intact is adultery. But if the old marriage has already been broken by adultery, then it is not evil. Once someone in a marriage has sexually committed to another outside of that marriage, the marriage is broken for both of them. The unit is dissolved, and it no longer exists. Thus, if the other former partner wants to remarry, it is acceptable, and it is not a sin in any way. It is the breaking of the marriage that is evil.
It’s Too Late!
But what about those who are already divorced and remarried? Are they in perpetual sin, without the possibility of forgiveness? What is to happen to them? First of all, God is more than ready to forgive those who sinned out of ignorance, if they would but confess and repent of their sin. If you have committed this kind of sin in the past, repent of it before God and God will wipe it off of your record. It will not be held against you.
Does this mean that the current marriage is a sinful one? Perhaps it started that way. But it is a new commitment, a new family, a new God-established unit. To break this commitment to return to an old one is throwing one sin on top of another. Once the marriage is broken, it is broken. Yes, it could be established again if another commitment is not made. But if you are in the midst of a sexual commitment, do not break it—it is established by God, just as the first one was.
“Don't you know your Bibles? God created humanity as a man and a woman and He said, ‘I made them two sexes so that a man would leave his parents and establish a new family and the two individuals would become one flesh.’ Clearly, then, God said that the two are not two, but one. Since God welded the two together, it would be an act of evil for a human to tear the two apart." Matthew 19:4-6
What is Marriage?
Before we understand what divorce is, we have to understand what Jesus says marriage is. Jesus points out that marriage was established at the time that God created men and women. Jesus says that God created men and women to be paired off, united together. A man is made to separate from his parents and to be united with a woman. Once they are united by their mutual commitment, then they are a new family—a unique entity, a separated unit from the families they came out of. So what is marriage? It is not just two individuals living together, seeing if they can handle it. It is not a government-processed document. It is a God-created unit, established by mutual commitment, sealed with a sexual union.
What is Divorce?
Given Jesus’ understanding of marriage, what does that mean divorce is? The idea behind divorce is that it is freeing. There was a commitment that was limiting two individuals, and now they are free from that commitment. There was a family, and now that family is dissolved. For those who initiate divorce, it is a positive thing, an act of freedom.
For Jesus, however, there is another component. The marriage, the mutual commitment, the unique family itself, was created by God. God didn’t just create the institution of marriage, but he creates each new family made up of his people. The two are united by God. And so a divorce isn’t a document of freedom, but of rebellion. A divorce isn’t just splitting a family, but it is spitting in God’s face. Divorce is saying to God, “Your creation means nothing to me. And I can break it any time I want.”
Personal Results of Divorce
"Moses didn't deny you divorce because of your rebellious stubbornness— but this was not God's plan in creation. Hear me— anyone who divorces his wife and marries another is unfaithful to his marriage commitment, unless the marriage was already broken by unfaithfulness.” Matthew 19:8-9
So what is the result of divorce? The first result of initiating a divorce is a break in one’s relationship with God. Divorce is an indication of one’s rebellion against God. God may be patient with rebellion, but he does not live with rebellion. Divorce is a sin, because it is denying God’s work and plan.
But Jesus says that divorce is even more serious than that. This is because a divorce is usually built on a lie. A written divorce implies that it is this piece of paper that has broken the marriage, and that the document itself dissolves the commitment. However, Jesus says that a piece of paper does no such thing. A divorce is like a grade-schooler telling his friend in anger, “You’re not my best friend anymore.” But just because it is said doesn’t make it so. Only when that child gains a new “best friend” is that initial friendship broken.
Even so, Jesus says that a marriage is not broken by a divorce. Rather, it is the commitment and sexual union with another that breaks that marriage. Thus, a divorce doesn’t actually “free” anyone, but it sets them up for a new level of sin. Not only does a divorce spit in the face of God’s creation, but it also makes one believe that one is free to be sexually committed to someone else. Which means that they are set up to participate in sexual sin, as well as rejection of God’s creation. Thus, one sin leads to another.
Relational Results of Divorce
“You’ve heard it taught, “If you want to divorce your wife, just give her a written notice of the fact.” But I command you that if you divorce your spouse you are causing them to be unfaithful to your marital covenant—unless they have already been unfaithful. This means that if you marry a divorcee, you are committing adultery.” Matthew 5:31-32
Jesus’ main point in the sermon on the mount, though is not what divorce means to the one initiating the divorce, but what the divorce means to others. Again, a divorce makes it seem as if one is free to be sexually committed to another person, but it isn’t true. The marriage commitment still exists. So if we initiate a divorce, then it may seem good to our spouse, or even necessary, for them to marry again, and so have a sexual commitment to someone else. But what does this mean? It means that the divorce encouraged both of the people in the new marriage to have committed adultery—to have committed a sexual sin before God. Not only has this act of rebellion broken one’s relation with God for oneself, but potentially for three people altogether. Jesus’ point here is that divorce harms others, not just oneself. Divorce is not a personal act of freedom—it is an act of destruction, of hatred against others.
Is Divorce Always Wrong?
Is divorce a consistent evil before God? Not necessarily. Again, a divorce is a document that communicates the dissolution of a family. While the divorce does not create that division, it may be used to legally establish that the family no longer exists. Divorce doesn’t break a marriage commitment, but sexual commitment to another does—this is also known as unfaithfulness or adultery. So one whose spouse has committed adultery has the right to initiate a divorce.
In Christ, however, we have to ask whether we want to take up that right. If our spouse has committed adultery once—or even more than once— and is deeply repentant, Jesus says that we must forgive them. This doesn’t mean just that we don’t hold bad feelings toward them—it means that we completely reconcile. This could also mean that we set aside the formality of divorce to see if we can re-establish the broken marriage.
Is Remarriage Always Wrong?
In the same way, Jesus does not ask us to look at each and every remarriage as evil. A remarriage that occurs when the old marriage is still intact is adultery. But if the old marriage has already been broken by adultery, then it is not evil. Once someone in a marriage has sexually committed to another outside of that marriage, the marriage is broken for both of them. The unit is dissolved, and it no longer exists. Thus, if the other former partner wants to remarry, it is acceptable, and it is not a sin in any way. It is the breaking of the marriage that is evil.
It’s Too Late!
But what about those who are already divorced and remarried? Are they in perpetual sin, without the possibility of forgiveness? What is to happen to them? First of all, God is more than ready to forgive those who sinned out of ignorance, if they would but confess and repent of their sin. If you have committed this kind of sin in the past, repent of it before God and God will wipe it off of your record. It will not be held against you.
Does this mean that the current marriage is a sinful one? Perhaps it started that way. But it is a new commitment, a new family, a new God-established unit. To break this commitment to return to an old one is throwing one sin on top of another. Once the marriage is broken, it is broken. Yes, it could be established again if another commitment is not made. But if you are in the midst of a sexual commitment, do not break it—it is established by God, just as the first one was.
Loving Enemies-- Matthew 5:38-48
Jesus often surprises us. He will tell us things that shock us, amaze us and are sometimes downright unbelievable. The Sermon on the Mount is full of such shocks, but the two lessons Jesus gives us today are so shocking, so out of our experience, that we have to constantly learn them.
When we are dealing with those who do us wrong, there is a universal response—we’ve got to give back to them what they gave to us (and perhaps a little more, if we can get away with it). This is so normal, so natural, that all of us, even if we can imagine a different way, we reject it out of hand as “unjust” or “just impossible.” But Jesus’ commands are practical, if not easy.
Evil Authorities
Some teach, “Whoever harms another’s eye must have his eye harmed, and whoever harms another’s tooth must have his tooth harmed.” But I command you, do not resist an evil authority. As an authority wrongly slaps you, give him an opportunity to slap you again. As a creditor takes you to court to collect what he can, give him an opportunity to take more than you can afford. As a soldier conscripts you a legal amount, offer him more than the legal amount. If an authority demands something from you—give it to them. And if they insist on “borrowing” from you, let them have it.
Some people have the right to do bad things to us if they want. They are called authorities, and often these authorities use their authority in ways that are abusive to those under them. Authorities are parents, police, elected representatives, creditors, or anyone else that has the right to use force against others. How are we to respond to them—especially when we are the ones who are hurt? Some say that we should not accept evil authorities at all—just rebel against them, run away from them, fight them if we can. Others say that we should carefully plan to take away their authority, to have a revolution against them. Still others say we should fear them, and meekly obey them. And others say that we should resist their evil, but passively—not obeying, but not harming as well.
Jesus’ command—not just advice, mind you—is that we should follow none of these suggestions. We should submit to them, obey them, but not with meekness. Rather, we should boldly grant them the opportunity to do more evil to us than they have already done. WHAT?!?! is the shocked response. “This can’t be right! How could Jesus ask us to do this, it isn’t even humanly possible.”
Although it may be hard to believe, such a response to evil authority is actually a practical response, if you truly believe that God is in charge of the universe. God is the ultimate authority over all, and there is no authority that a human has that does not originally come from God. God desires that His authority be used for good purposes, not evil. This means that if He sees the authority he gave to others being used in evil ways—especially against the innocent—then He will step in and take that authority away. So Jesus’ suggestion is not meekness, but a very sneaky subversion.
Evil Neighbors
You have been taught that Moses said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I command you to love your enemies and to pray blessings on those who harm you. Do this so you will be like your Father in heaven, and so you will be his children and so inherit his kingdom. God grants sunshine and rain to everyone without exclusion—no matter they are good or evil, righteous or unrighteous. God rewards only the righteous—but if you love only those who love you, how are you more righteous than any evildoer? If you offer blessings only to those you like, how are you more righteous than any pagan? So if you want God’s reward, then love without exclusion, even as the Father does.
This is a very well-known statement by Jesus, “Love your enemies.” The basic idea behind this is that we should not do harm to anyone—no matter what they have done to us. And if they need help, we should help them, no matter what they have done to us. The basic idea is to love without exclusion, not separating any kind of person out of the requirement to love. We do this, so that we will be seen to be like God, and we would never be acting like Satan, who punishes those who do evil. However well known Jesus’ command is, it is rarely practiced, because of so many exclusions people put against this idea.
Some say, “We should love them in our hearts, but we should prosecute them according to the law if we can.” When Jesus says, “love” he means this in a very practical sense. As in all the Sermon on the Mount, for Jesus, our heart intent is shown by our actions, even the smallest of actions. If we harm another person to their detriment, we are not loving them, but hating them. If we ignore someone else, especially if they need help, then we are not loving them but hating them. The only way to love is to act for their benefit.
Some say, “We should love everyone, but if they harm our family or nation, we can attack them.” Jesus did not give any kind of exception here. If someone who is not a follower of Jesus attacks his enemy, that is only natural. Thus, if a secular nation attacks their enemy, that is their right, and some would say, their responsibility. But no one who is truly interested in following Jesus—in having Jesus as their lord, and obeying him as their master—will attack anyone in order to harm them.
How far should we take this?
Some say that Jesus taught non-violence. That is only partly true. It is a violent action to cut someone open with a knife in order to take out an inflamed appendix. However, it is to the patient’s benefit. Thus, some violent or dishonoring actions are okay, if it is for the benefit of the person. However, we must make sure that such an action is not ultimately harming the one receiving the action. For instance, a parent spanking a rebellious child is okay, but to do so in hostility is harmful for both the child and the parent. Again, the basis of all action is: What are the consequences of my action to others—is it for their benefit or detriment? If the latter, we should have nothing to do with it.
Some ask, “But what if my non-action harms another? What if my child is harmed because of my non-action to an assailant?” It is in this area that we need the wisdom of the Spirit, which we can have if only we ask. The Spirit of God alone can help us to find an action that will benefit both parties in a situation that human looks like only one would survive. It is the Spirit that teaches us how to love, in every situation. And there is always an opportunity to do good, even if our human limitations can see no good.
Why should we put up with this?
Ultimately, in our human revulsion against injustice, we ask, “Why would Jesus ask us to do this? Shouldn’t we make things right at the time we see the wrong?” On a purely human level, we could. And if we reacted on our natural human instinct, we would take matters in our own hands. So why shouldn’t we? Why is Jesus asking us to act in an inhuman way?
Two reasons:
a. If we react with an equal response every time a wrong is done, then no one is exempt, and we will all be harmed. Anger breeds anger, and violence breeds violence. It would only be time until we were back in the days of Noah, when violence became so extreme that God would have no choice but to wipe us all out. Jesus’ purpose is to create a people who will have nothing to do with the system of getting even and creating our own karma. It is only in this way God’s righteous will remain on earth.
b. If we refuse to do harm, but only act for the benefit of others, then if anyone does us harm, we are depending on God to protect us. To depend on God is to invite him on earth, to participate with us and to create his justice among us. God on earth is our ultimate goal—and it could only happen if we take chances with our well-being. If we depend on ourselves, then God will allow us to do so, and his action on earth will not be necessary. We need to do right, and so depend on God for His action.
When we are dealing with those who do us wrong, there is a universal response—we’ve got to give back to them what they gave to us (and perhaps a little more, if we can get away with it). This is so normal, so natural, that all of us, even if we can imagine a different way, we reject it out of hand as “unjust” or “just impossible.” But Jesus’ commands are practical, if not easy.
Evil Authorities
Some teach, “Whoever harms another’s eye must have his eye harmed, and whoever harms another’s tooth must have his tooth harmed.” But I command you, do not resist an evil authority. As an authority wrongly slaps you, give him an opportunity to slap you again. As a creditor takes you to court to collect what he can, give him an opportunity to take more than you can afford. As a soldier conscripts you a legal amount, offer him more than the legal amount. If an authority demands something from you—give it to them. And if they insist on “borrowing” from you, let them have it.
Some people have the right to do bad things to us if they want. They are called authorities, and often these authorities use their authority in ways that are abusive to those under them. Authorities are parents, police, elected representatives, creditors, or anyone else that has the right to use force against others. How are we to respond to them—especially when we are the ones who are hurt? Some say that we should not accept evil authorities at all—just rebel against them, run away from them, fight them if we can. Others say that we should carefully plan to take away their authority, to have a revolution against them. Still others say we should fear them, and meekly obey them. And others say that we should resist their evil, but passively—not obeying, but not harming as well.
Jesus’ command—not just advice, mind you—is that we should follow none of these suggestions. We should submit to them, obey them, but not with meekness. Rather, we should boldly grant them the opportunity to do more evil to us than they have already done. WHAT?!?! is the shocked response. “This can’t be right! How could Jesus ask us to do this, it isn’t even humanly possible.”
Although it may be hard to believe, such a response to evil authority is actually a practical response, if you truly believe that God is in charge of the universe. God is the ultimate authority over all, and there is no authority that a human has that does not originally come from God. God desires that His authority be used for good purposes, not evil. This means that if He sees the authority he gave to others being used in evil ways—especially against the innocent—then He will step in and take that authority away. So Jesus’ suggestion is not meekness, but a very sneaky subversion.
Evil Neighbors
You have been taught that Moses said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I command you to love your enemies and to pray blessings on those who harm you. Do this so you will be like your Father in heaven, and so you will be his children and so inherit his kingdom. God grants sunshine and rain to everyone without exclusion—no matter they are good or evil, righteous or unrighteous. God rewards only the righteous—but if you love only those who love you, how are you more righteous than any evildoer? If you offer blessings only to those you like, how are you more righteous than any pagan? So if you want God’s reward, then love without exclusion, even as the Father does.
This is a very well-known statement by Jesus, “Love your enemies.” The basic idea behind this is that we should not do harm to anyone—no matter what they have done to us. And if they need help, we should help them, no matter what they have done to us. The basic idea is to love without exclusion, not separating any kind of person out of the requirement to love. We do this, so that we will be seen to be like God, and we would never be acting like Satan, who punishes those who do evil. However well known Jesus’ command is, it is rarely practiced, because of so many exclusions people put against this idea.
Some say, “We should love them in our hearts, but we should prosecute them according to the law if we can.” When Jesus says, “love” he means this in a very practical sense. As in all the Sermon on the Mount, for Jesus, our heart intent is shown by our actions, even the smallest of actions. If we harm another person to their detriment, we are not loving them, but hating them. If we ignore someone else, especially if they need help, then we are not loving them but hating them. The only way to love is to act for their benefit.
Some say, “We should love everyone, but if they harm our family or nation, we can attack them.” Jesus did not give any kind of exception here. If someone who is not a follower of Jesus attacks his enemy, that is only natural. Thus, if a secular nation attacks their enemy, that is their right, and some would say, their responsibility. But no one who is truly interested in following Jesus—in having Jesus as their lord, and obeying him as their master—will attack anyone in order to harm them.
How far should we take this?
Some say that Jesus taught non-violence. That is only partly true. It is a violent action to cut someone open with a knife in order to take out an inflamed appendix. However, it is to the patient’s benefit. Thus, some violent or dishonoring actions are okay, if it is for the benefit of the person. However, we must make sure that such an action is not ultimately harming the one receiving the action. For instance, a parent spanking a rebellious child is okay, but to do so in hostility is harmful for both the child and the parent. Again, the basis of all action is: What are the consequences of my action to others—is it for their benefit or detriment? If the latter, we should have nothing to do with it.
Some ask, “But what if my non-action harms another? What if my child is harmed because of my non-action to an assailant?” It is in this area that we need the wisdom of the Spirit, which we can have if only we ask. The Spirit of God alone can help us to find an action that will benefit both parties in a situation that human looks like only one would survive. It is the Spirit that teaches us how to love, in every situation. And there is always an opportunity to do good, even if our human limitations can see no good.
Why should we put up with this?
Ultimately, in our human revulsion against injustice, we ask, “Why would Jesus ask us to do this? Shouldn’t we make things right at the time we see the wrong?” On a purely human level, we could. And if we reacted on our natural human instinct, we would take matters in our own hands. So why shouldn’t we? Why is Jesus asking us to act in an inhuman way?
Two reasons:
a. If we react with an equal response every time a wrong is done, then no one is exempt, and we will all be harmed. Anger breeds anger, and violence breeds violence. It would only be time until we were back in the days of Noah, when violence became so extreme that God would have no choice but to wipe us all out. Jesus’ purpose is to create a people who will have nothing to do with the system of getting even and creating our own karma. It is only in this way God’s righteous will remain on earth.
b. If we refuse to do harm, but only act for the benefit of others, then if anyone does us harm, we are depending on God to protect us. To depend on God is to invite him on earth, to participate with us and to create his justice among us. God on earth is our ultimate goal—and it could only happen if we take chances with our well-being. If we depend on ourselves, then God will allow us to do so, and his action on earth will not be necessary. We need to do right, and so depend on God for His action.
How To Be Religious (And Mean It)-- Matthew 6:1-6; 16-18
Doin’ the Religious Thing
Maybe it may not be as popular as it used to be, but lots of us are religious. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s okay to be religious—going to church, listening to religious music, talking about God—all of that is fine. Some people may not like it, but its all right. The real problem is to know HOW to be religious. Everyone is telling us to be religious in this way or that way, and we want to impress people, but we are also wondering what God really wants. Well, Jesus tells us just what God wants from religious folks:
Don’t do your religious deeds openly so that you would gain something from others, or else you will not gain any blessing from your Father in heaven.
When you give to the poor, don’t let it be known with a megaphone, as some pretenders do in churches and benevolence centers so that people would say how great they are. Listen here, they’ve already got their pay. As for you, keep your giving even a secret from yourself—God sees every hidden thing and will pay you back according to what he sees.
When you pray, don’t be like the pretenders who make a show of praying in the churches and on street corners so people would notice their prayers. Listen to me, they have already got everything they asked for. But as for you, pray in the room with no windows, shut the door and pray to your Father, whom no one sees. But God, he will see you in hiding and give to you accordingly.
When you fast before God, don’t be a sad sack like the pretenders—they put on an unhappy face so people would notice their fasting. Listen to me, they’ve already got everything they’re fasting for. As for you, act in your fast as you normally would—put on normal clothes and do your normal hygiene. No one will notice your fast except your Father in heaven, who is unseen. God will see your hidden act and give to you accordingly. Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
What are Religious Deeds?
Jesus is taking up the subject of “religious deeds” in this section. But what are they? They are anything we do that is religiously “cool”. Jesus specifically talks about giving to the poor, praying aloud and fasting. These are three religious deeds that were very popular in Jesus’ day—and they were all commanded by God. Today, we have many other kinds of churchy, God-liking things we enjoy—
· Taking communion
· Giving to the church
· Prayer
· Worship/praise
· Church service/volunteering
· Helping the needy
· Listening to Christian music (loudly)
These are all great things to do. But there is a right way to do them and a wrong way.
Who are the deeds for?
The real question Jesus deals with is who are we doing these things for? We could just be doing them because we enjoy them personally. But the issue Jesus is most concerned about is whether we are just doing these religious deeds because we want to impress people around us with how “religious” we are. Have you ever prayed out loud and thought to yourself how impressive your prayer must be to others around you? Have you ever sung loud in the service so others could hear how well you knew the song? Have you ever helped a person in need so someone else could see how good you were? These are all symptoms of “religionitis”—impressing others with how religious you are.
If we are impressing others with our religious deeds, then Jesus says that we have already received all that we get. In other words, any religious deed we do with the intent of impressing someone else—whether we are successful or not—all we get is the attempt at impressing others, but we get nothing from God. We can do what we do for others, but the one person who isn’t impressed is God.
Acting toward God
God is only interested in actions that are directed toward Him alone. If we pray, we should be praying for Him, not for our parents, not for those looking on, not for the person who asks “did you pray for me?” When we pray, the only one who counts is God. If we pray for anyone else other than God, then we might as well be praying to them. God won’t answer our prayers. He will only answer if we are praying to Him, for His sake alone.
This goes the same for all the other actions. If we are trying to impress others with how we praise God, God won’t receive the praise. If we are trying to show the government how much we gave to the poor to get something out of it, then we will not have given for God’s sake, but the governments. If we volunteer at church to get to know a cutie who also works at the church, we will get no credit for it from God.
Don’t limit your deeds
Of course, it doesn’t matter if we happen to impress others. Only if that is what we are trying to do. But, just to make sure, Jesus says, we need to practice some of our religious deeds in secret. This does not mean that everything we do for God must be hidden from every eye. First of all, it is impossible to do that. If the only religious deeds we could do are in secret, then it would severely limit what we could do. Jesus doesn’t want to limit what we do, but to focus our actions to where they do the most good. Second, Jesus himself told us to do some of these deeds with other people. Jesus told us to pray the Lord’s prayer together, in a group. Jesus himself did religious deeds in public, including prayer. So secrecy isn’t the issue all the time.
God is hidden
But secrecy is not a bad idea for much of your religious practice. Jesus said that God himself is hidden from view, so it is appropriate to do some of what we do for God hidden from view as well. When Jesus prayed at times he got up before anyone else did so he could pray by himself. Sometimes he sent the crowds away so he could pray or heal in private. Sometimes he preached to people privately instead of in front of huge crowds. Jesus wasn’t just about the crowds. Nor was he trying to impress anyone. He was just trying to do what God told him to do.
This should be the same with us. Our religious life should not be about trying to impress others. Why should we care what other’s think about us? It is only God who counts. In the end, we want God to be praised, not ourselves. It is God we want to serve, not ourselves. It is God we want to pray to, not others. It is God we do all our religious acts for. If that is the case, then let us make sure that we do it secretly—at least on occasion, when we can. In this way, God will hear us and he will reward us.
Why reward?
Some would say, “Why should we be doing religious deed for a reward? Isn’t it more pure to do it just out of loving God?” It’s fine if you want to serve God just because you love him. That’s great. But don’t think you are some kind of “super-Christian” because of it. Jesus recognizes that we want blessings from God. If we didn’t want the blessings of the Spirit, of joy, of peace, of forgiveness, of living with God for all eternity, then why would we bother with God at all? No, let’s be honest. We serve God because God will make our lives better. Jesus recognized that and approved of it. So let’s not be guilty because we want a blessing from God. God loves to give us His gifts, so let’s enjoy them.
Do everything for God’s glory
Maybe it may not be as popular as it used to be, but lots of us are religious. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s okay to be religious—going to church, listening to religious music, talking about God—all of that is fine. Some people may not like it, but its all right. The real problem is to know HOW to be religious. Everyone is telling us to be religious in this way or that way, and we want to impress people, but we are also wondering what God really wants. Well, Jesus tells us just what God wants from religious folks:
Don’t do your religious deeds openly so that you would gain something from others, or else you will not gain any blessing from your Father in heaven.
When you give to the poor, don’t let it be known with a megaphone, as some pretenders do in churches and benevolence centers so that people would say how great they are. Listen here, they’ve already got their pay. As for you, keep your giving even a secret from yourself—God sees every hidden thing and will pay you back according to what he sees.
When you pray, don’t be like the pretenders who make a show of praying in the churches and on street corners so people would notice their prayers. Listen to me, they have already got everything they asked for. But as for you, pray in the room with no windows, shut the door and pray to your Father, whom no one sees. But God, he will see you in hiding and give to you accordingly.
When you fast before God, don’t be a sad sack like the pretenders—they put on an unhappy face so people would notice their fasting. Listen to me, they’ve already got everything they’re fasting for. As for you, act in your fast as you normally would—put on normal clothes and do your normal hygiene. No one will notice your fast except your Father in heaven, who is unseen. God will see your hidden act and give to you accordingly. Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
What are Religious Deeds?
Jesus is taking up the subject of “religious deeds” in this section. But what are they? They are anything we do that is religiously “cool”. Jesus specifically talks about giving to the poor, praying aloud and fasting. These are three religious deeds that were very popular in Jesus’ day—and they were all commanded by God. Today, we have many other kinds of churchy, God-liking things we enjoy—
· Taking communion
· Giving to the church
· Prayer
· Worship/praise
· Church service/volunteering
· Helping the needy
· Listening to Christian music (loudly)
These are all great things to do. But there is a right way to do them and a wrong way.
Who are the deeds for?
The real question Jesus deals with is who are we doing these things for? We could just be doing them because we enjoy them personally. But the issue Jesus is most concerned about is whether we are just doing these religious deeds because we want to impress people around us with how “religious” we are. Have you ever prayed out loud and thought to yourself how impressive your prayer must be to others around you? Have you ever sung loud in the service so others could hear how well you knew the song? Have you ever helped a person in need so someone else could see how good you were? These are all symptoms of “religionitis”—impressing others with how religious you are.
If we are impressing others with our religious deeds, then Jesus says that we have already received all that we get. In other words, any religious deed we do with the intent of impressing someone else—whether we are successful or not—all we get is the attempt at impressing others, but we get nothing from God. We can do what we do for others, but the one person who isn’t impressed is God.
Acting toward God
God is only interested in actions that are directed toward Him alone. If we pray, we should be praying for Him, not for our parents, not for those looking on, not for the person who asks “did you pray for me?” When we pray, the only one who counts is God. If we pray for anyone else other than God, then we might as well be praying to them. God won’t answer our prayers. He will only answer if we are praying to Him, for His sake alone.
This goes the same for all the other actions. If we are trying to impress others with how we praise God, God won’t receive the praise. If we are trying to show the government how much we gave to the poor to get something out of it, then we will not have given for God’s sake, but the governments. If we volunteer at church to get to know a cutie who also works at the church, we will get no credit for it from God.
Don’t limit your deeds
Of course, it doesn’t matter if we happen to impress others. Only if that is what we are trying to do. But, just to make sure, Jesus says, we need to practice some of our religious deeds in secret. This does not mean that everything we do for God must be hidden from every eye. First of all, it is impossible to do that. If the only religious deeds we could do are in secret, then it would severely limit what we could do. Jesus doesn’t want to limit what we do, but to focus our actions to where they do the most good. Second, Jesus himself told us to do some of these deeds with other people. Jesus told us to pray the Lord’s prayer together, in a group. Jesus himself did religious deeds in public, including prayer. So secrecy isn’t the issue all the time.
God is hidden
But secrecy is not a bad idea for much of your religious practice. Jesus said that God himself is hidden from view, so it is appropriate to do some of what we do for God hidden from view as well. When Jesus prayed at times he got up before anyone else did so he could pray by himself. Sometimes he sent the crowds away so he could pray or heal in private. Sometimes he preached to people privately instead of in front of huge crowds. Jesus wasn’t just about the crowds. Nor was he trying to impress anyone. He was just trying to do what God told him to do.
This should be the same with us. Our religious life should not be about trying to impress others. Why should we care what other’s think about us? It is only God who counts. In the end, we want God to be praised, not ourselves. It is God we want to serve, not ourselves. It is God we want to pray to, not others. It is God we do all our religious acts for. If that is the case, then let us make sure that we do it secretly—at least on occasion, when we can. In this way, God will hear us and he will reward us.
Why reward?
Some would say, “Why should we be doing religious deed for a reward? Isn’t it more pure to do it just out of loving God?” It’s fine if you want to serve God just because you love him. That’s great. But don’t think you are some kind of “super-Christian” because of it. Jesus recognizes that we want blessings from God. If we didn’t want the blessings of the Spirit, of joy, of peace, of forgiveness, of living with God for all eternity, then why would we bother with God at all? No, let’s be honest. We serve God because God will make our lives better. Jesus recognized that and approved of it. So let’s not be guilty because we want a blessing from God. God loves to give us His gifts, so let’s enjoy them.
Do everything for God’s glory
Our Father-- Matthew 6:9
Jesus, in giving us the Lord’s prayer, isn’t just telling us what words to pray, but he is telling us the way God wants us to pray. Some call the Lord's Prayer the "summa evangelia"-- the summary of the gospel. Because in the Lord's Prayer in the heart of Jesus' teaching.
Right at the beginning, Jesus makes a radical statement—that we are to begin our prayers with “our Father.” But what does this mean, what is he implying? There are two basic questions that need to be answered in understanding what Jesus means in teaching us to address God as “our Father”: What does “father” mean, and who are God’s children?
Which Father?In the first century, when Jesus taught the Lord’s prayer, there were many people called “father.” Of course, there was one’s male parent, but also his grandparent or anyone else who was an ancestor. Also, the ruler of one’s nation or one’s ultimate authority was called “father”. What did Jesus mean?
First of all, of course, Jesus stated clearly that we are not praying to any earthly father, but to our Father in heaven. This is the Most High God, the king of the universe. (Matthew 23:9) But when we are praying to God as Father, what does that mean, apart from praying to Him as Lord or as God?
Concern—A father is concerned about his children, and so wants to meet their needs. He isn’t distant or have apathy, but he is always there, always ready to help if the need arises. This is different from a distant Lord or an uncaring God. Luke 11:11-13
Protection—A father cares about his children and so he protects them from harm. If anyone is attacking his children, he is always there to deliver them from that attack.
Provision—A father wants his children to have everything they need, so he provides them with food, clothing, warmth—everything they need. Luke 12:22-30
Teaching—A father not only is concerned about his children’s physical needs, but also their social and moral ones. He wants to make sure they know the right way to live and will provide them with what they need to live that life. Ephesians 6:4
Leadership—A father guides his children, sometimes with wisdom and sometimes with commands.
Discipline—A father allows his children to go through hardship at times, not to punish them, but to help them live the life that he wants them to live. Hebrews 12:5-7
Care—But ultimately, even if he disciplines or is training them and the situation the father places his children in seems difficult, he is constantly displaying his care to them, giving them his great love and compassion toward them. I Peter 5:7
Thus, when we call God “Father”, we are not praying to a distant god or an uncaring Lord—God is with us and in tune with what situations we are in and what we really need and is ready to give that to us (Matthew 6:8, 31-33)
Which Children?Everyone wants to recognize themselves as God’s children. And, in a sense, every human on earth is a child of God. We have all been created by God, and God provides food for all of us. God loves us all and has given us all his Son to die for us. However, does this really mean anything to us, really? After all, God loves every human, even Adolf Hitler and the man who spits on the ground at every mention of God’s name. Are we really equal children of God with these?
Jesus distinguishes those whom God loves generally from those whom God desires to grant great blessings upon. The kingdom of God and all the blessings that come with it are not for everyone, but only for some whom Jesus called “sons of God.” Who are these children, who will receive all that God has to give them?
Relationship with God—These children are those who seek God to have a relationship with Him. They do not just passively accept God’s blessings, but thank God, praise Him and act out of their love for God. Mark 10:28-30
Dependence—These children are openly dependent on God and will sometimes refuse the easy way in order to have a better relationship with God. When they refuse the easy way, they are dependent on God for his provision—taking the chance that if God does not provide, they are in trouble. Luke 18:1-8
Trust—These children trust God for his provision, asking him for what they need and relying on him to provide it to them. They know that God rewards those who love him and wait on his reward in His time. Matthew 6:31-33; Hebrews 11:6
Obedience—These children listen to God and do what he says because they know their Father cares for them and will not command them to do something that is harmful to them. Matthew 7:21; 12:50
Likeness—These children not only do what God says, but they even act like God in some ways. They love everyone as God does and they refuse to have anything to do with evil as God does. John 8:39-44; Matthew 5:9
Thus the children that cry “our Father” are not just the run of the mill children of God—they are God’s chosen, God’s people and kingdom in Jesus.
OUR FatherOne last thing needs to be pointed out. When Jesus told us to call God “Father”, he told us to recognize that the Father is not just “mine”—as if a relationship with God is just between two people. Rather, Jesus told us to pray “OUR Father”—we are a part of a community of children, not just an only child trying to figure out our relationship with our parent on a solitary basis. We are not independent individuals—we are a part of a community. This means that we need to act like it. We need to be with people who are our Father’s children, pray with them and depend on them, even as we are all dependent on our Father.
Hallowed Name-- Matthew 6:10
Millions of people have prayed the Lord’s prayer, but not really understood what it meant. One of the most confused phrase is the text translated in almost all English Bibles: “Hallowed by thy name.” The difficulty with this translation is that many people are confused. The worst is the word “hallowed”. Is it talking about praise, or honor? Not exactly. It comes from the English word “holy”, and it means “to make pure, to separate out”. So the phrase actually means, “Father, please make your name holy” or “Sanctify your name.”
Isn’t God’s name already holy?
God himself is holy. He is the Most High above all powers and gods and no one can compare with Him. He cannot sin and is pure in all he does. God’s angelic servants are constantly repeating “Holy, holy holy” of God to speak of his unending holiness. But in this prayer we are not speaking of God himself, who cannot ever be unholy. Rather, we are talking about his reputation.
If we tear down someone’s “name” we are not talking about the word by which they are called. Rather, we are speaking of their reputation, or the honor with which they are held by others. So if someone’s name is dirtied, we mean that people are talking trash about that person, that his reputation is dishonored. This is what Jesus is talking about here. He is borrowing a phrase from Ezekiel 36, where God said that his people had made his name “unholy”, or, torn down his reputation, because of their sin.
So, to paraphrase our prayer, we would better be saying, “God, give your reputation honor again.” This is very similar to another prayer Jesus prayed, “Father, glorify your name.” (John 12:28). Again, it is a request for God’s reputation to be world-wide and positive.
How did God’s name become unholy?
“Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. Also I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name.'” Ezekiel 36:17-20
In Ezekiel 36 and in Jesus’ teaching it is clear that God’s reputation was dishonored because of the actions of his own people. The actions of God’s people were in opposition to God’s commands. And so they became hypocrites. When God’s people are sinful and hateful, then those who are looking from the outside think that there must be something wrong with God. And when God has to punish his people, then others think that God wasn’t strong enough to save them from His own punishment.
When some who claim to be God’s people do things that destroy God’s reputation, they are actually breaking the third command of ten—“Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” (Exodus 20:7). Those who do not have the lifestyle of God’s people—that of a holy people (Leviticus 11:44; I Peter 1:15-16)—, but they take the name of God, they are using God’s name in a way that destroys God’s holiness. And God will not accept a people that tears down his holy reputation.
So God’s reputation is torn down because those who don’t know about God look at the inadequacies of those who claim to be God’s people and so decide that God is less than he really is. We see this today when we hear statements like “The church is full of hypocrites” and “Christianity is evil, look at all the violence it caused,” and “God can’t even take care of his own, why should I trust Him?”
What are we specifically praying for?
We want this situation to reverse. Rather than having God’s reputation be torn down, we want God to be honored by all peoples, whether they worship him or not. We are praying that everyone on the whole earth would honor God for who He is—the holy, merciful, all powerful, loving God of Jesus Christ. This will be done by the gospel being spread throughout the earth (Matthew 24:14).
But it also relates to God’s people, just as the dishonoring of God’s reputation related to his people. First of all, we are asking that God’s people who are acting as hypocrites would be judged. There will be a separating between the obedient and the hypocrite in God’s people—God is giving us the opportunity to do it ourselves, or else He will come and do it for us (Matthew 13:37-43; I Corinthians 5:12-13). Secondly, we are praying that God would give his people the ability to live for Him through his Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Third, we are asking that God would forgive His people their sins and give them a second chance to be pure and holy (Ezekiel 36:25). And lastly, we are asking that God would restore good fortune to his purged, purified, forgiven people.
In the end, in praying “Hallowed be your name” we are asking for Jesus’ ministry to be completed among his people. Jesus himself separated the hypocrite from the pure in heart. Jesus himself gave his people the Holy Spirit to purify and empower his people. Jesus himself forgave the sins of the lost. And Jesus himself healed the sick and desolate who were once rejected and punished because of their sin. Jesus was in the business of sanctifying God’s name.
However, Jesus’ people seem to have forgotten Jesus’ task, despite praying the prayer daily. They are no longer concerned with making God’s name holy among the peoples. They welcome the hypocrites and turn away repentant sinners. They ignore the Spirit’s power to be holy and loving, preferring to see the Spirit as a super-power pill, or to just avoid Him altogether. They want to restore people’s fortunes through the world, rather than the power of God. They are ignoring that God’s reputation is being torn down, and they are avoiding the self judgment that they are the ones causing the destruction of God’s name to happen.
When we pray “Hallowed by thy name”, let us be asking God to act like God’s people—holy and righteous.
Kingdom Come-- Matthew 6:10
Doesn’t God rule everywhere?Jesus commands us to ask God for God’s kingdom to come. Fundamentally, this is asking God to rule. But for those of you already familiar with the Bible, you probably know that it says that God already rules over all the earth—over the whole universe! This is true. (Psalm 97:9) But does God actually get to do all he wants to do with the earth? No. That’s because he handed the rule of the earth off to someone else—humanity.
Right from the beginning of creation God promised humanity the rule of the earth (Psalm 8). But humanity hasn’t done with the earth what God wanted—they made the rules themselves instead of listening to God. So we chose our own rulers—and we chose Death and Satan (Genesis 3; Hebrews 2:14). And so God’s rule was thwarted on earth, and the whole planet is ruled by rebels to God. Which would be okay, I guess, if they had humanity’s and the earth’s best interest at heart. But they don’t.
What is God’s kingdom?
So that’s our situation. We are on a planet stuck with bad rulers. And these bad rulers created the mess that we live in everyday (Romans 5:14). So what else is new, you might say. Well, the new thing is that God hasn’t given up on us. He is interested in changing this situation. God will get rid of the lousy rulers and put his perfect ruler in charge who is interested in helping everyone, not just himself—Jesus Christ (Daniel 2:44; Revelation 5:9-12). God will deal with all the bad people and the mess that we live in and just get rid of it (Psalm 37:11-12). God will give benefits to the humble who trust in Him in the midst of this perpetual crisis (Matthew 5:3-10). And He will make everything new—turn it all upside down and inside out (Isaiah 65:17-24). God is going to establish a new reality out of this chaotic, evil jungle. And that change, that utopia is called the Kingdom of God.
That’s right. So when we are praying for Kingdom Come, we are praying for this mess humanity has created to be re-made new—something good in God’s imagining. But we need to recognize that Jesus is telling us to pray for this. He isn’t telling us to create democracies to make this kingdom come. He isn’t telling us to enact tough love to make the kingdom come. He isn’t telling us to build a lot of churches to make the kingdom come. He is telling us to pray. Why? Because the kingdom won’t come by our effort, but only when God is ready for it to happen. God’s kingdom is God’s work, and our main participation in that work is through prayer. (Psalm 146:3-10)
God’s kingdom—TodaySo if we were looking for God’s kingdom, how would we recognize it? Does God have an embassy that we can visit or a website? Well, yes and no. First of all, we recognize God’s kingdom because it looks like what Jesus talked about. Jesus said that God’s kingdom would be helping the poor (Luke 12:33). That it would be forgiving people who don’t deserve it simply because they repent (Luke 17:3-4). That it would be filled with people who live according to God’s righteous standard (Matthew 12:50). That it would be characterized by healings and words directly from God (Mark 16:16-17). That it would be loving and merciful (John 13:34-35). It is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
“Hey,” some people say, “that sounds like the church.” Well, I would offer a corrective to that. It sounds like how the church is supposed to be, but it is in only a few places. That is why we are asking for God’s kingdom to come. It isn’t here yet. It has started, and it’s growing but it is still pretty small compared to the amount of people who claim to be a part of God’s kingdom.
So how can we participate in God’s kingdom? Two ways—first of all, we willingly submit to Jesus, the leader of God’s kingdom. If we commit ourselves to Him, then he will help us to be a part of the solution, not the problem (Acts 2:35). Secondly, we need to receive the Spirit of God from Jesus (John 14:26). The Spirit is the only one who can help us live out the ideal. Thus, when we pray “Your kingdom come” we are really praying, “God put your Spirit in my life so I am a part of that kingdom now.”
God’s kingdom—Coming
As great as this community of God’s Spirit is, it is still not complete. God’s kingdom will not be completed until God is completely in charge of the whole earth. Sure, ruling over a bunch of outcasts is great, but it’s not what God really is looking for. He wants all that is owed to him—the whole thing.
And God has that in his plans. His plan is to have every single human being—both living and dead—recognize that Jesus’ is the only true ruler over the earth under the Father (Philippians 2:10-11). And this can only take place with a cataclysmic event—the destruction of the current world order. God will set aside all the rulers of the world and establish his own ruler (Revelation 19:1-16). Then the dead will have to be raised, and every human being will bow to Jesus as the Lord over the earth (Matthew 25:31-32). Then Jesus will choose those who were most merciful and humble and righteous before God and will establish them as rulers with him (I Peter 5:6).
This great event hasn’t happened yet, but every time we pray “Your kingdom come” we are asking for God to make it happen. So if you like the governments and system of the world the way they are, you need to stop praying the Lord’s prayer. Heck, you need to stop following Jesus, if that’s the case, because he’s looking to take over. But if you forsake Jesus, you won’t be ready when the change does come. So be ready by following Jesus. (Matthew 24:42-25:13)
What is God waiting for?
So why hasn’t this event happened yet? Well, God is waiting for a few thing to happen: First, he needs to allow the governments of the world to become corrupt enough that they are ready to be brushed aside. When they all oppress God’s people, then they will be ready (Revelation 6:10-11). Second, he needs to have his people purified from sin and dependent on Him for obedience so they will be ready to rule. And third, he is waiting on those whom he loves and has chosen to repent so his people will be complete with them (II Peter 3:3-9). Yes, God has waited two thousand years—but if he had come twenty years ago, would you have been ready for him?
The real question is: are you ready now? To pray “your kingdom come” is to claim readiness for God. For God to come into your life and change it to His liking. For God to come into the world and change it forever. Are you ready for that? If you are, then we can pray the Lord’s prayer together.
Kingdom Come is God’s Spirit ruling in our lives.
Kingdom Come is God’s Son ruling over the earth.
Are we ready?
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