Presented to TSA AV, 05 February 2023. Based on the sermon presented to Alberni Valley Ministries, Port Alberni, BC on 27 October 2019 by Captain (now Major) Michael Ramsay
To view the original 2019 version : https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2019/10/matthew-5-jesus-election-speech-and.html
The Beatitudes that we
looked at last week were Jesus’ opening to his most famous sermon, the Sermon
on the Mount. This week, the passage we read was Matthew 5:17-20. I submit that
this passage is His thesis statement for the whole of the sermon – or at least the
fifth chapter so today we will be looking at it in the context of Chapter 5.
Scholars disagree as to what this passage
means. There is no shortage of debate around even what the word “pleero” translated
here, ‘fulfill’ actually means. I am not going to bore us so much today with
debate about Greek words as I will attempt to interpret this passage in the
context of Chapter 5 of the Sermon on the Mount. First, a synopsis of Matthew
5:17-20:
1.
Jesus’
main purpose is to fulfill the Law, not get rid of it;
2.
The
Law is not going anywhere until it is complete;
3.
So,
if you don’t listen to what Jesus says in this sermon you will cause yourself
some trouble, because
4.
We
need to be more righteous than the righteous people.
In Chapter 5, Jesus gives us six examples of how
to do just this and how to show what it looks like as the law is fulfilled here
in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Verse 21 “You have heard that it was said to
the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be
subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a
[sibling] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to [another],
‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in
danger of the fire of hell.
Jesus’ point here is important. He is saying
that drawing the line at ‘do not murder’, is the wrong place to draw the line.
You will never stop people murdering people by drawing the line there. Jesus
says we need to try to not even get mad at someone. He says if you call someone
‘Raca’ they can take you to court in his society but really if you get so angry
that you call someone a 'fool' you may be in danger of becoming angry enough to
even commit murder or some other such thing worthy of hell.
Jesus then gives us an extreme scenario, He
says,
Verse 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your
gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something
against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be
reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
The people Jesus is speaking to are probably a 3
day walk from the Temple. Jesus tells them that if you walk all that way for 3
days with a goat or another animal and then realize that someone has something
against you, leave the goat there (and hope it doesn’t walk away or get stolen),
walk three days back to your home, make things up with the person, and walk 3
more days back to the Temple again hoping that your goat hasn’t wandered away!
There is no way this could happen, of course;
Jesus is making a point: The secret to being more righteous than the righteous:
It is better not to let things get out of hand than to push everything to the
limit. It is better to solve your problems at the early stage.
.
He continues, the second way to be more
righteous than the righteous, Verse 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You
shall not commit adultery.’28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman
lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your
right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better
for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown
into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and
throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your
whole body to go into hell. Verse 31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces
his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’32 But I tell you that anyone
who divorces his wife, except for adultery, makes her the victim of adultery,
and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Just like with murder, Jesus says drawing the
line at divorce or even adultery is wrong. That probably will not actually stop
anyone. Any sin is like a sled accelerating down a hill, the longer you are
accelerating, the faster you are going, the more difficult it is to stop. Jesus
says, in effect, drive the speed limit. He is even more vivid than that. He
-exaggerating to make his point again! - says if you can’t stop looking at
women in that way, pluck out your eye! It is better that than the consequences!
There is more when it comes to being more
righteous than the righteous as the Law is fulfilled in the Kingdom of Heaven. Marriages
usually begin with an oath. Verse 33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to
the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows
you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by
heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or
by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your
head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say
is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
‘People aren’t keeping their oaths!’ Jesus
says, it is time for people to stop finding ways to try to get out of their
oaths through tricks, details and loopholes. You need to just start doing what
you say you are going to do! Stop always looking for a way out of everything!
In a world where people can’t even be trusted to do what they say they will do;
how can they be trusted to make sacred vows! Jesus says don’t try to get out of
promises! Be more righteous than the righteous that the righteous! Treat
everything you say as a sacred oath!
Continuing reading from the Sermon on the
Mount: Verse 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for
tooth.’39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on
the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.40 And if anyone wants to
sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces
you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you,
and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that
it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love
your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children
of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who
love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others?
Do not even pagans do that?
Jesus says that as the Law has been fulfilled,
to be more righteous than the righteous, we do need to stand up to injustice
and in so doing we need to avoid the trap of being tricked into hating our
opponents, which merely continues the cycle of violence and hate, and puts
everyone in jeopardy.
Martin Luther King Jr said, “Hatred paralyzes
life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred
darkens life; love illuminates it.” “Let no man pull you so low as to hate
him.” “I have decided to stick to love...Hate is too great a burden to
bear.”
This is how the Law is fulfilled. As we love
God we will stand up for the vulnerable, forgive and love each other, even
loving - as the Officer covenant commits us - the unloveable. As Christ does
this in us, than indeed even we will be more righteous than the righteous.
Let us pray.
Posts
