Matthew 5:33-37

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"33 Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." ~ Matthew 5:33-37

Today, we continue our study on the Sermon on the Mount, a sermon the Lord Jesus gave in order to instruct His hearers of their religious notions. At the beginning of this teaching the Lord Jesus spelled out how we enter into a personal relationship with Himself; through our recognition of our spiritual bankruptcy. It is out of our utter bankrupt state spiritually that we turn to Him for His free gift of forgiveness of sin. This is where our relationship begins and it is furthered as we grow in our relationship of trust in Him to accomplish His will in and through us. This process is called sanctification which is different than our justification. The only thing that justifies us is His work on the cross of Calvary.

Most believe their good behavior earns favor with God. This is not biblical. In today's passage, the Lord Jesus attempted to help His hearers to see the freeing nature of the truth. In order to reach this goal, the Lord Jesus directed His hearers to their practice of making oaths. Those who heard the Lord Jesus that day knew that when they swore on something, that meant they had to do it. In the first century people made oaths for all sorts of reasons. This is why God had made it clear in the Old Testament that man should not make any oath by the name of God. So the people swore on all sorts of things to make their claims believable. The real issue the Lord was addressing that day was man's inability to trust.

In v.33 of today's passage we read, "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'"

Truth and trust go hand in hand. It is essential to any relationship that truth reigns therein. Again, the Lord Jesus utilized another of the six "you have heard it said" statements used in context that day on that mountain overlooking the Sea of Galilee. He used it in order to draw a contrast between the words of the Lord and the words of men. Even though man may be convinced that being a man about our words is one of the wisest things we do, we are not consistent in doing so. Through these six statements of contrast, ultimately, the Lord Jesus was trying to help the people see that their fallenness limited them in their understanding of the truth which led them to believe that they somehow earned God's favor through their good behavior. In addition, the Lord was addressing the self-righteous approach to others that we all have been known to employ. Humility is a must if we are to enjoy meaningful relationships with Him and with others.

With these words the Lord Jesus revealed His main point which is the condition of the human heart. Often when we make oaths because we have lost control and we want to regain it. We have all said to God, "If you will get me out of this, I will never do this again." There are times when we want others to act a certain way, and we employ these same kinds of tactics to get them to go along with our will, only to be found manipulative. The old law said that when we dress up our words by taking an oath, we had better be telling the truth. But, as is always the case, the Lord Jesus went deeper. He went to the heart of His hearers which had been dragged away from the truth by the evil one. A large part of our sanctification, which is a long and arduous process, is learning to be defined by truth.

In v.34-36 of today's passage we read, "34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black."

The Lord Jesus then told His hearers not to even make oaths at all. He tackled the little tricks we use by directing us to our real problem within our hearts, our desire for control. When things don’t go our way and we wish it were different, when we desperately feel out of control and we want to force things to turn out according to our will, we use certain words or tactics to manipulate those with whom we are in relation. We sometimes even bend the truth to get our way. Of course, these tactics are dysfunctional and they never produce the desired end we long for. And, all of this does not happen without consequences. When we use our words to bend the truth, people get hurt, relationships get fractured, and trust is undermined. This is what the Lord Jesus was addressing that day. But, when we are being defined by the kingdom of heaven, we will relate with others differently. To be defined by the kingdom of heaven is to obey the King of heaven. The solution the Lord Jesus provides us is for us to be truth tellers! Once we come face to face with our tendency to bend the truth in an effort to control our world, the cure is simple, behave in the way God desires to define us with the truth.

In v.37 of today's passage we read, "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.'"

When we speak just the truth, we protect our relationships. When we are honest we avoid giving the enemy a foothold in those relationships. When we tell the truth, we will have nothing to hide. This is why the Lord Jesus said, "For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." The truth itself is the enemy of the evil one. When we only speak the truth, we will live in and out of the truth. The Lord Jesus desires to transform hearts with His truth so that we can accept the truth even when it is about us. He wants to embrace us with His truth so that we can embrace Him and others sincerely through the truth. The incredible thing about embracing the truth is that it is nowhere near as scary as we fear. All those things that we want to hide, those areas that we would love to change, they melt away when we embrace and are defined by the truth. And, the greatest truth of all is that God loves us no matter what. I can say this because it was the Lord Jesus who earned our acceptance in the first place. This is the truth, the truth that our justification in Him makes us right before the holy God. And, it is this truth which forms the foundation of everything else in our lives.

Matthew 5:31-32

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"31 Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery." ~ Matthew 5:31-32

Today, we return to our study of the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7. In this sermon the Lord Jesus laid out His culture by providing definition to the questions about that which is truly real. After giving us a description of the process involved in the changing of our hearts in the context of a relationship with Him, the Lord Jesus utilized six "You have heard it said" statements. He did this in order to reveal to His hearers the difference between the words of God and the words of men. Ultimately, the Lord Jesus was trying to help the people see their lack of their ability to earn God's favor through their good behavior. He also was destroying the self-righteous system of the religious leaders of Israel. 

In v.31 of today's passage we read, "Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'"

Again, the Lord Jesus was providing His hearers an outline to His culture which is the truth. And the truth is, the health of any society is determined by the health of the families found therein. And, the health of the family is determined by the health of the marriages involved. God says to the most important relationship in a society, "Do not commit adultery." This seventh of the Ten Commandments protects the sanctity of each marital relationship. As we have mentioned, marriage between a man and a woman was the first relationship God established. Since the marriage is the most important building block to a great society, God gave the seventh commandment in order to protect it.

The greatest threat to any marriage is adultery. In Deuteronomy 24:1-2 we read, "If a man marries a woman and she does not please him because he has found something indecent in her, then he may draw up a divorce document, give it to her, and evict her from his house. 2 When she has left him she may go and become someone else’s wife."

The Lord Jesus used this Old Testament passage to show that even though He had given His culture to man in the Old Testament, sinful man was incapable to substantiate the truth. This is why Moses allowed a man to divorce his wife, especially if "he found something indecent in her." This indecency was something that brought shame to her husband resulting in producing a desire within him to no longer desire her. This was what was allowed by the Lord through Moses but, as we see in Mark 10, this was allowed by God due to the hardness of the people's hearts. In fact, from the very beginning of the creation, God's intentional design was that a woman and a man remain married til death did them part. To do otherwise and remarry was to be guilty of adultery.

In v.32 of today's passage we read, "But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery."

In this verse we see that the words of the Lord Jesus were set against the Law of Moses. But this was not His intent at all. And, it was not that the Lord contradicted that which He had previously given. Rather, the Lord Jesus told the people that Moses allowed for divorce because of the hardness of their hearts, meaning that God knew that the people would rebel against Him. So here, in today's passage, the Lord Jesus explained what the standard of God actually was by explaining His standard from the very beginning. 

With this in mind, the Lord Jesus next said, "whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery."

The word "except" here means there is one exception to the rule of marriage and that is adultery. The woman, having been dismissed by her husband for a reason that is insufficient in the eyes of God, is now to be considered an adulteress. By the way, this is true for the man, as well. As such, the person who marries the one who is guilty of adultery. This clearly reveals that God still saw the original union in the light of His original intent.

In Genesis 2:23 we read, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh." 

We cannot understand divorce unless we understand marriage. We will never understand how God views a separation until we understand how He defines the union itself. Herein do we find that God had brought together a man and a woman with permanency in mind for their sake. From the very beginning God ordained monogamy between a married man and woman. God said, "A man shall leave his father and his mother, cleave unto his wife; they shall be one flesh." There is no ending to that, they were meant to continue to be one flesh til their deaths. 

When two people are glued together they become one single individual, and so it says, "they shall be one flesh." So marriage, as God designed it, was to be the perfect melding of two people together into one. Intimacy is the goal. This is true in every dimension, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, sexually. Every marriage is meant to be undergirded by the commitment made before witnesses til death do them part. God's goal for marriage was and has always been that of perfect intimate oneness. This is the foundation of a God-defined marriage. As God's culture is inculcated therein society flourishes in that context.

God created mankind to worship Him, but man rebelled, falling victim to Satan, sin, and death. God then called Israel as His prototypical nation, but they, like the first humans, hardened their hearts against God and His truth. This was man's problem that the Lord Jesus came to remedy. The subject of divorce was used of the Lord Jesus as a microcosm in the Sermon on the Mount in order to address the root problem within the heart of rebellious man. Just as a marriage relationship transcends the two people who are involved in it, it also reflects God’s redemption to this fallen world. In the Lord Jesus Christ, the kingdom of heaven has drawn near to sinful man. The loving God has pursued fallen mankind as a husband pursues his wife. God has made His salvation available to everyone willing and honest of heart. The only question is: Are we honest, humble and willing enough to receive His free gift?

Matthew 5:27-30

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"27 You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. ~ Matthew 5:27-30

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 5 where we find the second of six "You have heard it said" statements from the Lord Jesus as He was teaching those who had gathered to hear Him. The Lord Jesus utilized these six comparative statements in order to help His hearers to recognize the difference between the words of God and the words of men. Of course, the words of men here was the commentary the religious leaders had added to God's word. This commentary had turned the people away from the full meaning of God's word. Here, the Lord Jesus was trying to help the people see their lack of their ability to earn God's favor through their good behavior. He also was destroying the self-righteous system of the religious leaders supposed holiness which was nothing more than arrogant self-righteousness. Even though our sin is forgiven and God sees us perfect through the Lord Jesus, the fact is we are sinful on the inside and we are capable of the worst things.

In v.27-28 of today's passage we read, "27 You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

In an attempt to help His hearers understand that they are not sinners because they sin, they sin because they are sinners, the Lord Jesus utilizes the seventh commandment, "You shall not commit adultery."  While the sixth commandment, "You shall not murder" protects the sanctity of life, the seventh, "You shall not commit adultery" protects the sanctity of relationships.  Marriage was the first human relationship that God established. So to protect it, the commandment was put in order.

In today's passage the Lord Jesus takes it a step deeper into the sinful human heart. He said, "Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." The word "lust" is written in such a way that we know it to be a purposeful glance meaning our hearts are filled with adultery. Our hearts, if not being given to the Lord, desperately wants to find an object to which to attach in our  fantasies. The Lord Jesus is saying, "It is when we are actively looking for the person to lust after that we are already found guilty in our souls before God."  

Our sinful human hearts are vile and not to be trusted more than the Lord. In this context the sin had happened in the heart long before it was acted upon. The Lord Jesus spoke these words to show us there is no one who is more righteous than another. He said these words to tell us that our problem is too deep for our self-righteousness to handle. The Lord Jesus always takes us to the heart of the matter. With the Lord, it is not about the external, it's about the internal. The problem is always in the heart. That's where the expressions of our sinfulness begin. The heart is the soil for the seed of sin to germinate and to grow. Adultery always begins first with lust which is generated typically for men visually by what we see. We are stimulated visually to act upon it.

In v.29-30 of today's passage we read, "29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell."

It was the intension of the Lord Jesus to startle His hearers. He said these words for the sake of shock because that is the reaction we should have to the sin that separates us from God. We should be shocked and repulsed by our sin, even as believers in Christ. According to the teaching of that day, the right hand or the right of anything was considered the best not because right handed people are better than left handed people but because most people are right handed and that's the arm of strength and that's usually the dominant area of the physique.

So to say if you're right-handed or you're right-eyed, if anything in your life is causing you to sin even if it's precious to you, you need to deal with it. You need to cut it out of your life. It could be things that you watch or it could be places that you go. It could be the websites that you frequent. It could be certain behaviors you need to cut out of your life, cut off from your life. It could be a relationship.

Of course we wonder in our hearts, "why?" Then the Lord Jesus said, "It's more profitable for you that one of your members perished than for your whole body to be cast into hell." Sometimes we must deal with our sin in a radical way. We lack the ability to see beyond. And since we do, we value our lives here on earth far more than we do our existence into eternity. When we turn our backs on sin, even though we are wretched to the core, and we invite God's rule in our souls, we will gain His heart for others. Who wants to violate someone they love? Of course, if it is lust that is another story. 

The phrase "cause you to sin" is descriptive of bait in a trap that enables one to snare its prey. The Lord Jesus was saying, "Whatever it is in your life that causes these vile, evil thoughts, get rid of them." Of course, this is impossible for anyone to do without His abiding help. This is why He had to live in us. Having invited the Lord Jesus to come into our lives, we now have a new nature, a new heart. And we do not need to follow the pandering of our own lusts. We can know victory over even our lusts. If a man or a woman is without the Lord Jesus Christ, he or she hardly stands a chance in this arena.

Matthew 5:23-26

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23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. ~ Matthew 5:23-26

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 5 where the Lord Jesus is teaching those who had gathered before Him overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Matthew 5-7 is known as the Sermon on the Mount and in it the Lord Jesus describes the application of the kingdom of God to the heart of the believer. In Proverbs 4:23 we read, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." God always starts with our heart because He knows our hearts are the core and the essence of our being. 

In v.23-24 of today's passage we read, "23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

In our previous study we considered the words of the Lord  Jesus about how sin is deeper than the various actions that we employ which do not measure up to the truth found in God's Word. The Lord Jesus is the only one who can see into the human heart. The problem of the fallen human heart is that it has been infected by rebellion, sin, and death. We are naturally at odds with God. This is why the Lord Jesus came to this earth, to remedy our problem at the cross of Calvary. With that remembered, the Lord Jesus in today's passage introduces the altar. The word "altar" points us to the ultimate reality and that is worship of God. What we worship the most is what we love the most and that is what defines us most.

The word translated "bring" is a word used to describe an offering or a gift. More often than not, this word is used when referring to gifts or offerings presented to God. Then notice that the offering is offered upon "the altar." This is specifically referring to an altar for sacrifice. Literally, it describes a person bringing an offering to God at the temple where atonement was made for sin. Regardless of the type of offering, the person delivering the offering is coming before God. 

Then the Lord Jesus added, "and there (you) remember that your brother has something against you." Notice that the Lord said, "your brother has something against you." After saying for us to first be reconciled to our brother, we are to then come and offer our gift to God. Notice we are to first go and then come. We are not to just come to worship; we are to come to worship in an authentic way. Self-examination enhances our worship of God. Before we go to worship God, we must examine our hearts so that our worship is genuine and authentic.

We do well to deal with any ill-will we might have with a brother in the Lord before we go to worship because such angst can hinder the involvement of our hearts. There is no greater threat to our worship of the Lord than unconfessed sin in our hearts. If our hearts are in a bad state with our brother, it will affect our fellowship with the Lord. In 1 John 4:20-21 we read, "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also."

The scribes and pharisees were most concerned by their appearance and their supposed piety before the people was of the highest value to them. The religious are always concerned about externals but God always points us to the heart of the matter which is the matter of the heart. The conscience of the religious leaders of Israel towards the things of God and proper fellowship with others was sorely lacking. Therefore, when they came forward with a gift, it would be with their head held high and in a manner that would make everyone stop and watch them. To them, the external act was what mattered even though they had heart issues. 

The Lord expects harmony among brothers and sincerity in our hearts. As for the word translated "reconciled," it is found only here in the Bible. It means to change thoroughly. For example, one is to mentally reconcile with those with whom there is ill-will. But that mental state can only happen when there is a harmonious agreement between the offended party and the offender. This internal state of being properly prepared to approach the altar is a must if we are to treat our worship of God as we should. 

In v.25 of today's passage we read, "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison."

The word "agree" is found only once in the New Testament. It gives the sense of being well-minded or being quickly well-minded toward your brother. This is met with the words, "while you are on the way with him." With these words the Lord Jesus gave a real-life example of how things are so that the precept just stated is understandable to His audience. God's ultimate desire for you and me is that we are at harmony with Him and others and that harmony encourages others to worship God.

From here, the Lord Jesus said, "lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison." Imprisonment is the destination of those who are not willing to humble themselves before God to the point of dealing with their sin. And, the worst imprisonment isn't a place, it is a condition where sin reigns. This is bad because we know that the goal of sin is to destroy us.

In v.26 of today's passage we read, "Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."

It seems the Lord Jesus here presents a situation in which a person owes money to another and has not fully repaid. He encourages such a one to come to an agreement with the one to whom something is likely owed, lest that adversary deliver him up to imprisonment. This was a surety if the person did not paid the last penny or the smallest unit of Roman money. There will always be accountability and this is why the truth will always prevail. Once imprisoned the person’s lot would be set and there would be no release until the money, no matter how small, was paid in full.

In context, the Lord Jesus is making a point about the surety of the truth. By its very nature as the truth, the law demands to be upheld. But we are fallen and to fall short of sustaining it means we will be condemned. So, by the nature of the truth the standard is set, and only perfection is acceptable by God. This is why the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:12-13, "Just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned 13 For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law."

Thank God that He went on to say in Romans 5:15-17 which reads, "15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ."

Matthew 5:21-22

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21 You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment." 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, "Raca!" shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, "You fool!" shall be in danger of hell fire. ~ Matthew 5:21-22

Today, we continue our study of the most famous sermon ever. It is the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7. In this sermon, the Lord Jesus Christ explained how one enters into a relationship with God, and how as a result, God inculcates His culture into us who believe in Him. Beginning in today's passage, God provides a series of six comparative statements beginning with the words, "You have heard it said." Through these comparative statements the Lord Jesus reinforced the fact that no one gets into heaven through their good behavior. The emphasis here is firmly placed upon the condition of the heart. Here, the Lord Jesus peeled back the layers to show us what the heart of one being changed by Him looks like.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'"

The words "You have heard that it was said to those of old," reveals the fact that religion is life-less. This statement points us to the oral traditions of the rabbis of Israel, not the written Word of God. The Jewish religious leaders had somewhere along the way lost touch with the Lord and they emphasized their interpretation of God's Word over His Word. This led to cold religion which placed emphasis on the behavior of man rather than the person of God. When the Lord Jesus came, He never quoted a rabbi which literally shocked His hearers because every rabbi quoted some other human authority. 

In this verse the Lord Jesus isolated the sixth of the ten commandments. The sixth is the first commandment of the second half of the Ten Commandments. The first four deal with our relationship with God and the final six deal with our relationships with people. The Hebrew word translated "murder" is often mistranslated as "kill." The last half of this verse, "whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment," was not a part of the original passage in Exodus 20:13. These words were the Jewish religious leaders commentary on Exodus 20:13. The commentary that was given by the ancient rabbis was heartless and lacked life. But, this is what the law does, it makes us hopeless. It is this hopelessness that prepared us for the One who came to ransom us. If we have not been crushed by the law and thus are not prepared for the gift, we go the way of the rabbis. 

In Romans 4:5-8 we read, "But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.'" 

To impute is to assign. The law demanded the imputation or the assigning of sin, yet, the Scriptures speak of the non-imputation or the non-assigning of sin. There has always been something beyond the law that brought man to this blessed state of broken preparedness. This is what God has taught us all throughout the Scriptures, that something from the foundation of the world has rescued us from the condemnation of the law. And, that something is the Lord Jesus Himself. Once the Lord Jesus died on the cross in fulfillment of the Law of Moses, God could then pour out His grace upon the broken. This non-imputation of sin came through the assignment of the Lord Jesus who came to shed His blood on our behalf. This is what makes us holy before God, our brokenness leading us to faith in the Lord Jesus and His shed blood.

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire."

The state of anger that leads to the act of murder makes one liable to the judgment of God. In Ephesians 4:26 we are told "to be angry and do not sin." Here, the Lord Jesus was not telling His hearers they could not be angry. He was telling them that the state of anger towards a brother that could lead to murder is essentially murder, just as the act of coveting that leads to theft. As He always has, God looks at the state of our heart. The actions that follow do not necessarily have to occur for there to be the imputation of sin. This is exactly the reason for the tenth commandment, coveting. We are not to allow our hearts to come to the state where we have the desire to do what may then be acted out. Understanding this, the Lord Jesus next said, "And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council."

The word translated "raca" is found only here in the Bible and it signifies proclaiming a person as foolish. Here, the Lord Jesus, once again, pointed to the state of the heart. If someone calls his brother "raca," it is because he has murderous intent in his heart. And, if he acted out that intent, he would be liable to condemnation for having committed murder. The one harboring a safe haven in his heart for hatred is always in danger of Hell. That is unless he has been covered by the blood of the Lord Jesus.

As always, God is most interested in the heart. We can appear righteous on the outside yet wretched and wicked on the inside. Even though my sin has been forgiven, I am still wicked on the inside. Paul reminds us that it is the letter that kills. And, it is the Spirit that gives life. God doesn't look at the externals. He looks for broken hearts. The scribes and Pharisees thought that because they didn’t murder, they were all right, but they had hatred in their hearts and they did not even know it. The cause of their problem was that they were religious which made them phony, plastic and legalistic. They failed to teach that conformity to God’s law is a matter of the heart, not simply a matter of the outside. They were concerned with what they didn’t do. God was concerned with what they were on the inside. 

We miss God when we see the law as not an end in itself. Those trapped in religion do not understand that the law was given by God to break us. Many do not understand that the goal of the law is to bring our hearts to the place where we see the Lord for who He is. Our problem is that due to our fallen condition we cannot totally live up to the law. This is why the Lord Jesus came. He came to substantiate the law on the behalf of all those who are honest and humble enough to not only recognize and admit our need for the Savior but also to cry out to Him for His help because He is the only Savior!

Matthew 5:19-20

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19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. ~ Matthew 5:19-20

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 5 where the Lord Jesus had just told His disciples that the righteous requirements of the law would be fulfilled by Him on their behalf. In fact, He told them that not one jot or tittle would go without being fulfilled. This meant their salvation would be procured by Him through His perfection before God. In the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7 the Lord Jesus taught about what it looks like to enter into the kingdom of God. His Kingdom abounds with His righteousness that is totally different than that of the kingdom of the religious leaders of Israel. His kingdom triumphs over the sin and the death that was ushered into this world through Adam in the Garden of Eden.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

It was at this point that the Lord Jesus began to reinforce the fact that no fallen man can measure up to His righteous demands. To not live up to the least commandment and then to teach others accordingly would render that person the least in the kingdom of heaven. Most believe that if their good behavior outweighs their bad behavior then God will see fit to allow them into heaven. This is not the teaching of the Bible. A relevant example of this were the religious leaders of Israel who gave their entire lives to understanding what it meant to be good enough to get into heaven. Understanding it and doing it are two very different things. For those who think they might be "good enough," they must ask themselves "How good is good enough?" Clearly, the religious route wasn't enough. In fact, it is arrogant to think any fallen man could measure up to the truth. The idea that we can be good enough also reveals how low of a view we have of the righteousness of God.

You will remember the Lord Jesus began this chapter with the words, "Blessed are the poor in Spirit." Then He said, "Blessed are those who mourn."  It is always the person who realizes he is spiritually bankrupt before God or that he is not good enough, who is postured to see that he cannot be good enough. Humility is a must for anyone to see this. When we recognize that before God we are poverty stricken and are broken which is what results in our mourning over our hopeless condition, it is then that we are positioned to see that we cannot be good enough. It is out of this posture that we are positioned to embrace the repentance of which John the Baptist preached. 

With reference to being in the kingdom of God, it is clear throughout the Bible that our faith in the promise of God unto salvation given to all who believe is what makes us right with Him and thus in His kingdom. Of course, the ultimate gift of forgiveness and sonship with God comes through the cross of the Lord Jesus. So, it is through His perfection both displayed through His perfectly lived life and His perfect sacrifice on the cross that makes us righteous and acceptable before Him.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

In that day, most considered the religious leaders of Israel to be the epitome of righteousness. But, that was the evaluation of men. The righteousness of the religious leaders seemed better than that of the average guy but it wasn't good enough when evaluated by God. Even though someone like the Apostle Paul who was a Pharisee was blameless before the law concerning righteousness, even he could not enter into the kingdom of heaven without placing His faith in the Lord Jesus. The reason is found in Habakkuk 2:4 which reads, "Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith."

The word translated "just" means righteous. It is only those who live by faith in the God of the Bible who are pronounced by Him as righteous before Him. To trust in one’s own merit through obedience to the law is what the Scribes and Pharisees did and it was not enough according to the Lord Jesus. This religious view of the religious leaders revealed their faith was in themselves. Therefore, only by faith in the completed work of the Lord Jesus can a man possess the righteousness that exceeds the most meticulously faithful observer of the law, such as the religious leaders of Israel. 

This is the reason the Apostle Paul penned in Galatians 6:14-15, "14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation."

Matthew 5:17-18

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17 Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. ~ Matthew 5:17-18

Today, we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. In the previous verse, the Lord Jesus told the disciples to let their light so shine that others see their good works causing them to glorify their Father in heaven. Now, He brings up words that are so misquoted and misapplied within the church that even cults have used them to teach falsely. Such is the case with false teachers who take God's words out of their context and build whole systems upon them.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."

The Law of Moses and the Prophets were given by God to the people of Israel. These words of the Lord Jesus in today's passage were given to Israel, as well. No other people on the planet were given these laws but the people of Israel. The teachings of the Old Testament were specifically given to the nation of Israel by God to provide His culture to them. Throughout the Bible we see a major distinction between Israel and the Church. This is important because there are certain promises given to Israel that weren't given to the Church.

The context in today's passage was of the Lord Jesus speaking the law to the people who were under the law. The Lord Jesus was telling the people of Israel that they should not perceive that His mission was to destroy the law or the teachings of the Old Testament prophets. That was not His mission, and nobody was to accuse Him of conducting His ministry otherwise. The Lord Jesus was born under the law, and He had no design or intent to set aside its teachings that were given to Israel primarily through Moses.

False teachers down through the centuries have used these words of the Lord Jesus to teach that everybody, even Christians, must adhere to the Law of Moses in order to be made acceptable before God. These have a high view of themselves and a very low view of the truth because no fallen sinner has ever or will ever measure up to the righteousness requirements of God. This is why the Lord Jesus came to this earth to be born under the law so that all who believe in Him could realize the acceptance of God through His perfectly lived life and His sacrifice upon the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. 

The Lord Jesus came to fulfill or to sustain the righteous requirements of God given through the law and the prophets. The phrase "law and the prophets" is synonymous with the entirety of the Old Testament scriptures. It's a nickname for what we call the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi. Formally, the Jews divided up their scriptures into three sections; the first is what they call the Torah which is the law. The second are the Nevi'im which are the prophets, and the third, the Ketuvim, which are the writings. In God's eyes, the law is binding on Israel as much today as it was when Moses gave it to them at the foot of Mount Sinai. Due to the fact that no one can fulfill the Law of Moses, the Lord Jesus came to rescue sinful and hopeless man by fulfilling and substantiating the truth on the behalf of all who claim as Savior the Lord Jesus. 

In Romans 8:1-4 we read, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."

It was through the Lord Jesus Christ that the law’s requirements were met on the behalf of hopeless man. In Colossians 2:13-14 we read, "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." This does not mean that the Law has been set aside. No, our requirement to meet it has been fulfilled by the Lord Jesus. He did this so that we could enjoy through Him the blessing of being sons and daughters of God.

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled."

After preparing the ears of His disciples and the Jewish folks who had gathered to hear the Lord Jesus teach, He continued to underscore the absolute necessity of the Law of Moses. The problem had been created by two things, the Fall of Man and the fact that the Jews believed that their adherence to the Law of Moses was what made them right in the eyes of God. For some reason they lost sight of the fact that the Old Testament sacrifices made them right before the Lord and that the Law of Moses could not make them right before Him due to their inability to adhere to it. 

In today's passage, the Lord Jesus assured us that He would substantiate the teachings of the Law and the Prophets so that we could realize their teachings in a practical sense everyday. This is why He said, "one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." The Greek word translated "jot" is found only here in the Bible. It is the Greek word "iota" which equates to the smallest Hebrew letter. It would be easy to miss a jot when transcribing a document. The "tittle" is even smaller than the jot and it is the little protrusion on Hebrew letters. It seems to be most insignificant but for those who know the truth, it is huge because even the fulfillment of the smallest letters made us perfect in the eyes of God through the Lord Jesus.

Sadly, for those who fail to come to Christ for forgiveness, they are condemned by the Law of Moses. Any individual Jew who comes to Christ is freed from the requirements of the law. And, for all who reject the free gift of God through the Lord Jesus, there remains no salvation. However, there is coming a day when the people of Israel will fully recognize the identity of the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah. This is noted in many Old Testament passages, especially in Zechariah 12:10 which reads, "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn."

Matthew 5:14-16

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14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. ~ Matthew 5:14-16

Today, we return to our study of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 which is about the inculcation of the culture of God into the believer's life. This is also known in the Bible as sanctification. In our last study, the Lord Jesus Christ noted that His disciples were the salt of the earth. In today's passage, He makes another comparison, He said that His followers are like "the light of the world." It is through our brokenness that the Light of the world shines best. And, it is most difficult to dim the light that shines from within.

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house."

In Israel many cities are built on the tops of hills. In the evening these cities are seen from very far distances. So is the believer in Christ who is learning to give his heart to the Lord and the Lord is granting him His heart. The goal of our sanctification is that God be glorified and He is best glorified when those who once were in the darkness enter into the light through a personal relationship with Himself through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

On the heels of His teaching on the process of sanctification or the process of the change of the human heart toward God, the Lord Jesus used two metaphors to reveal the result of that process: salt and light. Having considered the first metaphor in our last study, today we consider the second, light. Believing the gospel is only the beginning of being a light in this fallen world. The fuel to make that light effective is found in our daily walk with the Lord whereby we are talking with Him and receiving from Him His instructions about life through the Bible. 

Here, the Lord Jesus also used another metaphor to get His point across, the lampstand. These little terracotta lamps provided an incredible amount of light in a house. It made absolutely no sense to hide such a useful tool while in the darkness. These lamps had a spout on one end, a little handle on the other end, and a little floating wick in the middle. They were filled up with oil, and they did what was expected, they burned throughout the night. These lamps were about three to four inches wide, two inches high, six inches long, and they lit everything up.

The phrase "You are the light" is written in the emphatic plural  meaning believers in Christ alone are the light of this world. No one else in this world has what the believer in Christ has. And, if people can't see Christ through our lives, guess what, they won't see Christ. God has so designed it that we are His living ambassadors in this dark world. And, God rarely blesses us with only us in mind. As is illustrated by the two bodies of water in Israel, the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, it is more blessed to give than it is to receive. If we make ourselves the center of our world we are in danger of becoming lifeless as the Dead Sea.

In Ephesians 5:8-11 we read, "8 In the past you were full of darkness, but now you are full of light in the Lord. So live like children who belong to the light. 9 Light brings every kind of goodness, right living, and truth. 10 Try to learn what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the things done in darkness, which are not worth anything. But show that they are wrong."

Once we have departed from the domain of darkness and have entered into the light of a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, we will naturally desire to see others leave the domain of Satan. Throughout the Bible God equates the light with the truth and the darkness with sin. Only in coming into a personal relationship with God do we become light. And, even though we have come into a personal relationship with God, we must work hard to walk in His light so that others benefit from our Spirit-filled existence. 

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

In this verse the Lord Jesus personalized His teaching. The usage of the word "your" highlights the goal. The Greek word used here and translated "good" means good in terms of beauty being manifested. This beauty is to communicate an attractiveness, a winsomeness. In other words, we are to let people see the attraction of the application of the gospel to our lives. The Lord Jesus wasn’t just speaking of their good deeds, He was speaking of the beauty of God that is manifested through the broken and yielded life of the believer. The beauty is seen in the authentic nature of the believer's heart for God and for the lost. The believer in Christ never produces the light. It is the Lord Jesus who is the true light and as we allow Him to have His way in and through our lives, He will shine. We have just got to let Him shine through our broken and yielded lives. 

Living out of this new place where God defines us is what it means for us to be the light now. 
To daily be seen as we are in the light we must turn to the Lord in the midst of our trials and hearing His voice in that context. The problem comes when we try to avoid pain, pressure and problems. In so doing, we miss the opportunity to grow in faith or our heart's ability to see God. We rob ourselves of a deeper intimacy with the Lord. Darkness is the absence of light, it really doesn't exist. It is useful, though, because it magnifies the light. The light is the Lord Himself. Without the darkness, we do not know the Lord, we do not know His presence, we do not know His life. It is in the context of relationship with the Lord that we discover His expression to and through us because He is the only true Light. 

Matthew 5:13

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"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." ~ Matthew 5:13

Today, we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount where we are taught a new way of living contrary to the fallen way of living that we have always known. Today's verse was preceded by the Beatitudes which provide a description of how the God of the Bible changes us from the inside out. As a result of this change, the disciple of the Lord will take on a new disposition to others, even those who treat them in a wrong way.

Today's verse begins with, "You are the salt of the earth." In the New Testament "salt" is used metaphorically of Christians who have become the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. There was a time when people were paid with salt. Salt, literally, is used by everyone. It has many great qualities, in particular, it preserves, it flavors and it heals. Here, the Lord Jesus used it to reiterate how when the believer is being defined by the Lord he will naturally spread the truth that he is learning from Him through his life and his lips. As salt enhances flavor and prevents corruption and aids healing, so the believer in Christ impacts those around him. 

In Exodus 30:34-35 we read, "34 Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Take these sweet-smelling spices: resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense. Be sure that you have equal amounts of each. 35 Make incense as a person who makes perfume would do. Add salt to it to keep it pure and holy.'" The Lord told the priests to add salt to the ingredients that made up the incense, it was used as the base of the temple incense. When we get to the book of the Revelation we learn that the incense was analogous of the prayers of the saints.

In Number 18:19 we read, "Anything the Israelites present as holy gifts I, the Lord, give to you, your sons and daughters as your continual portion. This is a lasting agreement of salt before the Lord for you and your children forever."

In this verse salt was a symbol of covenant faithfulness. This covenant of salt was an agreement between God and man which lasted forever. As such, the believer in Christ who has confidence in the veracity of God's Word is to reflect the covenant promises God in our lives. The Lord Jesus equated all believers to salt to indicate how we should conduct ourselves as we live our lives while here on this earth. 

Salt benefits the earth by playing a crucial role in maintaining healthy ocean ecosystems, regulating climate patterns through its impact on ocean currents, and even acting as a source of minerals for plant growth, essentially acting as a natural fertilizer in specific soil conditions. The believer in the Lord Jesus, having experienced the process of a changed heart will benefit those around him by created in them a thirst for God. The unbeliever looks at the authentic believer who is doing his best to walk with the Lord and thinks to himself that he could benefit from what the believer has. Of course, what he has is a personal and growing and intimate relationship with the Lord.

Today's verse ends with the idea that if a believer isn't salty and thus benefitting the world around him, he is useless to God in the furtherance of His kingdom in this world. This is why the Lord Jesus went on to say, "It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." This, of course, is not referring to the believer losing his salvation because he never earned it in the first place. What a foolish thought when we think that the law is so low that we could measure up to it. Here, the Lord Jesus was referring to the believer's potential effectiveness in this world as a child of God. All of this underscores the utter necessity that we are growing closer to the Lord each day because without such intimacy we lose our saltiness or effectiveness for the Lord.

In Colossians 4:6 we read, "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt." 

Salt has antibacterial and antiseptic properties that can be used to aid healing. This is why we use warm salt water to rinse and to treat a sore throat. The Lord Jesus may also have had this medicinal use of salt in mind here when He shared these words. Although only the Lord Jesus can accomplish salvation, as His followers we can participate in healing the world from the effects of the Fall and holding back its corruption until this world is finally made new. 

The most salty among us are those who have experienced and understood God's grace the best. It is the nature of God's grace that causes the believer who has been seasoned by it to be winsome. Grace reminds us we are acceptable when we are actually not. Grace reminds us that God not only did the heavy lifting for our salvation, He does all of the lifting for us. He is the One who not only pronounced us right before Himself, He gave us His very righteousness. As a result, may we be used of the Lord at aiding those who hunger and thirst for more than this world has to offer. And, may our yielded and blessed lives point all who hunger and thirst for more to the Living Water Himself.

Matthew 5:11-12

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11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. ~ Matthew 5:11-12

Today, we close out our study of the Beatitudes found at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. The Beatitudes describe the process involved in the changing of the rebellious human heart toward God. The Beatitudes describe the process we know as sanctification that we entered into once we became believers in the Lord Jesus. Through this process we experience the Lord Jesus who informs us that true happiness comes into our lives as the result of letting Him clean us out from the inside out. This process begins with poverty of spirit or the understanding that we are totally bankrupt spiritually before God. This process takes us to the ultimate step where we find purpose even in the persecution that comes from those who know not the Lord for themselves. We find joy in persecution because through it we bring glory and honor to the Lord Jesus who laid down His life for us. 

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake."

Unlike all the other beatitudes, the Lord Jesus elaborated upon this last beatitude because it demands further explanation. Since it is so very contrary to the human default mode, the Lord Jesus had to provide this further explanation. The key to it all is that it is done for His sake. The fact is the Lord Jesus has won our heart's allegiance by dying for us on the cross. Since He died to secure our eternity with Him apart from sin and death, we naturally, out of gratitude, desire to bring Him the greatest honor and glory.

The word translated "revile" means "to disgrace, mock, insult, or to cast blame upon." In context we learn that this ill-treatment is due to the fact that we are standing up for the Lord and His definition of things. The picture the Lord Jesus gave here was of someone continually being persecuted by those who are not being defined by Him. These persecutors continually defame us and their reviling is their means of persecuting us.

In 1 Peter 4:14 we read, "If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you."

We do not appreciate and understand the power and the presence of God unless we see it displayed in our lives. We do not really experience God's power nor do we recognize His presence unless we go through suffering. Those who cut the process short, desiring comfort or relief from the pain, they miss out on the deepening of their hearts for the very pronounced power and presence of God in their lives. Our comfort, which is what our suffering disrupts, blinds us from the reality of God's presence and power. It is our fallen condition that almost always requires us to go through suffering in order to be made more intimate with God. And, we will not know the pronounced presence and power of God personally until we turn to Him in the midst of our suffering. 

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

The word translated "rejoice" literally means "to leap much." The reward of that which the Lord Jesus spoke of here is not the product of the suffering but the forerunner to the suffering. Knowing that we will spend eternity in heaven is what gives us this perspective that leads us to see the value in our suffering. In the same way that the prophets of the Old Testament were persecuted and endured such, so will the disciple of Christ. And the same lessons that they learned, we will realize with exceeding gladness. It is His joy that enables us to endure the unwanted discomfort.

When we have entered into a personal relationship with the God of all creation, we experience a change that will eventually render in us the ability to endure the ill-treatment from others and we will learn to see the world through the eyes of the God of the Bible because He is actively granting us His heart and eyes to see things as they truly are. It is from this posture that we will view this world for the King of heaven. We can endure persecution because we know that the purpose behind it is to bring glory to the God who made and redeemed us.

The Beatitudes describe the process whereby the believer in Christ is daily learning to submit ourselves to the rule of God in our lives. We do this with joyful willingness because we have come to know how good the Lord truly is. When our wills agree with God's, we will be rendered powerless and helpless to do our will. This is where we encounter the joy of God. It is always out of this context that the Lord reveals His power and His presence to us most profoundly. As a result, we will increasingly allow the very life of the Lord Jesus to be manifested in us, to us, and through our yielded lives. The very will of God will increasingly become ours. It is out of this posture that we truly discover that we were made to be completed by God and by God alone.