Month: July 2020

Scripture: Matthew 5: 31-44

Divorce

³¹ “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’^[f] 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

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.^[g]

Eye for Eye

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’^[h] 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.

Love for Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[i] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Scripture Commentary:

God intends that marriage be a lifetime commitment. In Matthew 5: 31-32, Jesus attacks those who purposefully abuse the marriage contract. We are not to use divorce to fulfill a lustful desire to marry someone else. Jesus said that divorce is not permissible, except for unfaithfulness. Keeping oaths and promises is important. It builds trust and makes committed human relationships.

In Matthew 5: 38-42, God provides an expression of mercy. “Make the punishment fit the crime” is not a guide for personal revenge. According to Jesus, it is more important to give justice and mercy than to receive it.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 5

Read the last three weeks of commentary on Matthew Chapter 5:

Jesus Didn’t Come to Undo the Law. He Fulfills It.

Let God Guide Your Moral Compass

We are All Subject to Judgment

Note: For the remainder of the summer, we will post once a week on Monday.

Scripture: Matthew 5: 22-30

²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister^[b][c] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’^[d] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

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.

²⁵ “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’^[e] 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.

Scripture Commentary:

Anger is a great sin. It violates God’s command to love. Broken relationships can hinder our relationship with God. In Jesus’ day, someone who couldn’t pay a debt was subject to judgment and thrown into prison until the debt was paid. We should resolve our differences before anger causes more trouble.

Acting out sinful desires is the beginning of rebellion against God. Sinful action is more dangerous than sinful desire. That is why desires shouldn’t be acted out. Jesus says to rid yourself of the body part that could cause you to sin. He is saying that it’s better to experience the pain of removal than to spend eternity in hell.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 5

Read the last two weeks of commentary on Matthew Chapter 5:

Jesus Didn’t Come to Undo the Law. He Fulfills It.

Let God Guide Your Moral Compass

Note: For the remainder of the summer, we will post once a week on Monday. Please join us next week as we explore more verses from Matthew Chapter 5.

Scripture: Matthew 5: 20-21

²⁰ “For I say to you that unless your righteousness (uprightness, moral essence) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ²¹ “You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever murders shall be ^[g]guilty before the court.’

Scripture Commentary:

Our moral compass must be upright. We have so called experts today, as they did in the past, telling us what to do. However, they miss the central point of God’s law. Jesus made it clear that obeying God’s law is more important than explaining it.

It’s easier to study God’s law and tell others to obey it than it is to put it into practice.

Our weakness, like that of the Pharisees, is that we are content to obey the laws outwardly without allowing God to change our hearts. Jesus is saying that we need a different kind of righteousness altogether, not just a more intense version of the Pharisees’ righteousness with legal compliance. Our righteousness must come from God, not from ourselves.

Be God centered, not self centered.

Reverence God. Don’t look for approval from people. Go beyond keeping the law to living by the principles behind the law.

When Jesus said, “But I tell you,” He was not doing away with the law or adding His own beliefs. He was giving a fuller understanding of why God made the law in the first place.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 5

Re-read last week’s exploration of Matthew 5: 17-20

Jesus Didn’t Come to Undo the Law. He Fulfills It.

Note: For the remainder of the summer, we will post once a week on Monday. Please join us next week as we explore more verses from Matthew Chapter 5.

Scripture: Matthew 5: 17-20

“Do not think that I came to do away with or undo the ^[f]Law [of Moses] or the [writings of the] Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For I assure you and most solemnly say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke [of the pen] will pass from the Law until all things [which it foreshadows] are accomplished. ¹⁹ So whoever breaks one of the least [important] of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least [important] in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them, he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

²⁰ “For I say to you that unless your righteousness (uprightness, moral essence) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Commentary Note:

If Jesus did not come to undue the law, does that mean all of the Old Testament laws still apply to us today?

There are three categories of law in the Old Testament:

1. Ceremonial
2. Civil
3. Moral

Ceremonial law relates specifically to Israel’s worship. In Leviticus chapters 1 through 3, we see that the primary purpose is to point forward to Jesus Christ. These laws, therefore, were no longer necessary after Jesus’s death and resurrection.

While we are no longer bound by ceremonial laws, the principles behind them – to worship and love God – still apply.

The civil law applies to daily living in Israel (see Deuteronomy 24: 10-11). As modern society and culture are so radically different from that time and setting, all of these guidelines cannot be followed specifically. However, the principles behind the commands are timeless and should guide our conduct.

The moral law is a direct command of God. It requires strict obedience (see Exodus 20: 13). The moral law reveals the nature and will of God, and it still applies today.

Read the Entire Chapters of the Scriptures Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 5

Leviticus Chapter 1

Leviticus Chapter 2

Leviticus Chapter 3

Deuteronomy Chapter 24

Exodus Chapter 20

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Matthew:

God’s People Are the Salt of the Earth

Jesus, Remember Me

Note: For the remainder of the summer, we will post once a week on Monday. Please join us next week as we explore more verses from Matthew Chapter 5.