Matthew 5:31-42 Laws part 5

Matthew 5:31-42

“Laws Written on Flesh Instead of Stone”
The Laws
part 5
Where is the Love?

The word love is used to mean many different things. We say we "love" this house house we just bought, or that we "love" a particular vacation spot, or that "we" love a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We also "love" a certain television program, and we "love" our husband or wife. Hopefully we don't love our spouse the same way we love a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

The greatest love of all, however, is GOD's love for us. A love that showed itself in action. A friend once observed, "Love talked about is easily ignored, but love demonstrated is irresistible." The Bible says, "GOD demonstrates HIS own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8) Now, that is real love! How will you respond to HIS love today?

How we react to those around us, is a direct reflection upon our heart. If we, like GOD, truly love one another, then we will do for each other as we would have them for us. Even when someone reviles or riddicules us, we should respond in love. Yet the love of many has grown cold, and it started a long time ago. Jesus is about to share some lessons on tolerance, and true love for one another. Something Christians need to understand is a must in our walk, if we are follow Him who went to the cross for us.

1. Matthew 5:31-32; “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 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.

1. Moses’ teachings on divorce

1. Law handed down to Moses did not allow for divorce

1. It was not provisioned for, (Deuteronomy. 24:1-4) and (Matthew 19:3-8)

2. Word adultery not mentioned as an excuses for divorce that itself was not mentioned

1. Punishment for A was death (test Numbers 5:11-31) (penalty Deut 22:22-24) and (Leviticus 19:20-22)

1. Adultery in the OT was, (A married woman cohabiting with a man not her husband. The prevalent polygamy in patriarchal times rendered it impossible to stigmatize as adultery the cohabitation of a married man with another besides his wife.)

2. Thus, no need to mention adultery in the same sentence, neither were allowed

3. Marriage did not end in divorce, but death

2. Moses legislation allowed for divorce

1. Why? End the chaos of the times

1. Women held in low regard

2. Men’s hearts were hardened, they were putting away their wives for all reasons anyway

1. Before law all he had to do was turn her out of the house

2. She might be charged with adultery, etc. when in truth she just burned his breakfast

1. Did not take long for them to get back to this, so Moses did not need to bother

2. Three great principles

1. Limited divorce to certain causes ( natural, moral, or physical defect)

2. Must give wife a written bill of divorcement

3. In it stating cause for divorce

4. Allowed only after a judge ruled approval with evidence

3. Once divorced he was not allowed to remarry her, divorce was a permanent enactment

1. This prevented remarriage to same wife if she married someone else

2. Also showed people marriage is not something you just walk out on at will.

3. The teachings of the Pharisees (Two schools of thought)

1. Shammai ( Conservative belief)

1. Strictly believed in the way Moses taught moral impurity

1. Based on (Deuteronomy 24)

2. Granted only for uncleanness

1. Sexual immorality

2. Adultery

3. Must have bill of divorcement

2. Hillel (Liberal belief)

1. Considered uncleanness to be much more broad, usually decided over causing husband to sin

1. Too much salt on food, she caused her husband to sin when he got mad

2. If man sees a more virtuous or righteous woman, his wife is now unclean by comparison

2. Only needs to tell her “I divorce you” three times and it is finished

4. What Jesus taught was the intent of the law

1. Jesus goes back, beyond the law of Moses to first principle given by God in the beginning

1. Marriage is not civil contract or sacrament

2. Two persons have become one flesh

1. This was God’s intention

3. Why then did Moses allow for divorce?

1. The hardness of men’s hearts

2. God has never commanded anyone to divorce

1. Pharisees suggesting this in Law of Moses

3. Their is only one just cause for divorce - “Mental cruelty”

1. Sexual immorality Greek word used here (Pornia, pornography ) is for harlotry, not adultery

2. Jesus says it is a legitimate cause

1. Not a commandment but grounds for divorce

4. Paul allowed for adultery with one important factor

1. The innocent party in a divorce on grounds of adultery is free to remarry

2. Christians are entitled to a Christian remarriage, only applies however to the innocent party

5. Jesus was challenging the following phrase that was in divorce decrees

1. “Let this be from me to you your writ of divorce and letter of dismissal and deed of liberation, that you may marry whatever man you will.” (this last part is what Jesus challenged)

2. Jesus declared that for her to marry another man was committing adultery, and he made her do it

1. A woman needed a man to take care of her, she had no rights as a citizen, less if divorced

2. Perfect example is the woman at the well, others looked down on her

2. Matthew 5:33-37; “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.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one

1.  What is the purpose of an oath?*****

1. To affirm the truth of a statement

1. Men often fail to keep their word

1. Just look at sports and all the big time athletes who want new contracts after they signed

2. Men often lie or misrepresent the truth

3. Oaths were required to assure the truth

2. To bring an end to a controversy

2. Any time you would swear by God or His name, it was binding

1. Oaths made by the heaven or earth or Jerusalem not binding

3. The law as it was stated in Old Testament

1. Taking the LORD’S name in vain (Exodus 20: 7)

2. “You shall not swear by my name falsely” (Leviticus 19:12)

3. We think of profanity, but it actually refers to taking an oath.

4. Jesus says “Swear not at all”

1. Does this forbid a Christian from taking an oath in court?

1. The Quakers understand it to mean this

2. Paul took an oath, “before God, I lie not”

3. The Quakers are wrong here

2. We should not in normal conversations declare, “I swear before God”

1. People too often place faith in someone who swears on a stack of bibles, i.e. a court case

2. Some people seem to have an awareness of their own tendency to lie that they must constantly affirm with oaths that

3. Yes be yes and your no, no

1. We should all be people of our word

2. Sad that we cannot trust people at their words

3. We should never say you will do something that we have no intention of doing

4. The taking of vows or oaths were considered a very serious thing

1. In (Psalm 15:1-2), David asked,

LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?” 

In his answer he said, 

“He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.”

5. Here are more scriptures that mentions oaths (Psalm 50:14) (Psalm 66:13-14) (Psalm 76:11) (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6)

3. Matthew 5:38-42; “You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

1. An Eye for an Eye & turning the other cheek

1. What was the Mosaic Law?

1. The control of excesses

1. Anger and desire for revenge

2. Natural instinct to hit back

1. Want to hit back harder than hit

3. Whole tendency to wrath, anger, retribution in human nature

1. One of the most hideous and ugly traits from fall

2. To set a boundary on limit of retaliation

1. Eye for eye - no more

2. Tooth for tooth - no more

3. Punishment must fit crime, not more

3. Not to urge men eye for eye

4. Given to judges not to individuals

1. Law to be carried out by magistrate or judge

2. Not vigilante justice by mob

2. The teaching of the Pharisees

1. Ignored that this was given for judges

1. Made it apply on individual basis

2. Usually worse for those they disliked

2. Legalist view

1. Right and duty

2. Something to be insisted upon

3. What did Jesus teach

1. Again let’s go over rules of interpretation

1. Never regard Sermon on Mount as code of ethics

1. Not a new kind of law for Christians

2. We under grace want to be under law

2. Teaching never applied mechanically

1. Spirit rather than letter of the Law

3. If our interpretation makes teaching appear ridiculous, wrong interpretation

4. If our interpretation makes text seem impossible

5. If our interpretation makes it contract other plain and obvious teaching of Word - wrong

2. What did Jesus say?

1. Do Not Resist

2. What does He mean?

1. No soldiers, police, judges (1Peter 2:13-15)

3. One must understand this in context of the days

1. First, this teaching not for world

2. Not even for non-Christian

3. This is the way of life for men described in beatitudes.

1. Teaching utterly impossible for anyone else

4. We must be born again

4. World, nation, non-Christian law still applies

1. Under restraints

2. Until a man comes under grace he must be kept under law

5. If you fail to punish your child for wrong heresy!

6. This teaching concerns Christian’s personal relationships.

1. My relationship to nation, state, etc

2. Going the extra mile shows an attitude of love not hate, helping beyond the help requested but still needed

3. Be prepared to help, i.e. the good Samaritan

1. We cannot be overly worried about what they may do with what we give them

2. God will see our hearts as He will see theirs

3. Church donations is a good example of giving in the name of God

4. The main thing that Jesus is teaching here is our attitude toward ourselves. It is purely a personal thing, not a national issue

1. “If he smites you on the cheek.”

2. “If he sues you in court.”

3. “If he compels you to go a mile.”

4. The whole issue is death to self, and the self life

More oath notes*****

(1.) Swear not by the heaven; because it is God's throne, where he resides, and in a particular manner manifests his glory, as a Prince upon his throne: this being the inseparable dignity of the upper world, you cannot swear by heaven,but you swear by God himself.

(2.) Nor by the earth, because it is his footstool. He governs the motions of this lower world; as he rules in heaven, so he rules over the earth; and though under his feet, yet it is also under his eye and care, and stands in relation to him as his, (Psalm 24:1) The earth is the Lord's so that in swearing by it, you swear by its Owner.

(3.) Neither by Jerusalem, a place for which the Jews had such a respect for, they could not speak of any thing more sacred to swear by, but beside the common reference Jerusalem has to God, as part of the earth, it is in special relation to him, for it is the city of the great King (Psalm 48:2), the city of God (Psalm 46:4), he is therefore interested in it, and in every oath taken by it.

(4.) "Neither should you swear by your head; though it is on your shoulder, as an essential part of you, yet it is more God's than yours. God created you and your head. He formed everything that comes from your head having the physical nature to control the rest of your body. all the springs and powers of it.