June 23, 2019
Morning Service

As we are working our way through the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus assured His disciples that in relation to the Law He “did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”  We went on to recognize that in fulfilling the Law by shedding His blood upon the cross for our sins, we can now be found righteous by our faith and not by our works.  The desire to follow Jesus and obey His commands comes from our love for Him, not a sense of duty or an obligation to obey a set of rules and regulations.  The Pharisees did the former by following the Law strictly on the outside, but they did it for all the wrong reasons.  Jesus called them “Hypocrites and white washed tombs that look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside were full of dead man’s bones.”  Jesus challenges His disciples with this in verse 20 before beginning His next discourse.

Mat 5:20 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.

            Jesus requires from us more than just going through the motions of just following the directions.  He wants us to be committed to following Him with our whole heart, body and soul.  Remember one of the Beatitudes was “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.”  Jesus requires us to desire to follow Him just as we desire food and water.  He promises to those who do this that “they shall be filled.”  It is our love and reverence of God that motivates us to have a closer walk with Him; it is the why we do things not what we do.  Paul explained this to the Corinthians as he defined what love is.

 

1Co 13:1-3 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  (2)  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  (3)  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

            The true meaning of the Law gets very personal as it goes deeper than even our actions (what) and involves our motivation (why).  Love is the key.  We follow Jesus and are obedient to His commands because we love Him; without love it “profits me nothing.”  What about you?  Jesus now magnifies the Law for us to see what it looks like through the eyes of love.

 

Mat 5:21-22 "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.

            Here Jesus quotes the sixth commandment, but also includes the emotion that lies behind the act itself.  It is not only wrong to desire to kill someone, but also to be angry with someone for no reason.  It shows that there is an accountability for our actions and now even the emotions that lie behind them.  Love for our Lord and Savior and following Him means we are in control of our emotions and don’t actually murder someone, but we don’t allow ourselves to even harbor thoughts of anger towards others without asking for forgiveness for it.  He continues this thought of dealing with each other.

Mat 5:23-26 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.

        Our relationships with others plays a part in our walk with Christ.  It is hypocritical to say we love God, but hate our brother.  Jesus commands us to do our part to seek quick reconciliation with our brother now and not let things get blown out of proportion by ignoring it.  The time to act is now.  Remember though you can only do your part of healing a two-way relationship but the key is doing your part with the right attitude and humility.  Once we clear our hearts then we are free to worship in “spirit and in truth.”  He then mentions agreeing with your adversary quickly to avoid trouble as well.  Do all you can to avoid conflicts and disagreements so you won’t have to go before the courts and then anything could happen.  Paul told the Corinthians this about going to court:

1Co 6:6-7 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!  (7)  Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?

Paul asks us to be willing to accept being wronged rather than pursuing justice in certain situations.  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”  That is not easy to do but it is the cost of following faithfully.  Jesus now continues His teaching magnifying the Law.

 

Mat 5:27-30 "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.

            Jesus here cites the 7^th commandment regarding committing adultery, which is sexual intercourse outside of the covenant of marriage.  He again connects the inner motive with the outward action.  It is not only wrong to commit the act of adultery, but also to even allow that thought into our heart and mind.  Think of it this way; to be faithful to your spouse with your body but not your mind breaks the trust that is needed for a strong marriage.  That becomes so great of an example of exactly what Jesus is teaching us here about our relationship with Him.  Jesus is transforming us into what He wants us to be by “renewing our minds” not just abstaining from the action.  If those thoughts pop into our mind, we need to seek repentance and allow Christ to “cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Deal with them quickly and don’t let those thoughts linger and grow into something greater.   Jesus even goes to the extreme to tell us to cut off our hand and pluck out our eye if they cause us to sin.  This means we are to avoid temptations at all costs.  If we can’t control what we watch on TV or the internet, then turn it off and even disconnect it doing away with the temptation all together.  Set guardrails in place for yourself is regards to opposite sex relationships to keep you from getting off the path you desire to be on (VP Pence).  We must be able to be honest with ourselves before God and be open about things that we struggle with and be willing to go to extreme measures to avoid any temptations in that area of our lives taking even our thoughts into consideration.

            It is obvious now how Jesus is magnifying the Law for His followers.  We must love Him enough to fully commit ourselves to follow no matter the cost.  It becomes our heart’s desire to live a life that pleases my Savior.  Has He got your attention this morning?  Be open and honest with yourself and God and confess any sin these points have revealed in your life.  Ask for forgiveness and set up guardrails to keep you on the path you need to be on.  “If you love me keep my commandments.”

 

Heavenly Father please grant to us to allow the Word and the Holy Spirit to keep us on the path of righteousness You have designed for us to follow.