The Sermon on the Mount: Exceeding the Righteousness of the Pharisees I. Base Text: Matthew 5:17-48 II. Context A. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist; begins His ministry (Matthew 3:13-17) B. Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11) C. He then returns to Galilee, begins preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom: repent, for the Kingdom is at hand (Matthew 4:12-17, 23) D. He calls some of His disciples, preached and healed in the synagogues, and many crowds began to follow Him (Matthew 4:18-25) E. Seeing the multitudes, He sits upon a mountain and begins teaching the disciples in the hearing of the multitudes (Matthew 5:1-2) F. This teaching develops into an extended discourse (Matthew 5:3-7:27) G. Begins with the "beatitudes," pronouncing blessings on those who are often considered unfortunate or cursed (Matthew 5:3-10) H. Provides instruction for the disciples: they are as salt and light, a city on a hill, for they are to reflect the righteousness of God in Christ before all (Matthew 5:13-16) III. Meaning A. Jesus continues to instruct His disciples in view of the multitudes, but begins to do so as a running critique of the Pharisees, in terms of both their traditions and in terms of the allowances of the Law B. He sets up the discussion in Matthew 5:17-20 1. vv. 17-18: He came not to destroy the Law or prophets, but to fulfill them; nothing shall pass away until all is accomplished 2. Jesus thus declares that He affirms the Law as the present covenant, and nothing shall be added to it or taken away from it while it remains in force (Deuteronomy 4:2) 3. Nevertheless, an opening remains: He comes to fulfill, and the situation will change once "all is accomplished" (cf. John 19:30, Ephesians 2:11-18, Colossians 2:14-18, Hebrews 7:11-9:15) 4. We do well to keep both these realities in mind as the discourse continues 5. vv. 19-20: while Jesus affirms the Law, by implication, the Pharisees and the scribes are breaking some commands and teaching others to do so as well, and thus are reckoned as least in the Kingdom (cf. Matthew 15:1-20, 23:1-36) 6. Those who do the commands and teach others are great in the Kingdom 7. Shocking statement: righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees and scribes to enter the Kingdom 8. Thus, if adherence to law is basis for righteousness, one must do better than Pharisees and scribes; yet really all fall short (Romans 3:20-25) 9. Yet such is a condemnation of the "righteousness" of the Pharisees and scribes: it is not truly righteousness, and Jesus will begin to show why and how 10. Matthew 5:21-48 should be understood, at least in part, as further explication and commentary upon Matthew 5:17-20 C. The Law, the Kingdom, the Pharisees, and the Truth (Matthew 5:21-48) 1. Jesus then proclaims six contrasting statements with commentary 2. "Ye have heard it said..." vs. "But I say unto you..." a. A powerful rhetorical tool: most teachers content with explanation based on text, not on personal authority b. These kind of statements behind the crowd's reaction in Matthew 7:28-29 c. "Ye have heard it said" have reference to both statements in the Law as well as popular understanding or interpretation of them d. As we will see, Jesus will contrast these with nobler and higher aspirations, more stringent than what the Law allows, yet never against what the Law would demand 3. Murder and Anger (Matthew 5:21-26) a. "You shall not murder" from Exodus 20:13; those who kill as in danger of judgment not literally said, but the concept is certainly found in Leviticus 24:21, Numbers 35:16, and Deuteronomy 16:18 b. Jesus' contrast presents a heightened series: to be angry with a brother is to be in danger of judgment, the one who says Raca (Aramaic term of contempt, involving emptiness, vanity) to his brother is in danger of the council (the Sanhedrin, Jewish council before whom both Jesus and His Apostles would stand), and the one calling another a fool is in danger of hellfire (literally, Gehenna, the Valley of Hinnom, a burning trash pit which was used at the time as a graphic illustration of hell, and so throughout the text) c. Why the contrast? Jesus will make it clear that all actions stem from the thoughts and feelings of a man (Mark 7:14-23): murder begins in the mind and heart, and so the mental and emotional feelings and decisions which might lead to murder incriminate as much as the act itself d. Therefore, the one who harbors evil thoughts against his fellow man risks the same fate as the one who would kill a man! e. Jesus then provides further application: reconciliation with brothers is essential for proper sacrifice; finding agreement with adversaries is better than open hostility which will lead to greater penalty and difficulty 4. Lust (Matthew 5:27-31) a. "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14) b. Jesus' contrast, according to same principles in contrast in Matthew 5:21-26, is to say that looking upon a woman with lustful intent is committing adultery with her in one's heart c. Again, one's deeds flow from one's thoughts and feelings; even if not acted upon, mental and emotional fantasizing is not true fidelity to one's spouse d. It must be said that while it is wrong, such lust is not demonstrated as sufficient justification for divorce, since it is not inherently physically expressed behavior (cf. porneia as sexually deviant behavior, Matthew 5:31-32, 19:9) e. Jesus provides further explanation with a visceral image: better to rip out eye or cut off hand that causes sin than to have whole body cast into hell (cf. Matthew 18:9, Mark 9:43-47) f. Since all sin starts in the mind, and eyes and hands are controlled by the mind, Jesus is not actually suggesting that cutting off body parts helps one fend off sin (cf. Mark 7:14-23, Colossians 2:20-23, James 1:13-15) g. Nevertheless, Jesus is attempting to express the seriousness of sin and the strong measures which should be taken to avoid it (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:13) 5. Divorce (Matthew 5:31-32) a. "Whoever would divorce his wife, let him give her a bill of divorcement" (Deuteronomy 24:1-2) b. The Law allowed for divorce for essentially any reason, just forbade a man from re-marrying an ex-wife who had been married to another c. Such was the view of the Hillel school of Pharisaism and affirmed as the meaning of the text by Jesus in Matthew 19:7-8 d. Yet the contrast made by Jesus, expanded upon in Matthew 19:1-9, demonstrates God's intent from the beginning: one man, one woman, for life, with sexually deviant behavior as the only legitimate justification for divorce (cf. Genesis 2:24, Malachi 2:14-16) e. "Fornication" or "sexual immorality" is the Greek porneia, literally, "what one does with a porne (a prostitute)"; in practice, describing any sexual behavior outside of marriage: fornication in modern English (sex before marriage), adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, pederasty, etc. f. There is no basis to assert that any other sin in a marriage can be equated with these things or justifiable reasons for divorce g. Anyone who actively divorced their spouse for reasons other than porneia, and anyone at all who was passively divorced for any reason, who would marry again, commit adultery, since they are having sex with someone other than the spouse to whom God joined them h. Beyond what the Law demanded, yet consistent with the Shammai school of Pharisaism 5. Oaths (Matthew 5:33-37) a. What was said in the Law: Leviticus 19:12 and Deuteronomy 23:23 b. Expectation: when you would make a vow, you must pay it c. Jesus' contrast: do not even swear an oath at all! d. Jesus also heightens the contrast: one should not swear by heaven, by Jerusalem, or on his own head (cf. Psalms 46:4, 48:1-2, 87:3) e. Instead, one should have the integrity to make sure their "yes" and "no" are meaningful (cf. James 5:12) f. Oaths are only necessary when a person's word is not sufficient to establish integrity: solution is to allow one's words to maintain integrity, not heap up oaths 6. Vengeance (Matthew 5:38-42) a. The Law: the lex talionis (Exodus 21:22-27, Leviticus 24:19-20) b. The logic of the lex talionis is in limiting vengeance and retaliation: the penalty should not be disproportionate to the crime (say, a full arm for a hand) c. Yet Jesus' contrast involves not seeking vengeance or retaliation at all (cf. Romans 12:17-23) d. Instead, He exhorts His disciples and the multitude to not resist the evil person e. He provides common examples: to be struck on the right cheek was an insult and a provocation; to be taken to court for one's coat, the chiton, would involve being taken for one of your most treasured possessions; to be compelled to go one mile was something Roman soldiers would often do to one of their subjects: to force them to carry their gear for them for one mile f. In those circumstances Jesus commends more drastic action: turn the left cheek, to absorb the insult and humiliation; give the tunic, the himation as well, leaving one with barely anything; go two miles, not just one (cf. Luke 6:27-31) g. Part of a general disposition of giving to all who ask (cf. Luke 6:30) h. In so doing, one absorbs all the humiliation, degradation, and disrespect that would normally lead to resentment and a vengeance cycle 7. Loving Enemies (Matthew 5:43-48) a. "You shall love your neighbor" part of Law in Leviticus 19:18 b. The idea of "hating your enemy" was not explicitly stated, but since God hated Esau (Malachi 1:2-3), brought destruction upon Amalek (1 Samuel 15:1-3), and presented quite the number of oracular judgments against the nations (e.g. Isaiah 13-22), the inference of "hate your enemy" had some legitimacy c. Jesus turns this on its head: they are to love their enemies and to pray for those who persecute them (cf. Luke 6:27-36) d. This is all based in the idea of Jesus' followers as true children of God (cf. Romans 8:12-17): God makes the sun rise and rain fall on the just and the unjust (and is kind to the ungrateful and the evil, Luke 6:35) e. This is further undergirded by the Parable of the Good Samaritan: everyone is your neighbor; thus, you should love everyone (cf. Luke 10:25-37) f. Further logic: sinners love those who love them, greet their own; if that's all you do, how are you any better than they? g. Ultimate justification: be perfect (Greek teleios, perfect as either unblemished or complete; mature) as Heavenly Father is perfect 8. Thus Jesus makes it clear why one's righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees and scribes to enter the Kingdom: these six principles are lost on many of them, but are essential to the ethical foundation of the Kingdom of God IV. Application A. When considering Matthew 5:17-48, the first question is whether it can be applied at all! 1. Those who hear or read this are struck at the high standard expected 2. Little wonder, then, that many have questioned whether the whole discourse is a demonstration of the kind of righteousness it would take to enter the Kingdom through works done in righteousness, and thus only an ideal standard which no one could really accomplish 3. Others with a more eschatological bent have suggested that this is the ethic of the Kingdom when it comes in its fullness, and is not possible to live by today 4. There is also the matter of how much of what Jesus says refers to the Law of Moses and that covenant versus what we should do in the new 5. So are we to apply the lessons we find in this text? B. The Scriptures testify to the applicability of Matthew 5:17-48 to the believer 1. While Matthew 5:17-48 presents a high standard, and while we do all fall short of it, it nevertheless remains the viable ethical standard for our thoughts, feelings, and actions 2. Matthew 19:1-9: discussion of marriage in terms of God's original standard from Genesis 3. Luke 6:27-36 as parallel text, instruction to disciples, not inherently an indictment of the Pharisees 4. Romans 12:14-21 is consistent with Jesus' commands regarding vengeance 5. Galatians 5:17-24: works of flesh vs. fruit of Spirit consistent with this ethic 6. James 5:12: against oaths, parallel with Matthew 5:37 7. And while Jesus is speaking during the old covenant, Matthew is writing for an audience who lives after the inauguration of the new covenant, and the Sermon on the Mount is first and foremost directed to His disciples C. Thus we should take seriously what Jesus says! D. Mind and Heart Obedience 1. A major concern of Matthew 5:17-48 is correcting over-emphasis on deeds to the detriment of the heart and mind 2. Thoughts and feelings which lead to sinful actions are themselves wrong and sinful! 3. We should not be content with just not murdering; we must rid ourselves of hatred and insult toward others 4. We should not be content with just avoiding adultery; we must control our thoughts and feelings and remain as pure internally as externally (cf. Job 31:1, Galatians 5:19-24) 5. We should not only not take revenge but be willing to have a loving, kind disposition to those who would hate us and abuse us, enduring the humiliation and shame 6. We must seek to love everyone, to seek their best interest, to be a servant to all; when we have that mindset and attitude, deeds will more easily follow! E. Beyond the Letter of the Law 1. The other major concern of Matthew 5:17-48 is in getting beyond the "least level" of obedience fostered by a focus on the letter of the law 2. This is not an attempt to undermine or subvert obedience to the Law by appealing to its intent or spirit, but in fact going beyond to get to not just letter obedience but to actually be within God's purposes and intentions as expressed in the law 3. It is good not to murder; it is better to honor God's intention for people to live in harmony by reconciling when difficulties arise 4. God's intention is for one man to be married to one woman for life; one divorce exception for sexually deviant behavior should not lead us to widely reject that intention 5. To pay a vow is good, but better to maintain integrity of speech so that one's yes and no can be sufficient 6. As opposed to trying to find ways of skirting commandments and what can be gotten away with, the disciple of Christ does better to see how they can honor and glorify God and consider both the letter and the intention of the guidelines established F. Exceptions and Caveats 1. Perhaps the most major interpretive dispute in Matthew 5:17-48 involves exceptions and caveats to what Jesus says 2. The surface meaning is fairly clear: the question involves how far it should be taken 3. To call someone a fool leads to danger, but Jesus calls the Pharisees fools in Matthew 23:17 4. We've already discussed why Jesus is not telling us to actually pluck out eyes or cut off hands 5. In terms of oaths, a marriage covenant is made with an oath, and what about when we are called upon to swear in a court of law? 6. Many caveats and exceptions are suggested for the discussions of vengeance and loving enemies, seeking to justify self-defense, defense of family, resistance to extortion, and participation in military affairs 7. Sure, one can see in Romans 13:1-7 that we might have to swear an oath in order to obey the laws of the land, and there are times when giving to someone might actually be enabling sinful behaviors, and so some exceptions and caveats do have some justification 8. Nevertheless, we must make a concerted effort to question why we want to carve out exceptions and make caveats in many respects: what if Jesus' message really is as radical as it seems on the surface? Are we really trying to honor God when we seek to carve out exceptions and make caveats, or are we as the lawyer who seeks to justify himself, attempting to seem right as we are and avoid painful yet necessary reformation of character (cf. Luke 10:29)? 9. As we seek to apply Jesus' instruction in Matthew 5:17-48 to our lives, let us seek to keep the exceptions and caveats to a bare minimum, and when done, that they are based in solid, clear, and demonstrable tension with other commands and exhortations from the New Testament 10. Let us make sure that our influence in these matters is of Christ, not culture! V. Conclusion A. Matthew 5:17-48 remains as compelling and profound as when Jesus first proclaimed them B. Jesus affirms God's true intentions as expressed in the Law, well beyond the practice and teaching of the Pharisees and scribes C. Despite the challenges and difficulties presented in these verses, we do well to seek to hold to them as a major part of our ethical standard in the Kingdom of God and resist the urge to carve out exceptions and to add caveats to Jesus' words D. Let us seek to be perfect as the Heavenly Father is perfect and abide by the letter and the spirit of the purposes of God as revealed in Christ! E. Invitation/songbook