Lesson 6 The Sermon On The Mount

The Sermon On The Mount

Adult Class-Spring 2004

Lesson 6

In the last class, we looked at three attitudes that must change because we live in the kingdom of God. In the section from Matthew 5:33-48, Jesus deals with three more attitudes that must be cultivated in the kingdom heart. We are still dealing with the faulty thinking that we all have developed through a lifetime of influences outside the kingdom of God. Once we're inside the kingdom, though, our attitudes must change to be like our King! We're growing toward an inner goodness that determines our ethical life.

Matthew 5:33-37-Perform your word

When Jesus touches on the idea of swearing oaths, He is dealing with a daily situation in that world. We tend to think of oaths as mere legal formalities that make criminal perjury charges possible. What if we actually believed that God was interested in our daily activities? What if we were convinced that He saw our lives and served as a witness to our dealings?

Jesus points out that in the past, oaths needed fulfillment. The general feeling was that if you called God to witness your statement, you were bound. But that presupposes that the rest of the time, your word is not terribly reliable! In that situation, the real nature of an oath comes out. The oath taken is designed to stop argument, to impress your counterpart, and to manipulate others to accept your will in their lives. It is a way of controlling others to fit your desires. As one theologian put it, an oath is a "song and dance" that has nothing to do with the situation under observation but is used to stop any dispute by appealing to God. Each of the oaths listed here was common in Jesus' day, and signified greater or lesser degrees of truthfulness: the things connected with God invoked His power and authority, but an oath "by my head" depended only on my reliability.

Jesus' point here is simple: just do what you say you'll do. James echoes this sentiment in James 5:12. If we find ourselves in the position of needing to swear an oath ("I swear on a stack of Bibles!"), then we need to examine ourselves to see why our word is no good!

Matthew 5:38-42-Do not retaliate

In this section, Jesus is speaking of personal injury and retaliation, not statecraft, social evils or war. The Old Testament was plain: lex talionis meant equal suffering for the disputants, but not more than equal! This alone was a great step forward in the ancient world, yet it is hard to control precise equality. How shall we inflict exactly the same amount of damage?

Since we are in the kingdom of God, we are not driven by our anger or lust for revenge, so instead, we forbear and forgive. Jesus paints for us four illustrations that show the kind of people we are to be:

We're the kind who turn the other cheek to an assailant. We are to remain vulnerable, and there is no indication that this is limited. We are to continue to remain vulnerable.
We're the kind of people who will give more than we're required-even if it means our cloak as well as our tunic. We are to be genuinely interested in the welfare of others.
We're the kind of people who will go another mile. The authority's problem is our problem, too.
We're the kind of people who give to those who have real need. We are generous and open-handed to hear the needs of desperate people.

It is important that we remember that these are not laws governing entrance into heaven-they are principles used by kingdom people in dealing with personal injury. We must retain the attitude that we will do more than what is needed by law. We will do what is right and appropriate, but we will never "get even."

Matthew 5:43-48-Seek the best for all

The terrible thing about adversaries is that if we resist in a confrontation, we validate the other's anger and our tormentor continues and even increases his abuse. If we refuse to retaliate and instead seek the best for our enemy, he is baffled and exposed even to himself.

This is particularly appropriate because we all have enemies that hold us in continual contempt. Consider how the Palestinians are taught that all Jews are murdering, lying scoundrels. Then think how an individual Palestinian is likely to deal with an Israeli neighbor!

Jesus calls for us to love our enemies. This is the best-known teaching of Jesus, mainly because it is so counter to the world's wisdom! In an expression of our love, we are actually to pray for those who persecute us! Those in the world will certainly take care of those inside their circle of power-even the Mafia looks after its own! By contrast, we must extend love to those outside our circle. Jesus offers the most comprehensive reason for such action: to be like God. After all, He provides rain and all other blessings to those who love Him and those who despise Him. As the citizens of the kingdom of God, we are to be better than the world. We are to be mature, like God.

This entire section is about being governed by self-sacrificing love that seeks good for all people and cares for all humans since they are created by God and bear His image within them. It may be that these six attitudes are hard to adopt, but that's only because we're not yet truly transformed people, given over to Christ's life. He certainly found it possible to exhibit all these attitudes as One living perfectly in the kingdom of God!

Discussion Questions:

Do we have trouble performing our word? How does an oath release us from keeping our word the rest of the time? Can we take an oath in court?
What's defective in our execution of "an eye for an eye"? Why is it so necessary for us to forbear and forgive? Must we forgive if our adversary doesn't ask?
Why must we go beyond the bare requirement of the law? Where is the place of resentment in our obedience? What's wrong with "getting even"?
Why would our resistance to injury actually encourage an attacker to persist? How would non-violence lead him to quit his abuse? Why do you think "love your enemies" is the best-known of Jesus' teachings?