Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Sermon on the Mount - Part 11

 Today I want to look at verses 31-42, once again focusing on who Jesus was speaking to, and on the context of the entire message. 

Matthew 5:31-42

(31)“It was also said, ​‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’  (32)But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

(33)“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ​‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’  (34)But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,  (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 take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.  (37)Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

(38)“You have heard that it was said, ​‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’  (39)But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. (40) And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.  (41)And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.  (42)Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

I am taking these 3 together because I believe they are all being used to illustrate the same idea as the previous 2 posts, that Jesus, in seeking to restore man's relationship with God, is showing that such a relationship includes more than just mere obedience to a set of rules. He begins with divorce. While He does not say in these verses (31-32) that divorce is a sin, it does lead to sin, both for the woman and the man, assuming that they enter in to other relationships after the divorce. Interesting that He states that infidelity is an exception, probably because in this case the vow has been broken and the other party is not responsible then. Not sure I want to or am even adequately able to get in to all of the legalities involved. 

Jesus then mentions making oaths. (33-37) Jews gave special weight to oaths. But can something really be "more truthful?" Should not your word be true whether you make an oath or not? I believe that Jesus thinks so. I find it interesting that He says that anything more than a simple "Yes" or "No" comes from evil. Is this because we tend to see levels of truth, rather than something being true or false? Little white lies come to mind, as if they are okay or at least not as bad as a big old fat juicy lie. So then we start to justify our speech, and this leads to sin. 

Finally, He beings up retaliation, citing "an eye for an eye. (Exodus 21:23-25; Levitcus 24:17-21; Deuteronomy 19:21) I note what it says in Deuteronomy 19:20, And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you.  But fear is just the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7), and the wisdom that Jesus is preaching go beyond fear of punishment, and into the love and appreciation of God. We must see others in the manner that God sees us. The parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-35)comes to mind. A servant was forgiven a huge debt by his master, then goes out and chokes a fellow servant over a minor debt that he was owed. When confronted later for his failure to forgive a fellow servant a small amount after being forgiven a great amount by his master, the master reinstates the debt and has him thrown into prison until it is paid. That debt was so great, he would never be able to pay it off in prison. It ends with these words, "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." Does the law require such forgiveness? Not that I have found. Jesus is going beyond the literal into the heart of the law. And not just the law, but the whole relationship we should have with God which is intended to spill out into our relationship with others. Turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, give to the beggar, for that is what God has done for us, and so much more.

Edited 2/6/2022

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