Series: Cliff Hangers
Introduction:
These teachings were risky, some would even say very dangerous, they would be teachings that would be opposite of what the religious leaders of the day were teaching, and they would become points of dissension and points of exhilaration. Some people would rejoice and others sigh. Some would be happy and others angry. What Jesus was teaching them he put them all on the edge of their seats. His teachings made people nervous and yet it changed the way people of His day thought or perceived what the Kingdom of Heaven was. Jesus¡¦ teaching along with their acceptance by the crowd would change the course of history between God and mankind. The people would be blown away by what Jesus taught and the religious leaders would pick up a spirit of offense against Jesus and seek His life for these teachings.
Summary:
1. Matthew 5:1-12: "Who does God Bless?"
2. Matthew 5:13-16: Salt and Light”
3. Matthew 5:17-20: “Old vs. New”
4. Matthew 5:21-26: “Really bad Sin”
5. Matthew 5:27-30: “Bulging Eyes”
6. Matthew 5:31-37: “Who me Divorced?”
Scripture Texts:
Matthew 5: 31, 32: Divorce
31 It has been said, Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.
32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
Sermon Title: Divorce, Oaths and Revenge
Introduction:
Tom¡¦s Kennington shared last week with us the pain of divorce and the ramifications of divorce. He challenged us the church to be empathetic towards those who have been burned by this sin. He asked us to be forgiving and loving to those who are divorced. We need to allow them to heal and to allow them to be restored. Divorce is not the unpardonable sin in his view or even in my view. It¡¦s the tearing apart of two lives, a family unity and it scars deeply. Divorce is heart wrenching and devastating but the church can be a factor to help people find hope, healing and restoration. But we must approach divorce recovery in the right Biblical framework and move people along the recovery process to a point of restoration.
A few points of clarification:
There are times in the church when God will bring hurting people through our doors for us as a church to minister to them we do this by embracing them with love, by loving on them and by listening to their painful story. Last week was one of those times for Christian Hills Church. Even though Tom shared with us his broken heart - he felt our loving arms of grace reach out and tell him, “There is hope for a future Tom! His name is Jesus!” God used our church to embrace a person who was hurt and who is walking through the healing and restoration process from sin. Divorce and the tremendous impact of divorce will always bring painful and hurtful ramifications. I hope you all heard that last week from Tom’s story.
In the church realm one of the consequences of divorce is the temporary if not permanent loss of a leadership position within the church. Tom was dismissed from his pastoral position and he suffered that heartbreaking loss. He still is!
You could ask the question: “Why do the majority of churches and their leadership believe that people need to step out of their leadership positions because of divorce?” This is done for the sake of the divorcee and for the individuals they lead. Divorce is the second most dramatic event a person can go through and their needs to be a time of repentance, a time of healing, and a set time of restoration. People going through this grief and pain have a hard time dealing with leadership decisions and leadership problems. They have a difficult time making decisions. Your find yourself in cloud of confusion, a time of doubt, and a time of soul searching. The truth is divorce overwhelms their hearts, their minds and it turns their world upside down. Everything changes everything in their lives is impacted. All of their relationships are impacted by this traumatic event. We in the church realize this so we seek to help people to focus on their healing and their time of grief recovery. So it is wise even prudent that people going through divorces should step down from certain leadership positions in the church.
I don¡¦t think people should drop out or be kicked out of choir, or quit serving or not allowed to serve within the church. I think they can teach children, usher, greet and the like but if they are in senior leadership then-“yes” they should step down for a period of time.
But the bottom line is the church needs to help a divorced person through the steps of healing so they can be restored and renewed. The church must come along side an individual and lead them through a time of repentance, then through a time of healing and eventually into the point of restoration. But we must remember that even though they come through the process of divorce recovery there are still scars for life from this difficult traumatic life experience. These scars can only be healed by Jesus Christ.
T.S. - Jesus knew that divorce was ugly, horrendous and not to be taken lightly and this is why he said to the crowd that day, “You need to have a very good reason to go through with a divorce!”
I. What constitutes a good reason for divorce in the eyes of Jesus?
a. Historical background of why Jesus addressed this subject of divorce on the Sermon on the Mount:
i. The Bible Knowledge Commentary:
1. Jesus rejected the traditions of the Pharisees (vv. 21-48) and their practices (6:1-7:6). Six times Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said. But I tell you.” (5:21-22, 27-28, 31-32, 33-34, 38-39, 43-44). These words make it clear that Jesus was presenting (a) what the Pharisees and teachers of the Law were saying to the people and, by contrast, (b) what God’s true intent of the Law was. This spelled out His statement (v. 20) that Pharisaic righteousness is not enough to gain entrance into the coming kingdom.
2. Among the Jewish leaders were two schools of thought regarding the matter of divorce (Deut. 24:1). Those who followed Hillel said it was permissible for a husband to divorce his wife for any reason at all, but the other group (those following Shammai) said divorce was permissible only for a major offense. In His response, the Lord strongly taught that marriage is viewed by God as an indissoluble unit and that marriages should not be terminated by divorce. The exception clause, except for marital unfaithfulness (porneias), is understood in several ways by Bible scholars. Four of these ways are: (a) a single act of adultery, (b) unfaithfulness during the period of betrothal (Matt. 1:19), (c) marriage between near relatives (Lev. 18:6-18), or (d) continued promiscuity. (See comments on Matt. 19:3-9.)
ii. Matthew Henry:
1. That men’s divorcing of their wives upon dislike, or for any other cause except adultery, however tolerated and practiced among the Jews, was a violation of the seventh commandment, as it opened a door to adultery, v. 31, 32.
2. Thus the law had prevented rash and hasty divorces; and perhaps at first, when writing was not so common among the Jews, that made divorces rare things; but in process of time it became very common, and this direction of how to do it, when there was just cause for it, was construed into a permission of it for any cause, ch. 19:3. (2.) How this matter was rectified and amended by our Savior. He reduced the ordinance of marriage to its primitive institution: They two shall be one flesh, not to be easily separated, and therefore divorce is not to be allowed, except in case of adultery, which breaks the marriage covenant; but he that puts away his wife upon any other pretense, causeth her to commit adultery, and him also that shall marry her when she is thus divorced. Note, Those who lead others into temptation to sin, or leave them in it, or expose them to it, make themselves guilty of their sin, and will be accountable for it. This is one way of being partaker with adulterers Ps. 50:18.
iii. The Victor Bible Background Commentary:
1. The rulings, which permit divorce and make some but not all oaths binding, do not really release anyone from the obligations of faithfulness in marriage and honesty in every relationship. The principles, such as “an eye for an eye,” which limits retaliation, and the call to love one¡¦s neighbor, which has been taken to limit responsibility to others, simply do not apply in the kingdom of heaven that Jesus now describes. In brief, stunning images, the words of Jesus shift the attention of those who dream of heaven’s kingdom on earth from the outer to the inner, from physical manifestation to spiritual expression, from pomp to humility, from worldly power to a spiritual dynamic that transforms the human heart. And so we are now introduced to at least part of Matthew¡¦s answer to his own people¡¦s questions about heaven¡¦s kingdom. Yes, Matthew says, Jesus is the Messiah, the Ruler of the kingdom of heaven. But the kingdom over which Jesus rules is a spiritual kingdom. And the dynamic power of heaven’s King operates within the human heart. For proof that Jesus is Lord, we must first of all look within.
iv. Jesus wanted to make it clear that divorce was not to be entered into lightly and or flippantly. Marriage is to be until death of one of the spouses - that is God’s plan. But men and women sin and marriages are broken and the religious leaders started of Jesus’ day started making them to easy to get and Jesus said this is wrong!
1. I want to make it clear that God hates divorce! Jesus hates divorce! You should hate divorce because of the ramification it has one everyone involved in it.
a. My parents are divorced
b. My three brothers are divorced.
c. Divorce is heart wrenching, it rips families and hearts a part.
b. So let’s take a moment and talk Divorce and Restoration
i. I first of all want to look at how God views Divorce. The Word of God tells us this in Malachi 2:11-17:
11Judah has broken faith. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the LORD loves, by marrying the daughter of a foreign god. 12As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the LORD cut him off from the tents of Jacob even though he brings offerings to the LORD Almighty.13Another thing you do: You flood the LORD¡¦S altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. 14You ask, Why?” It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. 15Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. 16I hate divorce,” says the LORD God of Israel, and I hate a man’s covering himself with violence as well as with his garment, says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith. 17You have wearied the LORD with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them¡¨ or “Where is the God of justice?”
1. The phrase in verse 16 springs out to me ‘ “I hate divorce!¨ says God. Why does he hate divorce you may be thinking? Well if you have ever been involved in a divorce or had a close friend or family member go through it you see why. Divorce- rips people’s hearts apart. Just look around at what divorce has done to our society:
a. Men and women who divorce have a increased likelihood to switch from Christianity to none (Leora E. Lawton, Journal for the scientific study of Religion 2001.)
b. Divorce is associated with a range of pour outcomes among children. Compared with children with continuously married parents, children with divorced parents continued to score significantly lower on measures of academic achievement, conduct, psychological adjustment, self-concept, and social relations (Amato, Paul R., Journal of Family Psychology, 2001).
c. Parental divorce especially weakened relationships between adult children and their fathers. While parental divorce harmed both son-father relationship and daughter-father relationship, the harmful effect was stronger in the former. In addition, the dissolution of a marriage of one’s children had a negative effect on all child-parent relationships (Gayle Kaufman. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1998).
d. Divorce causes economic hardship: Mothers especially face a decrease in income which leads to increased stress for the parent and the possibility of more time away from home because of a the need of more income (Cancio, Orbuch, & Thorton, 2000).
e. A decrease in the amount of time of parental supervision and involvement in the child¡¦s life (Cancio, Orbuch, & Thorton, 2000).
2. A significant amount of children in divorced scenarios lose virtually all contact with their fathers. Some reports of father contact after divorce reveal the following statistics:
a. Families who have experienced divorce less than two years had 43% father contact with the children.
b. Families divorced 3-5 years had 33% father contact with the children.
c. Families divorced 6-10 years had 19% father contact with the children.
d. Families divorced 11 years and up the father contact percent goes to 12%. (Demographics of Divorce, by Robert Hughes Jr.).
3. Rutgers University Sociology Prof. David Popenoe, and Jean Bethke Elshtain, Professor of Social and Political Ethics at the University of Chicago divinity School. Concluded that the decline of marriage is mainly responsible for the deteriorating well-being of children.
4. Richards and colleagues followed 17,000 children born one week in 1958 in Britain, United States and new Zealand. They discovered the following:
a. He found that children of divorced parents, on average, left the house earlier and started families sooner than did the children of ¡§intact¡¨ families.
b. Middle-class girls were especially affected by divorce, he found. They had a 45% chance of marrying by age 20, while children from intact families had a 15% of marrying young.
c. He also stated that children of divorce suffer a rapid fall in their self-esteem after the divorce.
d. 85% of prisoners, 78% of high school dropouts, 82% of teenage girls who become pregnant, the majority of drug and alcohol abusers ¡V all come from single ¡V mother- headed ¡V households (Washington Times 12/19/95).
e. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, a child living with his/her divorced mother, compared to a child living with both parents, is 375% more likely to need professional treatment for emotional or behavioral problems and is almost twice as likely to repeat a grade in school, is more likely to suffer chronic asthma, frequent headaches, and/or bed wetting, develop a stammer or speech defect, suffer from anxiety or depression, and be diagnosed as hyperactive.
f. Another study discovered:
i. 63% of all youth suicides
ii. 71% of all adolescent chemical/substance abuse
iii. 90% of all homeless and runaway children come from single parent households according to David Garrod.
5. We can now see why God hates divorce. In our text from Malachi I caught another phrase in verse, 15 “Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.” We are warned not to break faith with our spouse because it will affect whether your off spring is godly. The truth is it is imperative today that we divorce proof our marriages for the benefit of the children and for the benefit of each spouse in the marriage.
ii. So now we come to Restoration for the one who has become entangled in the web of divorce.
1. I have ministered to way too many people who have had to face the hurt and torment of divorce. Some have in my view been victims at the hand of a self-centered spouse who is only interested in their own pleasures and wants. I have seen what addictions can do to a marriage, what adultery can do to a marriage, what apathy can do to a marriage, and what physical and mental abuse can do to a family. Some of the couples I have worked with equally added to the demise of their marriages, both equally making mistakes and choosing not to forgive the other. Divorce - always tragic and always leaving a wake of destruction has ripped our society at an alarming rate. But the questions surfaces what do you do to help the wounded heal in light of their tragedy?
2. I have taken the following approach to divorce and restoration in my ministry. I believe in grace because God bestowed on me grace. I was once a sinner and I recognized my sinful condition and I repented and He forgave me. I know that God is a God of grace and forgiveness and this is His nature. I do not believe that divorce is the unpardonable sin. I do believe that people who have repented of their divorce and made amends with their spouses can be restored and even remarried.
3. I also am a realist and know some people are innocent victims of divorce because their spouse made certain sinful choices. We know that Jesus addressed the issue of divorce in Matthew and said because of peoples hard hearts Moses allowed men to divorce their wives because of adultery. So I look around even at the church I pastor and I see some innocent victims. These individuals will usually admit they may have added to the problems in their marriages but still remained faithful when their spouses chose not too. I believe these individuals need to admit to their responsibility in the breakup of the marriage and then forgive. Forgiveness is at the root of restoration and the Bible makes it clear that if we do not forgive then God will not forgive us. So I always tell these individuals to forgive their spouses for their own spiritual well being.
iii. The 7 steps I seek to do to lead people through to restoration are:
1. Repentance for their part in the divorce.
2. Forgiveness for them and their willingness to forgive their ex-spouse.
3. Grace shown by the Body of Christ to the individuals and the family.
4. We encourage them to get Christian Counseling so they can heal and sort through their emotions.
5. An appropriate time frame to heal and draw closer to the Lord spiritually.
6. A person placed in their life to help mentor them so they can deal with the loss in their life.
7. A person who comes out at the end of this tragedy who has learned from their mistakes and is in the position to help others heal and encourage others not to make the same mistake.
a. God hates divorce but He loves to dispense His grace to those who repent and decide to live for Him 100%. I have always said, “God uses imperfect people to do His perfect will!” This includes divorced people.
c. But don’t forget Jesus does forgive those who have gone through a divorce and its trauma. Listen to how Jesus dealt with those involved in this sin or who had went through this sin.
i. The Story of the woman caught in adultery:
1. John 8:3-11: 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group
4and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.
5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?¨
6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.
7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
10Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11”No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
a. I want to highlight to you 2 specific verse from this story:
i. John 8:7: 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
ii. John 8:11: 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
b. Jesus could have condemned this women but he choose to give her the chance to repent and to leave her life of sin to find forgiveness in the midst of her sin.
i. Every person in this life gets the opportunity to repent of sin and find forgiveness from Jesus!
ii. This is why he died on the cross - none of us can save ourselves - salvation is a gift of grace.
iii. Romans 3:9-20
1. Romans 3:23-24: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
d. Another Example: The Story of the Samaritan Woman at the well:
i. John 4:16-26
1. Jesus revealed her sinful past to her (her many divorces) and told her to worship in Spirit and Truth.
ii. John 4:39-42
1. The woman went to town and testified about Jesus and many gave their life to Jesus.
2. There it is again the gift of forgiveness -- but you have to repent and ask for forgiveness.
a. Whether you are 50% wrong, 100% wrong, 10% wrong you are still wrong and in need of forgiveness.
e. Matthew 19:1-12: “Divorce is sin plain and simple and the only way to be delivered from sin is to repent of it!”
i. The person who is able to forgive and deliver you is Jesus - you just have to ask for His forgiveness.
f. 1 Corinthians 7: Marriage, Divorce - Singleness!
i. Paul reiterates the same warning about divorce it’s wrong and he gives the same reasons Jesus did.
T.S.: Jesus wants the people listening to His teaching to understand that God hates divorce because of its tremendous gut wrenching effect on all involved and it is not to be entered in lightly or blindly. He also says the same about making oaths or vows in regards to other matters in life as well.
II. Be careful of making oaths (Matthew 5)
a. Oaths
33 Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.”
34But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.
36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
37Simply let your “Yes” be “Yes” and your “No, No” anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
i. Bottom line from Jesus: It is better to never make an oath if you intend on breaking it!
b. This comment from Jesus can also point us back to the act of getting married you should be very careful in making a covenant relationship between you and another and God it would have been better for you to have never been married than to make an oath before God with the intent of breaking it.
i. Many people look for the loop holes to break their oaths and pledges.
1. We see it all the time in the political realm of life.
2. We see it with all of the divorces happening around us.
3. We see people make foxhole oaths with God and then break them as quick as they made them.
c. IVP Bible Background Commentary:
i. People swore by all sorts of things other than God to testify that their word was true. They reasoned that if they broke their oath based on any of these lesser things, at least they were not bringing God’s name into disrepute. It eventually became necessary for *rabbis to decide which oaths were completely binding. Jesus says that everything by which one could swear is ultimately God’s, and demands that people simply be as good as their word. Jesus argues the point in part from Scripture; Isaiah 66:1 declared that heaven is God’s throne and earth is his footstool. Most people in Jewish Palestine had black or dark hair, unless they were older, in which case their hair was turning white; verse 36 would have been heard as referring to God’s control over aging. Jesus’ rule here is stricter than the letter of the law but in accord with its spirit (Deut 23:21-23; Eccles 5:5). It is possible that the *Essenes also avoided oath-taking after their initial oath to join their sect.
d. The Bible Knowledge Commentary:
i. The matter of making oaths (Lev. 19:12; Deut. 23:21) was next addressed by the Lord. The Pharisees were notorious for their oaths, which were made on the least provocation. Yet they made allowances for mental reservations within their oaths. If they wanted to be relieved of oaths they had made by heaven, by the earth, by Jerusalem, or by one’s own head, they could argue that since God Himself had not been involved their oaths were not binding. But Jesus said oaths should not even be necessary: Do not swear at all. The fact that oaths were used at all emphasized the wickedness of man¡¦s heart.
1. The truth is God is not going around like Monte Hall saying he lets make a deal!
ii. Furthermore, swearing by heaven, by the earth, or by Jerusalem is binding, since they are God’s throne footstool, and city, respectively. Even the color of the hair on their heads was determined by God (Matt. 5:36). However, Jesus later in His life responded to an oath (26:63-64), as did Paul (2 Cor. 1:23). The Lord was saying one¡¦s life should be sufficient to back up one’s words. A yes always ought to mean yes, and a no should mean no. James seems to have picked up these words of the Lord in his epistle (James 5:12).
1. The other dimension Jesus moves toward is saying “Keep your word! If you say you are going to do something do it. If you say you are not going to do something don’t do it.” Live a life with integrity and honesty!
T.S. - Oaths were to be avoided but if they were made then they were to be kept. People who are part of the Kingdom of Heaven keep their promises and are true to their words. Then Jesus moves into the act of revenge to correct another erroneous teaching of the religious leaders of the day.
III. An eye for an eye is not God’s way (Matthew 5)
a. An Eye for an Eye
38You have heard that it was said, “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.”
39But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
b. The act of revenge is not the action of one who is part of the Kingdom of Heaven - remember this is Jesus saying this.
i. Maybe he had the people in mind who after a divorce choose to make the other person¡¦s life miserable!
1. I am sure many of us have heard or even experienced revengeful divorces.
a. The kids are scarred and wounded as a result of broken relationships all around and they are severed and some left bleeding emotionally.
c. The Bible Knowledge Commentary:
i. The words Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth come from several Old Testament passages (Ex. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21); they are called the lex talionis, the law of retaliation. This law was given to protect the innocent and to make sure retaliation did not occur beyond the offense. Jesus pointed out, however, that while the rights of the innocent were protected by the Law, the righteous need not necessarily claim their rights. A righteous man would be characterized by humility and selflessness. Instead he might go the extra mile¨ to maintain peace. When wronged by being struck on a cheek, or sued for his tunic (undergarment; a cloak was the outer garment), or forced to travel with someone a mile, he would not strike back, demand repayment, or refuse to comply. Instead of retaliating he would do the opposite, and would also commit his case to the Lord who will one day set all things in order (cf. Rom. 12:17-21). This was seen to its greatest extent in the life of the Lord Jesus Himself, as Peter explained (1 Peter 2:23).
d. IVP Bible Background Commentary:
i. The “eye for an eye¨ and “tooth for a tooth¨ are part of the widespread ancient Near Eastern law of retaliation. In Israel and other cultures, this principle was enforced by a court and refers to legalized vengeance; personal vengeance was never accepted in the law of Moses, except as a concession for a relative’s murder (Num 35:18-21). The Old Testament did not permit personal vengeance; David, a great warrior, recognized this principle (1 Sam 25:33; 26:10-11).
ii. The blow on the right cheek was the most grievous insult possible in the ancient world (apart from inflicting serious physical harm), and in many cultures was listed alongside the eye for an eye laws; both Jewish and Roman law permitted prosecution for this offense. A prophet might endure such ill treatment (1 Kings 22:24; Isaiah 50:6).
iii. The poorest people of the Empire (e.g., most peasants in Egypt) had only an inner and outer garment, and the theft of a cloak would lead to legal recourse. Although conditions in first-century Palestine were not quite that bad, this verse could indicate divestiture of all one¡¦s possessions, even (*hyperbolically) one’s clothes, to avoid a legal dispute affecting only one self. Jesus gives this advice in spite of the fact that, under Jewish law, a legal case to regain one’s cloak would have been foolproof: a creditor could not take a poor person¡¦s outer cloak, which might serve as one’s only blanket at night as well as a coat (Ex 22:26-27).
iv. Roman soldiers had the legal right to impress the labor, work animal or substance of local residents (cf. Mk 15:21). Although impressment may not have happened often in Galilee, it happened elsewhere, and the fact that it could happen would be enough to raise the eyebrows of Jesus¡¦ hearers at this example of nonresistance and even loving service to the oppressor. The Jewish hierarchy favored the status quo with Rome; some revolutionaries wanted to revolt. Most Palestinian Jews in this period wanted freedom but were not revolutionaries. But by a.d. 66 Jewish Palestine was caught up in a war, and by 70 the wisdom of Jesus¡¦ course was evident: Rome won the war, and the Jewish people, led to defeat by the revolutionaries, were crushed.
v. Revenge and striking another got Peter in trouble with Jesus - Jesus rebuked Peter and healed the one he struck with his sword.
Conclusion:
So today do you find yourself saying I have committed one of those three sins? If so be encouraged because Jesus is here to offer you grace and forgiveness if you repent.
Romans 7:18, 21, 24, 25
18I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 21So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
The teaching of Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount struck to the heart of the people of the day and to the heart of the religious leaders who were twisting the truth of God’s Word. Jesus was setting everything in alignment for the cross and this series of messages caused the religious leaders to become furious and ready to have this man executed. But his time was not yet! Jesus has much more to say and do!
