The Christian Righteousness: Promises and Payback
Matt. 5:33-48
So far in Matthew we have seen that Jesus reveals the inadequacy of human behavior and religion to qualify to be a citizen of God’s Kingdom: EVERYONE is humanly inadequate to be part of the Kingdom or to serve the King. God’s Kingdom standards are infinitely higher than the law: If you think that you obey everything in the law OUTWARDLY, you have established a form of self-righteousness. Basically the Pharisees had created laws on top of the laws and so they said, "If you keep that or do this a certain way, you're alright." In doing so, they had rejected God’s Grace and God’s ATONEMENT for sin, and set their own standards. They missed the significance of the BLOOD SACRIFICE. They no longer saw themselves as people with sinful hearts, sinful intents, and thoughts.
Jesus said in Matt. 5:20: “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” God is concerned with your hearts, not your external “system”. You are sinners; your hearts are angry and hateful toward God.
Jesus says: “You think it's enough not to KILL, God says don't even get angry. (Don’t even THINK angry.) You think it's enough not to commit ADULTERY, God says you shouldn't even think it in your heart. You think it's enough to do the paperwork when you get a DIVORCE, God says you shouldn't even get a divorce, except for fornication. Your standards are far below God’s.”
PROMISES and Oaths
Today we look at Matthew 5:33 (This is the NAS): "Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.' 34 "But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. 36 "Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.”
Back in Deut. 23:21, God said: "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the LORD your God will surely require it of you. 22 "However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you. 23 "You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God, what you have promised.”
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jonathan and David in the Old Testament were just some of those who made oaths, but they made their promises IN THE COMPANY of GOD, and they were saying that because God was their witness, “Lord God, if I break this promise, YOU deal with me!” All promises or oaths are not bad, but God IS OUR witness, whether we recognize that or not, so BE CAREFUL: When you make any promise, you should know that GOD IS your WITNESS.
Because every Promise or oath IS made in the presence of God, they are meant to be kept! We live IN A WORLD in which EVERYONE is BORN with the sin nature of Adam. Satan is the Father of all lies and LIARS (John 8:44) and so sin and lying, false testimony and taking God’s name in vain have been passed “naturally” to everyone that comes into this world.
It was not any different in Jesus’ day: The scribes and Pharisees knew that all men are liars. In Leviticus 19:12, where it says, "You shall not swear by My name falsely," the Pharisees interpreted it this way: “IT’s ok if you lie as long as you don’t do it by God’s name. If you take an oath, it’s ok if you break it, as long as you did not take it in God’s name.” This is what they did with dozens of laws. You can see why Jesus’ teachings shocked and disheveled the Pharisees. Jesus uncovered the lies of man’s heart. God looks BEHIND the masks.
In Psalm 64:2, God says, "The wicked delight in lies." Jeremiah 9 says the world lies; in Jeremiah 23, it says that false prophets lie. In Isaiah 57, hypocrites lie. In I Timothy 4, apostates lie. What is the end of all liars? All liars shall find their part in the lake of fire, which burns forever (Revelation 21-22).
Matthew 15:18 says: "Those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man." The things that you speak are the thermometer of the heart: the things you speak show whether you have GOD’s TRUTH in you or not. God never makes a promise higher than Himself because He IS TRUTH. Jesus ends this section with verse 37: "But let your statement (LOGOS, Word, speech, communication) be, 'Yes, yes ' (The words Jesus used often: Truly, truly) or 'No, no '; anything beyond these is of evil.”
Again, WE have the enormous benefit of having ALL God’s Word. We know that If we have the Truth of God and the Lord Jesus (the LOGOS and Word) in US, there shouldn’t be the NECESSITY to take an oath or make a promise: Oaths and promises are on account of Human Fallen-ness and dishonesty, but followers of Christ should be FULL of Truthfulness. If your WORD is from THE WORD, HIS WORD is sufficient for you. Anything beyond that is from the evil one. Psalm 51:6 “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.”
PAYBACK
Matt. 5: 38: "You have heard that it was said, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE, (Ophthalmos) AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.' 39 "But I say to you, do not resist (Anthistemi) an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 "If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. 41 "Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 "Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.”
The Old Testament law taught the principle of EXACT RETRIBUTION: lex talionis. It is the oldest law in the world: “tit for tat”, 'quid pro quo.' It means EQUAL PUNISHMENT FOR THE CRIME, but it was not established for people to be vindictive but to RESTRAIN people. Law protects the weak and innocent and punishes the guilty. The Law acts as a deterrent from hurting others and God’s laws were meant to be just, righteous and good because PEOPLE ARE NOT GOOD.
In Exodus 21: 23 God said this: "But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. 26 "If a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave, and destroys it, he shall let him go free on account of his eye. 27 "And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall LET HIM GO FREE on account of his tooth.”
Here God says: If you are a slave owner and you get angry with one of your slaves and you cause him to lose an eye or even a TOOTH, YOU are going to lose much more than an eye or a tooth. You have to pay a HIGHER price than an eye or tooth: You have to set the slave free! You have to ENTIRELY forgive the ENTIRE debt of your servant because of your one moment and act of anger.
If you want vengeance, you have to think about this: What would become of YOU if God decided to live by “an EYE FOR AN EYE”? Would you want God to exercise EXACT PUNISHMENT on you? The Law was given to demonstrate the extreme hardness of the heart and our total INABILITY to keep the law, unless our hearts have been softened and changed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ Kingdom moves from the external deeds of reaction and retribution, to the internal reaction of a saved and regenerated heart.
In our world, we are super-conscious about our “RIGHTS” to the point that we think it is OUR RIGHT to get EVEN. Jesus doesn’t teach that at all. Don’t you be vindictive and vengeful to others but allow the law to award punishment. DON’T take the law into your own hands. The Pharisees would use the law for their benefit, but would diminish the punishment and find ways to circumvent the law when they deemed that it was too harsh or too difficult to follow.
Jesus gives four examples to demonstrate His point: “If someone SLAPS you on the cheek, turn the other one too.” Here Jesus is talking about an open-handed slap that would be considered AN INSULT; it is used more to humiliate a person than to injure someone, however, in our world, the reaction would be to strike back with a solid PUNCH in the nose and say, “There! You’ll never slap me again!” Jesus says: “Don’t seek retribution in court or in CONTACT if someone insults you.” Don’t strike back.
When Jesus was insulted, “He opened not His mouth,” and He didn’t retaliate: As a matter of fact, it is you and I who have constantly slapped Jesus, giving Him one hit after another, sin after sin, broken promise after another, and He did not retaliate. He just takes your insults. When you are insulted, you should have the same MIND as Christ.
The second example is giving someone, not only “the shirt off your back,” but your coat too. Under Jewish law, the tunic (the shirt), the undergarment, could be required as payment if you lost a court battle, but you could not take away someone’s outer-garment; that was a permanent possession which protected a person from the elements and many times served as a nighttime covering.
Jesus says: The law might require you to give up your tunic for restitution, but I say be willing to give up MORE than the law requires RATHER than seek your own satisfaction or vengeance. The Pharisees would say: I’ll only give up what the law requires. I won’t go any further. Jesus says, “NO GOOD.” If that’s your attitude, you’re falling far short of a righteous heart. You have to shed the clothing of your own self- righteousness and receive God’s righteousness, a righteousness that is given, not earned.
The third illustration is in verse 41: "Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.” These illustrations are actually parables, teaching us spiritual truths from earthly examples. The Roman army could compel its citizens to carry loads for its soldiers and that caused outrage among the Jews. The natural man says: I’ll give what I have to give according to the law’s requirement, and not more, but Jesus says, when it comes to the KINGDOM OF God, you are to go far beyond what is required by law: Jesus says: The first mile is required, of anyone and everyone, but the second is offered freely. A life that is controlled by the Spirit of God follows NOT the letter of the LAW, but the internal leading of God’s Spirit.
The fourth example is in verse 42: "Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.” Luke 6:30 says: "Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.” Christians have a generous and giving spirit that doesn’t require payback. That Kind of spirit doesn’t expect anything in return.
43"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (In our society we often erect HIGH FENCES in order to just TOLERATE neighbors! Loving them is just too impossible!) 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven ; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Your neighbors are receiving God’s common gifts of grace every day in the same way that you are, but they do not know God’s saving love. It’s your responsibility to show them a greater love.)
46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47"If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?”
I had some Jehovah’s Witnesses come to my door today. I listened politely and when they asked if I knew where the Kingdom Hall was, I asked them if they knew where New Hope Bible Church was (NEXT DOOR). We exchanged some questions and answers and before they left, the man said: “I have to tell you something, Ron: MOST people treat us so poorly when we come to the door but You have been kind and loving in every way; that really impressed me and I would like to talk with you some more.” That’s what I prayed for when I saw them at the door: “Lord, help me to show them your love.”
Look at Matthew 5:48. Jesus says, “Be perfect even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” Jesus is saying: To be in My Kingdom, you have to be perfect." This reminded me of God’s command to: “Be Holy, for I am Holy.” The Pharisees believed in their hearts that because they kept low standards of God’s law, WHICH THEY HAD DEVISED, they were justified before God.
Jesus presents this question to us: “Do you think you are HOLY or Perfect? In your life and heart, you actually prove that YOU don’t have the resources nor the ability to be Holy or to be Perfect, or even CLOSE to it. Don’t think for a moment that you can walk arm in arm into the Kingdom of God with self-righteousness, an absence of repentance, an imperfect love for others, or an absence of sorrow toward sin. You need MY righteousness.
It is NOT merely an ethical external righteousness. It extends beyond that. It is not only about DOING.. but about BEING and BECOMING. It is not about a love that performs to a certain extent and stops because it is not receiving something in return. It is about a Heavenly LOVE, an unrestricted and unconditional LOVE, a Godly and PERFECT LOVE. IT is about a GRACIOUS, complete, fulfilling LOVE that receives all kinds of abuse and retaliation, and yet LOVES.
How crazy is that? Luke 6:36 puts it this way: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Do you wonder what that looks like? We know the rest of the story. We know what it looks like because we have met Jesus! It is about Christ’s love. It is not about a love that is achieved but about a love that is given freely. He gives people of His KINGDOM this love in their hearts and gives them a KINGDOM HEART, a heavenly heart with a heavenly LOVE so that they WILL be able to share that LOVE with a world that is bent on doing things their own way and satisfying themselves instead of honoring and loving Him.
While we are here on this earth, we only have it in part, but WE HAVE IT. It is the gift of HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS being revealed in us. It is Christ in us, the HOPE OF GLORY, being revealed to a world that is exactly the OPPOSITE.
OUTLINE:
Themes of Matthew
1. The King is revealed.
2. The King is rejected.
3. The King returning.
I. Promises and Oaths
A. All promises or oaths are not bad, but God IS OUR witness.
B. Promises or oaths are meant to be kept.
C. If your WORD is from THE WORD, His WORD should be sufficient for you.
II. “An Eye for an Eye”: Don’t take the law into your own hands.
A. If Someone SLAPS you. (vs. 39)
1. Don’t seek retribution in court or in CONTACT if someone INSULTS you.
2. You have slapped Jesus over and over with your insults.
B. If someone SUES you. (vs. 40)
1. Be willing to give up MORE than the law requires RATHER than seek your own satisfaction.
2. Sacrifice your self- righteousness for a righteousness that is GIVEN by God.
C. Go the extra MILE. (vs. 41)
1. The natural man says: I will only go as far as the law’s requirement.
2. Jesus says: The first mile is required, the second is offered.
D. If someone is in NEED (vs. 42)
1. Christians have a generous giving spirit.
2. That kind of spirit expects nothing in return.
III. The Christian’s Righteousness. (vs. 43-48)
A. Is not merely ethical.
B. Is not merely doing, but about BEING and BECOMING.
C. Is displayed as an UNCONDITIONAL and UNRESTRICED love.
