Sermon on the Mount
“Oaths, Retribution, and Love”
Matthew 5:33-48
Mary Poppins, after her first adventure with Jane and Michael Banks when they promised to be good so that she would never leave. She said, “That’s a pie crust promise; easily made, easily broken.”
With this statement in mind lets’ take a look at this first section of tonight’s message.
Read Matthew 5:33-37
Actually what Jesus quotes them saying is not found in the Bible; instead it’s a compilation of various Old Testament scriptures concerning oaths. Let’s take a look at these.
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7 NKJV)
“And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:12 NKJV)
“If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” (Numbers 30:2 NKJV)’’
“When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you.” (Deuteronomy 23:21)
The law says that if someone makes a vow or an oath and breaks it, it’s tantamount to swearing falsely and committing perjury. And not only are they showing a lack of reverence to God; but they were also guilty and liable for whatever they promised.
Because of this the people of Israel created an elaborate set of rules and regulations by which oaths were to be given.
Today we say, “I swear to God,” “I’m dying if I’m lying,” or “May lighting strike me if I’m lying.” Personally I’d back away as soon as soon as I can.
Back in Jesus’ day they developed elaborate formulas limiting their exposure and the consequences attached. We can see these elaborate formulas in Matthew 23.
Read Matthew 23:16-22
Jesus is pronouncing Gods’ displeasure at the Pharisee’s hypocrisy, especially in the taking of oaths.
They were trying to find ways where they could swear oaths and limit their liability. What we see is that it depended solely upon how closely it related to God’s name. What Jesus did, however, was to point out that no matter what they swore upon, it still referenced God.
(Back to Matthew 5 and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount)
Heaven is God’s throne, earth is God’s footstool, and Jerusalem is His holy city. Even the hairs on our head are out of our control, not matter what Miss Clairol says. It may cover, but it cannot change. Ultimately it’s all under God’s control.
What Jesus is saying is that no matter what formula is used, all vows and oaths are completely binding.
It seems that making a vow wasn’t done to verity the truth, as it was to avoid the consequences or avoid fulfilling what was promised. Basically taking oaths back then was a clever method of deceit and lies, which is why Jesus continually called them hypocrites.
What Jesus did, as He has been doing, is taking them back to the original intent of the law saying, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’”
The original intent was that a person’s word was their bond. A person’s character and reputation hinges upon their words.
Our word is our bond, and no one should ever question the honesty and truthfulness of what we say, because it should be said of us that our word is sufficient. We should mean what we say and say what we mean.
Our word should be all that’s needed. Our words should contain nothing but the truth. Jesus said, anything less than the truth comes from the author of lies and deception, Satan.
John Stott said, “Swearing (taking oaths,) is really a pathetic confession of our own dishonesty.” And A.M. Hunter said, “Oaths arise because men are so often liars.”
What Jesus was saying by simplifying the language to yes and no is that a simple word is enough, that our language or words need no elaboration. If you had good time say, “I had a good time,” without all the adjectives attached.
This particular verse of letting your yes be yes and your no be no and not taking a vow has been used by some not to take a oath in a court of law when they ask you to swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God while laying your hand upon a Bible.
But does Scripture support this view of not taking oaths?
First we see the Lord took an oath.
“By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son.” (Genesis 22:16 NKJV)
The purpose of God’s oaths was to increase and confirm a person’s faith, and not like our oaths, which we make to increase our credibility.
Jesus even allowed Himself to be put under an oath. Caiaphas said, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.” (Matthew 26:63 NKJV), and Jesus answered, “It is as you said.” (Matthew 26:64 NKJV)
And so Jesus is emphasizing honesty and truthfulness in the words we use, because honest people don’t have to resort to making oaths.
Let’s continue our study by looking at the second topic, and that’s retribution.
Read Matthew 5:38-42
Jesus is responding to the law of exact retribution, which in this case is the dispensing of punishment. If someone suffered an injury or loss they had a legal right to repayment in kind.
The law states,
“But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Exodus 21:23-25 NKJV)
The law set boundaries on retaliation in order to control excessive behavior and personal vengeance. But Jesus pointed to a more perfect way, a way of responding to wrongs that’s more in keeping with righteousness and mercy than judgment, and is based on love.
The way Jesus tells us is by not resisting the person perpetrating the injustice. To “not resist” means not to oppose or set ourselves against them. This doesn’t mean we don’t oppose or condone evil; rather we’re not to seek retribution or revenge.
This is the exact principle brought out by the Apostle Paul in Romans 12
Read Romans 12:17-21
This same principle was also lived out in Jesus’ life and death. Jesus was both falsely arrested and falsely accused. He was spit upon, brutally beaten, publically humiliated, and jeered. Yet He never retaliated but forgave. He mirrored for us self-control and love that He expects from those who are His disciples.
Jesus then gives us four different scenarios to drive home the point.
Scenario One
“But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” (Matthew 5:39 NKLV)
This goes beyond physical violence. The slap was administered by the back of the person’s right hand hitting the right cheek of the other person. It wasn’t about getting hit, however, rather it was an insulting blow, or what we’d call a backhanded slap.
In an odd sort of way, it’s easier to get slapped than it is to take an insult. Our honor has been impugned, and we must therefore retaliate to save honor, or to save face.
Jesus is saying that we are to give way to the insult and not retaliate in kind.
Scenario Two
“If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.” (Matthew 5:40 NKJV)
The tunic was ones inner garment, while the cloak was the outer garment. By law the cloak was the one thing no one could take away even if it had been pledged. By law it was to be returned at night.
What Jesus is saying is rather than seeking satisfaction for a wrongful decision; instead we are to give them more than what they asked for.
This leads into the next scenario
Scenario Three
“And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.” (Matthew 5:41 NKJV)
Palestine was occupied by the Roman Empire, and under their rule a citizen could be compelled to carry a soldiers burden for one mile, but no further.
Jesus wanted His disciples not to be spiteful but rather helpful and willing to go that extra mile to show their love for Him.
Scenario Four
“Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.” (Matthew 5:42 NKJV)
There’s not any harm done in this scene, but what is evil is that they were looking to take something, and what Jesus says is that we need to be willing to give and not withhold from those in need.
These scenarios were given by Jesus to make the point that our responses to other’s needs should be based upon and limited to both our love and what the Bible tells us. Jesus is telling us we need to return good for evil, and not visa versa, and a disciple doesn’t demand their own rights through acts of selfishness.
Let’s now look at our last topic, and that’s love
Read Matthew 5:43-48
Right off the bat we see they were perverting the law. They were perverting it in both what was omitted and what was added. The law states
“You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:18 NKJV)
What we see is that their statement omits the words, “as yourself,” in loving our neighbor. They left out the standard by which they were to love.
Next we see their adding the statement of hating one’s enemies. They did this by saying that since one’s neighbor is a Jew, then everyone else must be their enemy.
But God’s word talks about doing good by our enemies.
“If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.” (Proverbs 25:21-22 NKJV)
Many take this to mean that by heaping coals upon their heads was to punish or make them feel guilty or something like that. But to heap coals of fire on someone’s head wasn’t a curse or doing them harm; rather it was a blessing.
Jesus then uses our heavenly Father as an example of the kind of love we’re to have, and that is a boundless love, where blessings are sent in the form of sunshine and rain upon both the good and the evil, the just and the unjust.
It’s the same love God demonstrates towards us. The Bible says that while we were still sinners, God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us, Romans 5:8.
Jesus is calling us to the same radical love, one that even prays for those who harm us like He did upon the cross saying, “Father, forgive them, for they on not know what they do.” (Luke 23:24 NKJV)
What’s really convicting about this prayer is the Greek wording indicates Jesus continued to pray this while upon the cross, even as they were driving the nails through His hands and feet.
If Jesus continued to pray for them under these circumstances, what could anybody do against us to stop us from praying for and forgiving them?
Jesus is calling us into a radical love, a love that exceeds human boundaries.
Jesus ends by saying that we are to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, which we in no way can fulfill. But in the context of this passage, the perfection required is that of love. That we are to love others the same way God loves us, even to those who harm us or don’t love us in return.
As followers of Christ we must strive to love others, even our enemies, as God loves them. How much is that? He gave His only Son, Jesus, to die for them as for us who were once His enemies as well.
Conclusion
In what we’ve read, Jesus is calling us to a greater righteousness and love than what is portrayed by the world. This righteousness can’t be attained through good works, or through the keeping the law. Rather it’s a deeper righteousness, the righteousness of Christ living inside all those who believe, and it’s a righteousness that’s being worked out in us and through us to this lost and dying world.
