We love our pets. We especially love the affection we might receive from them. Have you ever wondered how often that affection has more to do with what they want from you? I’ve noticed my daughter’s cat is especially friendly right around meal time.
We can probably ask the same question about our own actions, especially in regard to our relationship with God. How often is what we do out of love for God and love for others? And how often is it because we want something from God?
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The teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5:17-48 can raise that question. Why do we do the things we do? Is there a better way? What does Jesus expect?
The truth is, Jesus’s expectations are higher than we might think. We focus on His grace and forgiveness but forget that whenever He spoke about our actions, he set the bar higher, not lower.
What does it mean to fulfill the law?
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 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.
Matthew 5:17-20 (NIV)
In his book on the Sermon on the Mount, Jeremy Bacon points out that the book of Deuteronomy, where Moses recites the covenant and the law to the people of Israel, reads a lot like a covenant between an emporor and a vassal state. It starts with a history of the relationship, then gets into the terms and conditions (what’s expected of the people). Finally at the end, you find blessings and curses, spelling out the blessings when people adhere to the contract and the curses when they break the covenant.
With that in mind, pay attention to what Paul wrote in Galatians 3:
For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Galatians 3:10-14 (NIV)
Jesus, through His sinless life, was the only one to ever fully qualify for the blessings of the covenant. You could say that he’s offered a trade to us: “I’ll take the curse that you’ve earned onto myself, and I’ll give you the blessings that are due to me in exchange.”
When He tells us that we can’t enter the Kingdom unless our righteousness surpasses the Pharisees, we realize that our only real hope comes because Jesus offers His righteousness to us.
Are we as bad as murders?
You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Matthew 5:21-22 (NIV)
Thou shalt not murder” might feel to us like one of the easier commands to keep. But how often have we called anyone a fool or an idiot? What would an examination of our social media interactions tell us?
Our interactions can dehumanize someone else. We might consider someone a piece of garbage or worse. The names we call people can reveal an attitude that they are “less than.” We can love if someone looks or acts or believes like us, but what is our attitude towards someone who disagrees with us politically or religiously?
When we claim to follow Jesus we need to see them through His eyes. We need to treat them as people made in the image of God, as people Jesus loved enough to die for.
Adultery even when faithful
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Matthew 5:27-30 (NIV)
There’s a real danger in the way we relate to people that comes from how we see them. Do we see our spouse as a partner and an equal, or do we think of them as property that can be discarded? When we lust after another person we stop seeing them as a person and instead only see their looks. They become objects.
While we might not technically cheat, our attitudes often reveal an adulterous heart.
What’s wrong with making an oath?
Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Matthew 5:33-37 (NIV)
In Biblical times, it was understood that you cannot break an oath made to God. In that environment, the only time you would make an oath that swears by earth or Jerusalem or by your parents or your own head is if you want to give yourself some wiggle room.
I just heard someone use the term “weasle words.” It’s a perfect description of what I think is going on here. We make promises in creative ways in order to entice someone to do what we want them to do. It’s really a form of manipulation.
There are two principles at play in these words. One is that we need to be true to our words. The other is perhaps more subtle: we need to honor those we deal with by our promises. We don’t need to word things just such a way to get them to do what we want. We’ll either do it or we won’t. That’s enough.
Standing up for our rights
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Matthew 5:38-42
Jesus speaks here of several situations where our instinct is to fight for our rights. If someone strikes us or sues us or forces us into something we don’t want to do, our instinct is to stand up for ourselves.
If a right-handed person slaps you and the slap lands on your right cheek, it was probably a back-handed slap. This was highly offensive and probably came from a place of someone being offended or hurt by what we’ve said or done.
We normally think we have two options when someone comes after us or violates our rights. One is to fight back so that we can still win. The other is to give in, and they win.
Jesus says, “none of the above.” He says to go above and beyond, to do the unexpected. His option isn’t about winning or losing, it’s about grace. Do we see the other person? Can we love them in spite of what they are doing to us?
Love is what it all boils down to
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:43-48
As we dive into these different teachings, do you notice a common thread? Each time, it seems to point to whether we see the person we’re interacting with. Do we look at them as adversaries, as objects, or as people created in the image of God who need a relationship with God in the same way that we do?
Jesus begins this section announcing He has fulfilled the law. And then as He comes full circle to this statement to love our enemies, we can’t help but think of what He said in Matthew 22, that the entire law and the prophets hang on the commandments to love God and to love our neighbors.
Love God.
Love your neighbor.
That’s what it all comes down to.
We have a tendency to read these teachings and treat them like more laws. We miss the point when we do this. When we see these teachings as being about how to make God happy or about more things we should do, we make it all about us.
And Jesus is teaching us, it’s about them. He wants us to see them. He wants us to love them. And he wants us to pray for them.
When we follow Jesus, his love (which is reflected in us) is the basis for what we do.
Not because we have to. Not because we should. We respond out of love.