MAIN POINT
The ETHIC of the KINGDOM: True
Jesus begins here in 5:21 to show God’s BLUEPRINT for how He designed His creation to be fully human, how TRUE HUMANITY is designed by God to be and relate to one another.
6 EXAMPLES of TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS and how it creates TRUE HUMANITY
MURDER
Man’s STANDARD of RIGHTEOUSNESS: Do not MURDER
Jesus’s STANDARD of RIGHTEOUSNESS: Do not be ANGRY
Jesus is going to show that TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS goes way beyond the command against murder to the ATTITUDES towards other humans that would lead to the act of murder.
Jesus’ standard of TRUE righteousness and humanity was measured not by whether you killed someone, but by not letting yourself get anywhere near the point where you TREATED them like they were dead.
Jesus’ disciples should conquer their anger so that it doesn’t lead anywhere else by RECONCILING with anyone who they are at odds with as quickly as possible.
ADULTERY
Man’s STANDARD of RIGHTEOUSNESS: Do not COMMIT ADULTERY
Jesus’s STANDARD of RIGHTEOUSNESS: Do not LUST
Jesus says the command to not commit adultery goes deeper to not even LOOKING at another person in an intentionally or deliberately covetous way.
The point Jesus makes is that His disciples must take sexual purity SERIOUSLY and deal with it way beyond the surface.
OATHS
Man’s STANDARD of RIGHTEOUSNESS: Fulfill your PROMISES
Jesus’s STANDARD of RIGHTEOUSNESS: Simple YES is sufficient
Jesus demands that his disciples be COMPLETELY honest and trustworthy without having to take any oaths or involving God’s name.
DIVORCE
Man’s STANDARD of RIGHTEOUSNESS: WIDE OPEN reasons for divorce
Jesus’s STANDARD of RIGHTEOUSNESS: VERY NARROW reasons for divorce (if any at all)
God’s DESIGN for marriage is one man and one woman for one lifetime.
As Jesus followers we must treat our marriages with the UTMOST regard because marriage is designed to picture Christ and His relationship to the church.
RETALIATION
Man’s STANDARD of RIGHTEOUSNESS: Respond IN KIND with those who injure you
Jesus’s STANDARD of RIGHTEOUSNESS: Respond DIFFERENTLY than those who injure you
What Jesus teaches here is that God’s people are not to retaliate PERSONALLY or excuse their own sin due other’s behavior.
LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
Man’s STANDARD of RIGHTEOUSNESS: Love your NEIGHBOR
Jesus’s STANDARD of RIGHTEOUSNESS: Love your ENEMIES as well
The idea here behind being perfect is living in the way you were DESIGNED to live.
Jesus exposes the IMPOSSIBILITY of self-righteousness fulfilling the Law by showing how deep sin goes, to our thoughts and motives, not merely superficial actions.
Jesus alone offers a righteousness that meets God’s standard and EXCEEDS that of the scribes and Pharisees, perfection.