Bible Studies for Life Series for October 28: RESPECT–Find out what it means

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Posted: 10/18/07

Bible Studies for Life Series for October 28

RESPECT–Find out what it means

• Matthew Matthew 5:33-48

By Steve Dominy

First Baptist Church, Gatesville

In Matthew 5:21-48, Jesus gives us six specific examples of his radical new ethic. For Jesus, it is not enough to think rightly; we also must act rightly. The kingdom of God is about more than following a set of rules or agreeing with a certain set of principles. It is about living as a citizen of God’s kingdom in this world.

The implication of Jesus’ teaching in this section is that his followers will live differently than the rest of the world. The six examples in this section give concrete form to being salt and light and having a greater righteousness than the Pharisees and the teachers of the law.

Last week, we covered the first three of Jesus’ examples; this week the second three. All of these are more than just high ideals Jesus sets for us. Each of these deals with the means of transformation in very real situations. The worst form of Christianity is one that is disassociated from real life—one that makes no connection with the way that we live in the real world. Jesus will have none of that. Each of these examples deals with real-world situations and a Christian response in them.

Matthew 5:33-37 deals with our integrity. Most specifically, it deals with integrity in our speech. There are times when our interpretation of this passage focuses on the wrong verse. If we focus on verse 34, “But I tell you, Do not swear at all …,” then the emphasis quickly becomes negative—do not swear or take an oath.

Some Christians have refused to ever swear an oath. The Quakers in particular come to mind. But an oath is needed only if our word is not reliable. Jesus’ teaching here is not so much a directive against taking oaths as it is about truthfulness and integrity.

The imperative in Jesus’ teaching is that our speech has integrity. In each of the examples in this section, Jesus goes beyond the normal expectations. He moves from actions to the motives behind those actions and goes to the root of our negative actions.

Our speech is no different. Jesus makes the point here that our speech gives evidence to who we really are. If we need to take oaths because our word is unreliable, then the implication is that it is not our speech that can’t be trusted; we can’t be trusted. Jesus makes this point abundantly clear in Mark 7:20-23: “He went on: ‘What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’” When we are being transformed by the grace of Christ, it is evidenced in every area of our lives. Our speech is evidence of that transformation.

There is an apt saying, “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” We can take that several ways, but the best may be that we are not to strike out in the heat of the moment, but take the time to reflect on what happened. Matthew 5:38-42 deals with revenge. As we go throughout the Bible, we see a standard applied that is more and more strict. The passage Jesus quotes is from Deuteronomy 19. It sets a higher standard than had previously been the law of the land. It expressed the principle of exact retribution and served to restrain revenge, to limit it to what had been taken. But even this did not stop the cycle. It did not deal with the symptoms of revenge.

Jesus takes this principle a step further, insisting on an attitude that refuses to claim our rights. The Apostle Paul deals with a similar issue in 1 Corinthians in two places. In chapter 9, Paul goes into detail about the rights he has as an apostle of Jesus. He concludes: “But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

He applies that same principle in chapter 6. When the Corinthians boast everything is permissible, his response is, “But not everything is beneficial.” Matthew 5:39-42 provides illustrations of that attitude, not legalistic rules. All deal with the benefit of the kingdom and transform revenge to restoration.

Loving those who love us is easy. Loving those who reciprocate is something everyone does; it is expected. But Jesus raises the stakes here. We are to love those who desire our harm. The problem with this is that the Sermon on the Mount is not the only time Jesus tells us this is what we are to do. This passage is the peak of the section and reveals to us what exceeding the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees really looks like. Our righteousness must exceed theirs in including others in love.

Jesus gives us some clues on how to begin to practice love for our enemies. The first clue is prayer, yet that is usually our last option. Praying for our enemies allows God to have his way with us in that relationship. Praying for our enemies opens the door for God to have a say in the way we respond. Praying for our enemies opens the door for God to strengthen us in the way that he wants us to respond. Praying in this way opens us to love as God loves and marks us as his people.


Discussion questions

• How would your life be different if you were not a follower of Christ?

• Which of these three examples have been most convicting to you?

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