This week’s sermon is on Matthew 5:21-37. I found Marcia Y. Riggs commentary in Feasting on the Word, Year A, Volume 1 helpful, especially page 356. Here’s the sermon:
This is our third week in a row looking at Matthew 5, Jesus’ sermon on the mount, and I think this is the most challenging section. If you were here last week, you might possibly remember where we left off. This is Matthew 5:17-20:
Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
In order to enter the kingdom of heaven, you need to have righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and the Pharisees.
Remember, the scribes are the professional religious folks, the keepers of the law and the temple. The Pharisees are a religious sect who devote their entire lives to following God’s law as strictly as possible, doing everything they can to be righteous before God, to be in good standing under God’s law. And Jesus says our righteousness needs to exceed theirs.
In today’s final section of Matthew 5, Jesus gives some examples of what he means.
In the Ten Commandments, the 5th commandment “You shall not kill” means not only avoiding murdering someone, but also avoiding even getting angry at them or insulting them.
The 7th commandment to not commit adultery means more than not betraying your spouse by having sex with someone else, it means don’t even look at another person lustfully. It’s a ridiculously high standard!
Jesus also gets rid of some of the excuses we use for sin. When you find yourself looking lustfully at another person, the remedy is not for that person to go away or stop tempting you, the solution is for you to stop looking. Are you distracted by what someone else is wearing? That’s on you, says Jesus.
No one else can make you stray into adultery. It doesn’t matter how they’re dressed, or what time they’re out. You need to do what you need to do to avoid sin, tearing out your eye if it’s leading you astray. This passage, by the way, is good proof that pretty much takes the Bible completely literally.
I’ll share with you one of my temptations: You know how stores sometimes have merchandise out in front of the store? Like in the summer, Dollar General will have patio furniture or flowers or pool noodles or whatever sitting outside on the edge of the parking lot? I see that and I think, “I bet no one would notice if I took it. I don’t know if there are cameras, but it’s Dollar General – I’m willing to bet on it.”
If I were to take their merchandise, I’d be the one at fault for taking it. If I were caught, I couldn’t go to court and say, “Well, they left it there and it was just so tempting. Obviously they were asking for it. They liked what I did. They liked that I took their stuff.” See how ridiculous that sounds?
Remember, Jesus just said, “Do not think I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish, but to fulfill.” Jesus isn’t getting rid of God’s commands; he’s reinterpreting them. He’s not just saying we need to do better than the Pharisees at being righteous; he’s reshaping what righteousness looks like.
Jesus is going back to what God intended, getting rid of loopholes. You can’t say anymore, “Well, I didn’t kill him, so I’m ok. I treated him poorly, I was angry at him for years, I shunned him, but I didn’t kill him.” God’s intent is not just that people don’t literally stab or shoot each other, but that people live in peace and harmony with each other, that people act with integrity and justice.
The hardest part for me in this lesson is the section on divorce. Jesus says, “Anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” Yikes – how do we wrestle with that?
Well, first, remember the intent. Again, Jesus is fulfilling the law, pointing us back to God’s intent. The law is a good thing. The Psalm we just read together was celebrating the blessing of the law—happy are they who walk the law of the Lord. God has given us a wonderful gift—instructions on how to live well, how to live the abundant life God intends for us. The law is there to manage the sin that breaks down the world, the sin that breaks relationships, the sin that pulls us away from God towards ourselves.
Life is better when we’re living God’s way. When God says don’t commit adultery, it’s not to stop us from doing some fun activity; it’s to protect relationships.
Of course, we humans are really good at acting as lawyers and picking apart the law. But here comes Jesus getting rid of the loopholes. It’s not enough to say, “Well, I didn’t technically commit adultery. I didn’t sleep with her. (Or, for that matter, “I didn’t sleep with him,” I’m quite sure this applies to more than just one gender – that would be another loophole.) There are lots of ways to violate the marriage covenant beyond just technical adultery. Jesus says don’t do them. Don’t play with fire. Don’t look at others with lust.
What makes this passage so tricky is the reality of brokenness and sin in our world, and the fact that marriage is a two-way covenant. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again.
When you get married, you’re making a life-long commitment, a sacred covenant. The marriage relationship is intended to be a reflection of God’s relationship with us. But in this broken world, sin gets in the way. Sometimes it can be overcome, sometimes it can’t. Sometimes it’s more one person, sometimes it’s both.
Divorce is wrong. It’s a tragedy. It’s the public breaking of a public vow. Divorce goes against God’s intention for creation.
But hear this. Divorce is not the problem. In fact, divorce is more likely to be the solution than the problem. By the time divorce happens in our context, the relationship has already been damaged beyond repair. When one or both of the people in a marriage have failed to live up to their vows, divorce might well be the best option. It’s a better option than staying in an abusive relationship. It might be a better option than living with a partner who is unfaithful. Divorce is never a good thing, but it might be a necessary thing. By the time divorce happens, it’s a recognition of the reality that the marriage covenant is no longer in force.
In all this talk of the law and Jesus intensifying the commandments, remember also that God is in the business of forgiveness. None of this is possible without God’s grace.
The lesson from 1st Corinthians tells us, “It is God who gives the growth.” It’s not about how hard we try, or how good our teachers are, it’s about God working in us. “You are God’s field, God’s building.” Our righteousness comes from God, not from what we do. What we do, the way we live, is in response to Jesus making us righteous. Our lives are different from the way the world lives, because we know the truth the world is still longing to hear.
Everything in this entire Sermon on the Mount is about life in God’s kingdom. Three weeks ago, we heard that in the light of God’s kingdom, the peacemakers, the merciful, even those who are mourning or persecuted, are all blessed. Last week, we heard God’s light is shining through us, God is using us as salt to bring out the flavors of God’s kingdom. This week, we learn that life in God’s kingdom means following not just the letter but the intent of God’s law. Relationships are at the heart of God’s kingdom, and they’re worth restoring.
The last section of this reading is really interesting. Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’” Makes sense, right? A vow before God is pretty serious, and you better follow through. But Jesus says, “Do not swear at all…let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.”
If we’re living by the standards of God’s kingdom, we don’t need to swear certain vows, because we’ll just always be honest. One of the funny things I’ve found as a pastor is that sometimes people start a story, and then say, “Oh, I can’t say that because the pastor’s here.” Or, “I can’t say that because I’m in church.”
First, I’m not as delicate as some people seem to think, and I enjoy hearing funny stories. But what I really want to say is what I think Jesus is saying here: If it’s not appropriate to say in church, it’s probably not appropriate to say anywhere else!
Stealing from Dollar General wouldn’t be any worse on a Sunday than on a Thursday – it’s wrong all the time. Valuing and protecting relationships is important all the time, not only because of marriage vows.
If we’re living as citizens of God’s kingdom, let’s act like it, consistently, everywhere we go in God’s kingdom, inside and outside the church building.
As Jesus said a few verses earlier, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. May our lives witness to God’s kingdom.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for the gift of the law. Thank you for showing us a better way to live. Thank you for claiming us as citizens of your kingdom. Help us to live as people who have been made righteous, to live out the truth of your gospel, and to share your love. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.