But I say to you; Pt. 1

Jesus has been teaching about the character and the quality of the Kingdom dweller, the influence of the kingdom dweller and the righteousness too. Now Starts a section for the rest of chapter known as the antithesis. It will all make sense as we work our way through this week and next.

The thesis (Mt5:20)

So what does thesis mean? (stop, ask the question; wait for answers)

the·sis /ˈTHēsis/ noun; a statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved.

So here is the thesis:

Matthew 5:20 NASB95

20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

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The antithesis

Murder (Mt5:21-26); Adultery (Mt5:27-30)

Divorce (Mt5:31-32); Vows/oaths (Mt5:33-37)

Vengeance (Mt5:38-42); Enemy (Mt5:43-47)

The command (Mt5:48)

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The antithesis

An antithesis is a person or thing that is direct opposite of someone or something else; or it is a contrast or opposition between two things. Jesus is taking what they (the Pharisee’s, etc) know and are contrasting their righteousness with surpassing righteousness.

Watch at you see the phrases of “you have heard it said;” “But I say to you” as the two points, two sides. What the commandment, the law says and what the spirit of the law as interpreted by Jesus says.

Now today we are only going to look at a couple of them, but here they all are for now, then we will look at our passage for today.

Murder (Mt5:21-26); Adultery (Mt5:27-30)

Divorce (Mt5:31-32); Vows/oaths (Mt5:33-37)

Vengeance (Mt5:38-42); Enemy (Mt5:43-47)

The command (Mt5:48)

Matthew 5:21 NASB95

21 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’

Matthew 5:22 NASB95

22 “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

Matthew 5:23 NASB95

23 “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

Matthew 5:24 NASB95

24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

Matthew 5:25–26 NASB95

25 “Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 “Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.

Matthew 5:27–28 NASB95

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matthew 5:29 NASB95

29 “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

Matthew 5:30 NASB95

30 “If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

What did you see, what did you notice, what sticks out to you?

A couple more things in laying the ground work before digging into the passage.

Jesus asserts His authority in the antithesis by using the word “I” (v.22, 28)

Jesus tells it is for application now “I tell you;” so we have the truth from the truth giving; the one with the authority telling them directly what the truth is. If we want to know the truth today we need to be diligent to study the Truth (2Tim2:15)

Finally, these antithesis statements are not all inclusive nor exhaustive; they are a sample, to show a pattern which is to be learned. Here about the law and the spirit of the law

We don’t want to miss out on the true intention of all of this.

Seek and apply the heart intention of God’s instructions, not merely the letter of it.

Do not murder . . . but I say

Jesus in the antithesis draws from the commandments (Exo20:13) and Jesus is going to define the meaning whereas the Pharisee’s with literal, Jesus, with His authority speaks of the spirit of it, which by the way, would be more constricting.

Exodus 20:13 NASB95

13 “You shall not murder.

You can find passages that go into detail about murder, about manslaughter but the point we want to make really is what Jesus had to say.

If you are angry with your brother, you are guilty (Mt5:22)

Matthew 5:22 NASB95

If you are angry, get right, get right now (MT5:23-24)

Anger is one letter away from “danger”

Don’t confuse this with righteous anger (Mk3:1-5; Eph4:26-27)

Mark 3:1–2 NASB95

1 He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. 2 They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.

Mark 3:3–4 NASB95

3 He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” 4 And He said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent.

Mark 3:5 NASB95

5 After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

Jesus displayed righteous anger here as well as you know in the temple when turning over the tables and driving out the money changers. Now look at this.

Ephesians 4:26–27 NASB95

26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.

There are many who would say it is not OK to get angry at all, but anger is a God given emotion is it not? But to stay angry is a danger and can become a sin. May we always be going to God to make sure if we are angry we deal with it, deal with it appropriately.

Get right get right now or else let it become sin (Mt5:23-24; Ps4:4; Ps139:23-24)

Psalm 4:4 NKJV

4 Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah

I love what David asked in his prayer

Psalm 139:23–24 NASB95

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

Anger can hurt our relationship with God; that is why Jesus said we need to get right and get right now.

In the culture at the time if you had on offense on someone you would be the one to go tract the person down and take them to court (see Mt5:25-26) because when the court decides on something you can end up in jail and no way out of the issue that the anger caused.

The point Jesus is trying to make is that anger is serious and needs to be dealt with quickly! Whereas the Pharisee’s were thinking murder alone, they were adhering to the letter of the Law, Jesus looks at the intent of the heart.

Anger can turn to hate and irrevocable words and spiritual murder (Mt5:22; 1Jn3:15)

Matthew 5:22 NASB95

I put that back up there for look at the last bit of it. hell, some versions would say gehenna. Did you know Gehenna was a place they would all know about, it was outside the Western wall of Jerusalem; it was also known as the valley of the son of Hinnom. This is the place where Ahazand Manasseh sacrificed their sons to the god Molech then later it became the place where Jerusalem burned its refuge so there was always a burning going on. So this picture should show us how serious Jesus thinks anger is.

Get right, get right now or else (Mt5:25-26)

Matthew 5:25–26 NASB95

Or else is that you put yourself in captivity. This is a serious issue. We cannot harbor anger or hold a grudge it impacts our walk with Christ and can impact our future destination. This is a salvation issue by Jesus own words.

But I say . . . looking with lust is adultery

The One with authority has words regarding true adultery; giving the new standard. Jesus is affirms God’s law of purity and the sanctity of marriage and sex. God created man, created sex and protects sex.

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Command under the Law (Mt5:27; Exo20:14)

Jesus interpretation (Mt5:28)

Jesus solution (Mt5:29-30)

Do whatever it takes; don’t let it be a part of you (COl3:5; Rom6:13; Rom12:1-2; Rom13:14)

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Matthew 5:27–28 NASB95

Matthew 5:29 NASB95

29 “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

Matthew 5:30 NASB95

30 “If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

Command under the Law (Mt5:27; Exo20:14)

Exodus 20:14 NASB95

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

That is pretty point blank, no grey area there. The Pharisaical interpretation of adultery was literal, it was the actual physical act. So are they wrong? NO! They are looking at the outward action; Jesus is going to look at the inward attitude which was more important.

Command under the Law (Mt5:27; Exo20:14)

Jesus interpretation (Mt5:28)

Jesus says even the look; that person has committed adultery. But this is not a mere glance, but a longing gaze with a sinful desire. Sin must be dealt with and dealt with promptly. Attitude leads to appetite and appetite leads to action. So, again we need to be careful here. Jesus goes on to give how.

Command under the Law (Mt5:27; Exo20:14)

Jesus interpretation (Mt5:28)

Jesus solution (Mt5:29-30; Mt5:20)

Jesus is not speaking literal here, He is speaking in a hyperbole. He uses a very graphic and drastic illustration doesn’t He. That is why it is so important that sin be dealt with immediately, sin be dealt with drastically. This again, it just just about adultery, Jesus is proving His point back in 5:20

Matthew 5:20 NASB95

20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

He is trying to show the importance of surpassing righteousness. Using the commands under the O.T. to show application for them there in Jesus day and the same application is for us today.

So, to have surpassing righteousness to protect the sanctity of marriage and of sex we need do whatever it takes so lust (lust of anything; that that is a form of idolatry) does not take hold of you.

Command under the Law (Mt5:27; Exo20:14)

Jesus interpretation (Mt5:28)

Jesus solution (Mt5:29-30)

Do whatever it takes; don’t let it be a part of you (COl3:5; Rom6:13; Rom12:1-2; Rom13:14)

Look what Paul has to say regarding not allowing these things to be a part of you.

Colossians 3:5 NASB95

5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

Dead! We were dead in our sins, but through Christ God made us alive. Alive to Christ, dead to sin. Don’t let sin have way with you.

Romans 6:13 NASB95

13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

Do whatever it takes so you do not present yourself, allow yourself to be in a potentially sinful situation. Present yourself as an instrument of righteousness!

Romans 12:1 NASB95

1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Romans 12:2 NASB95

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

We are simply Christians studying God’s Word, and when we do we are renewing our mind, so that we will prove God’s will. It is more than the letter of the Law but the heart and spirit of the law that want not to keep from us, but wants to bless us.

So may we remember to:

Romans 13:14 NASB95

14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

(encouragement slide) encouragement:

Jesus set the pattern even just in these two antithesis statements. It tells us to deal with sin now, drastically and don’t let it have root in you for you won’t want the consequences.

Solution is Jesus and His authority, His interpretation of the law and demanded application. May we always be willing to apply.