The Life of Christ (20)

1. The Life of Christ (20) • The Sermon on the Mount • Scripture (Matthew 5:33-37) • The Law of Vows (Promises, Oaths) • Matthew 5:33–37 (NASB95) • 33“Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall notmake false vows, but shall fulfill yourvows to the Lord.’ • 34“But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, • 35or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. • 36“Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. • 37“But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

2. The Life of Christ (20) • The Sermon on the Mount • Scripture (Matthew 5:33-37) • The Law of Vows (Promises, Oaths) • The Jews believed that invoking God’s name in an oath or vow was binding. • The Mosaic Law forbade light use of the Lord’s name (i.e. broken vows). • However, they had developed a sophisticated system of gimmicks or tricks to determine how binding (required) an oath was based on how close it was to the name of God. • Examples of this trickery are found in Matt. 23:16-22. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

3. The Life of Christ (20) • The Sermon on the Mount • Scripture (Matthew 5:33-37) • The Law of Vows (Promises, Oaths) • Matthew 23:16–22 (NASB95) Examples of Trickery • 16“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’ • 17“You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? • 18“And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.’ • 19“You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? • 20“Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. • 21“And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. • 22“And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

4. The Life of Christ (20) • The Sermon on the Mount • Scripture (Matthew 5:33-37) • The Law of Vows (Promises, Oaths) • Jesus states that whatever a man swears by is related to God in some way. Therefore every oath is in God’s name—Heaven, earth, Jerusalem, even the hairs of the head are under God’s ownership. • Jesus points that Jerusalem is the city of the “Great King”…a reference to himself. • Matthew 5:34–36 (NASB95) • 34“But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, • 35or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. • 36“Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

5. The Life of Christ (20) • The Sermon on the Mount • Scripture (Matthew 5:33-37) • The Law of Vows (Promises, Oaths) • They had perverted (corrupted) the “vows to the Lord” phrase, so Jesus tells them to make no vows at all, but to simply let their word be their bond. That is, let their yes mean yes and their no mean no. • Matthew 5:37 (NASB95) • 37“But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil. • The purpose of this passage is to stress the importance of truthfulness and keeping your word. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

6. The Life of Christ (20) • The Sermon on the Mount • Scripture (Matthew 5:38-42) • The Law of Non Resistance (Self-Restraint) • Matthew 5:38–42 (NASB95) • 38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ • 39“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. • 40“If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. • 41“Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. • 42“Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

7. The Life of Christ (20) • The Sermon on the Mount • Scripture (Matthew 5:38-42) • The Law of Non Resistance (Self-Restraint) • The “eye for an eye” or “tooth for a tooth” principlewas a legal principal for use in the courts and one for personal injuries for which one wants to retaliate (get even). • The Jews distorted (twisted) this into using a legal principal for dealing with personal injuries. Among the Romans, this was called Lex Telionis, the doctrine of an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. • Jesus forbids a personal use of this principle for resolving disputes between believers. • Believers are to apply the law of love, self-restraint, and forgiveness. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

8. The Life of Christ (20) • The Sermon on the Mount • Scripture (Matthew 5:38-42) • The Law of Non Resistance (Self-Restraint) • Jesus was not setting aside the principle of the Old Testament law. • In verses following, we have 4 examples of the principle of self-restraint and love. • Matthew 5:39–42 (NASB95) • 39“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. • 40“If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. • 41“Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. • 42“Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. • We are to give to those who ask and do more than just the minimum. • Questions for Discussion. Ex: Ask the students how they can apply the principle of self-restraint at school, home and toward others. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

9. The Life of Christ (21) • The Sermon on the Mount • Scripture (Matthew 5:43-48) • The Law of Love • Matthew 5:43–48 (NASB95) • 43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ • 44“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, • 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. • 46“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? • 47“If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? • 48“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

10. The Life of Christ (21) • The Sermon on the Mount • Scripture (Matthew 5:43-48) • The Law of Love • Love your enemies (43-48). • Jesus takes aim at more of the human viewpoint of His nation. • Human viewpoint says love your neighbor and hate your enemies, • but the Divine viewpoint is to love even your enemies. • Remember, “for God so loved the world”. Jn. 3:16 • John 3:16 (NASB95) • 16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

11. The Life of Christ (21) • The Sermon on the Mount • Scripture (Matthew 5:43-48) • The Law of Love • Love your enemies (43-48). • As negative unbelievers (before being saved) we were God’s enemies, yet he still sent His son to die for us. • Romans 5:8 (NASB95) • 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners (unbelievers), Christ died for us. • Romans 5:10 (NASB95) • 10For if while we were enemies (unbelievers) we were reconciled (restored) to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

12. The Life of Christ (21) • The Sermon on the Mount • Scripture (Matthew 5:43-48) • The Law of Love • Love your enemies (43-48). • Matthew 5:46 (NASB95) • 46“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? • “Tax gatherer (Tax collector)” refers to Jewish citizens who were employed by the Romans to collect taxes from other Jews. • These people were especially despised (hated) by the Jews and because of this were often referred to by Jesus. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

13. The Life of Christ (22) • The Sermon on the Mount • Practicing Righteousness Before Men • Matthew 6:1 (NASB95) • 1“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. • Jesus starts a new section of the discourse. • His concern is the bad example of the Pharisees. • According to Rabbinical sources there were three fundamental acts of Jewish piety (godliness): alms, prayer, and fasting. • The Jewish religious leaders had begun to use these as ways to receive the approbation (praise) of men. • Jesus says if that is your motive (to receive praise) then you receive no Ph3 reward, because you will have already received the reward you desired. • A believer cannot follow the righteousness laid down in Scripture and at the same time desire the acclaim/praise of men. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

14. The Life of Christ (22) • The Sermon on the Mount • Practicing Righteousness Before Men • Matthew 6:1 (NASB95) • 1“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. • The word ‘righteousness’ denotes the totality (sum) of religious duties, summed up under alms, prayer and fasting. • Approbation lust is part of the old sin nature where someone desires to be noticed and praised by others. • We are cautioned to check our motives before we engage in applications of doctrine, especially where there is a chance we might be noticed by others. • Ostentatious (showy) displays betray the presence of approbation lust. • In all our applications we should seek to be as low key as possible. • To trade the goal of pleasing the Father and having something that is a permanent (SG3) and visible reminder of our Ph2 applications of doctrine for momentary glory from others is foolish. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

15. The Life of Christ (22) • The Sermon on the Mount • Alms Giving---Being a Hypocrite (Phony) • Matthew 6:2–4 (NASB95) • 2“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. • 3“But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, • 4so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. • Alms giving refers to giving money to help the poor. • It is the duty of every believer to provide for the needy. • “When you give” implies that Jesus assumes they will help the poor. • Jesus calls the religious leaders hypocrites because they attract everyone’s attention to the fact they are giving alms. • The word “hypocrite” is a Greek word that meant an actor who delivered his lines under a mask. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

16. The Life of Christ (22) • The Sermon on the Mount • Alms Giving---Being a Hypocrite (Phony) • Matthew 6:2–4 (NASB95) • 2“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. • 3“But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, • 4so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. • This word (hypocrite) came to be used of one who put on an act, pretended to be something he was not, and was used in a bad sense. • The Pharisees loved the praise of men more than of God. John 5:44, • John 5:44 (NASB95) • 44“Howcan you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? • John 12:43 (NASB95) • 43for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

17. The Life of Christ (22) • The Sermon on the Mount • Alms Giving---Being a Hypocrite (Phony) • Matthew 6:2–4 (NASB95) • 2“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. • 3“But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, • 4so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. • Those who give with this attitude receive the praise of men, but no Ph3 reward. • In verses 3 and 4, Jesus tells the proper way for Christians to give: without attempting to draw attention to yourself. The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

18. The Life of Christ (22) • The Sermon on the Mount • Public Prayers---Being a Hypocrite (Phony) • Matthew 6:5–8 (NASB95) • 5“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. • 6“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. • 7“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. • 8“So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. • The religious leaders also made a show of their public prayers. • Once again, there is no reward from God for this activity (making a show). • Jesus is not forbidding public prayer. • The hypocrites did their private praying in public in order to impress the masses (people). The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

19. The Life of Christ (22) • The Sermon on the Mount • Public Prayers---Being a Hypocrite (Phony) • Matthew 6:5–8 (NASB95) • 5“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. • 6“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. • 7“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. • 8“So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. • Meaningless repetition is also forbidden. This was a common pagan religious practice. (examples are the Hail Mary or Our Father repeated over and over) • Some people are under the mistaken impression that mere length is important; God is not impressed with how often we say something, He is impressed when we pray according to His will The Life of Christ (20,21,22)

20. The Life of Christ (20,21,22) • The Sermon on the Mount • Questions For Discussion • Can you remember a time when you were doing something in public that received a lot of attention? • How did it make you feel? • Are there times when receiving attention is appropriate? • What can we learn about how our Father sees us “in secret”? What are some examples? • If we have an “improper motive or reason” when we pray, will our prayer be answered? The Life of Christ (20,21,22)