The Teachings of Jesus Christ. Pt. 11 The Sermon on the Mount
Now we come to the next section where our Lord is still helping the people see that they need a Savior because they cannot fulfill the righteous demands of the law.
We will see the Pharisees and scribes telling people to obey the letter of the law but they are missing the spirit of the law in the process. The spirit of the law aims at showing the heart its failures and is meant to point us to God's saving provision in Jesus Christ.
We are moving from murder to sexual sin in this section. Jesus begins using the words "Ye have heard that it was said..." This alerts us to the fact that He is going to show us the spirit of the law as He moves beyond the letter of the law. Here is the text and I ask that you read through it carefully.
Matthew 5:27-32 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Committing adultery or fornication was a sin and it carried a death penalty. Wherever idolatry was practiced, sexual sins abounded in ancient times.
America's culture is saturated with sexuality. It has taken root in many different forms like pornography in TV, movies, internet sites as well as print media. It has spread into social media because you can remain anonymous.
The rate of divorces, dissolutions, and the disintegration of the family unit are byproducts of a sexually oriented culture. All of this goes against the family structure ordained by Jehovah.
The breakdown of Godly morality in America began long ago. The variety of causes behind this plunge in morality is too vast for us to delve into right now. However, the primary reason is that the truth of God is mostly absent from schools, offices, businesses, our homes and sadly, absent from many churches.
Matthew 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
The commandment against adultery is straightforward just like the command against murder. If you commit this sin there will be consequences.
The Pharisees and scribes boasted that they would never actually commit adultery but Christ teaches us that what is going on inside our heart is what really matters.
Now our Lord Jesus turns our focus upon the motivating factor behind the command. If any man looks on a woman with lust in his heart then this man is already guilty of breaking the commandment.
Looking on a woman with lust
Jesus is warning against a man turning his eyes to look on a woman with lust in his heart. The word lust means to have an intense craving for something that is forbidden. We have a vivid example of this in the life of King David.
Notice the sequence of these events leading up to David's terrible sin. He tarried at Jerusalem at a time when he should have been leading in battle. Idle hands are the devil's workshop and that seems to be the case here. Next, David saw a very beautiful woman from the roof of his palace.
Then, David asked about her and was told that she was married to Uriah the Hittite. Last, David took her to himself. He committed adultery and would later conspire to have Uriah killed in the battle. David looked on Bathsheba with lust in his heart.
I want to warn all the men who may be reading this blog. What happened to King David can happen to you or me. We must diligently guard what our eyes see.
2 Samuel 11:1-4 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
Govern what we see with our eyes & govern what our hands grasp after
Jesus underscores the serious nature of what a man sees with his eyes. He tells us that if our eye fastens our attention upon something that may stimulate lust it is better to pluck it out. Remember, David's terrible sins began with glancing at another man's wife.
The same is true about our right hand offending us because it is grasping after something that is forbidden or off limits.
It is clear that Christ is not us to pluck out our eye or cut off our right hand. He is helping us see the importance of bringing our bodies under subjection. Jesus is getting at the absolute necessity of cutting off all opportunity to sin by limiting what the eye sees or the hand grabs for.
Jesus concludes this section by pointing out the gravity of committing adultery and how marriage is affected by it. Americans often view marriage as a disposable commodity instead of a sacred covenant ordained by God.
Matthew 5:29-30 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mortifying the deeds of the body
Paul explains this truth to us. The born again Christian has been blessed with a precious resource from God, the Spirit of God who lives in us. The apostle makes it clear that if we live for the flesh in choosing to sin, God will bring chastisement upon the believer. The Spirit of God is in us to help us mortify the deeds of our body.
Relying on scripture and the Spirit of God
The Spirit is going to bring conviction upon our hearts when we are contemplating some sin. He will stir our conscience about this so that we know in no uncertain terms what we are thinking about is wrong. He will bring God's righteousness before us to remind us of Whom we must faithfully obey. (John 16:7-15)
This is connected to hiding the Word of God in our hearts so that we do not sin against Jehovah. (Psalm 119:11) The scripture that we read, study, memorize and meditate upon accumulates in our memory and minds. The Spirit of God uses this to guide us into conforming to Christ.
Note that when mortifying the deeds of our flesh is accomplished through the Spirit, not through our own strength, but through our submission to Him as He leads us. The word "mortify" means to put to death or by death to be liberated from bondage.
Romans 8:12-14 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Paul writes about this same subject again in his letter to the Colossians. In this verse we receive a command to "mortify" the members of our body which goes right along with what Christ is teaching us. Paul goes on in that section of Colossians to tell his readers some of the things they must do in putting off the old man things. ( fornication, anger, wrath, malice) You see that sexual sin is included in this list.
I would suggest reading all of Colossians 3 to see it in context. It is clear that as we are putting on the new man we are to be seeking those things which are above not the things on earth. Again, this is relying upon the power of the Spirit of Christ to come alongside us to bring His divine assistance.
Colossians 3:4-5 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Paul reinforces the need for mortification to take place in our lives. He speaks of having no confidence in the flesh because the Word of God showed him that in his flesh dwelleth no good thing. (Romans 7:18)
Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Points to Ponder....
Once more we have studied the strong and clear teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ as He continues to show us our need to have renewed minds and transformed hearts. We must learn to commit ourselves to pleasing God by responding in faith to what we have studied from His Word.
By faith we seek the aid of His Spirit. By faith we read, study, memorize and meditate on the Word of God as we seek to absorb its truth. By faith we pray for the help Christ has promised to send. By faith we trust our Father in heaven to keep correcting us, changing us and conforming us more and more into the image of His dear Son, Jesus Christ.
Bob
We will see the Pharisees and scribes telling people to obey the letter of the law but they are missing the spirit of the law in the process. The spirit of the law aims at showing the heart its failures and is meant to point us to God's saving provision in Jesus Christ.
We are moving from murder to sexual sin in this section. Jesus begins using the words "Ye have heard that it was said..." This alerts us to the fact that He is going to show us the spirit of the law as He moves beyond the letter of the law. Here is the text and I ask that you read through it carefully.
Matthew 5:27-32 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Committing adultery or fornication was a sin and it carried a death penalty. Wherever idolatry was practiced, sexual sins abounded in ancient times.
America's culture is saturated with sexuality. It has taken root in many different forms like pornography in TV, movies, internet sites as well as print media. It has spread into social media because you can remain anonymous.
The rate of divorces, dissolutions, and the disintegration of the family unit are byproducts of a sexually oriented culture. All of this goes against the family structure ordained by Jehovah.
The breakdown of Godly morality in America began long ago. The variety of causes behind this plunge in morality is too vast for us to delve into right now. However, the primary reason is that the truth of God is mostly absent from schools, offices, businesses, our homes and sadly, absent from many churches.
Matthew 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
The commandment against adultery is straightforward just like the command against murder. If you commit this sin there will be consequences.
The Pharisees and scribes boasted that they would never actually commit adultery but Christ teaches us that what is going on inside our heart is what really matters.
Now our Lord Jesus turns our focus upon the motivating factor behind the command. If any man looks on a woman with lust in his heart then this man is already guilty of breaking the commandment.
Looking on a woman with lust
Jesus is warning against a man turning his eyes to look on a woman with lust in his heart. The word lust means to have an intense craving for something that is forbidden. We have a vivid example of this in the life of King David.
Notice the sequence of these events leading up to David's terrible sin. He tarried at Jerusalem at a time when he should have been leading in battle. Idle hands are the devil's workshop and that seems to be the case here. Next, David saw a very beautiful woman from the roof of his palace.
Then, David asked about her and was told that she was married to Uriah the Hittite. Last, David took her to himself. He committed adultery and would later conspire to have Uriah killed in the battle. David looked on Bathsheba with lust in his heart.
I want to warn all the men who may be reading this blog. What happened to King David can happen to you or me. We must diligently guard what our eyes see.
2 Samuel 11:1-4 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
Govern what we see with our eyes & govern what our hands grasp after
Jesus underscores the serious nature of what a man sees with his eyes. He tells us that if our eye fastens our attention upon something that may stimulate lust it is better to pluck it out. Remember, David's terrible sins began with glancing at another man's wife.
The same is true about our right hand offending us because it is grasping after something that is forbidden or off limits.
It is clear that Christ is not us to pluck out our eye or cut off our right hand. He is helping us see the importance of bringing our bodies under subjection. Jesus is getting at the absolute necessity of cutting off all opportunity to sin by limiting what the eye sees or the hand grabs for.
Jesus concludes this section by pointing out the gravity of committing adultery and how marriage is affected by it. Americans often view marriage as a disposable commodity instead of a sacred covenant ordained by God.
Matthew 5:29-30 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mortifying the deeds of the body
Paul explains this truth to us. The born again Christian has been blessed with a precious resource from God, the Spirit of God who lives in us. The apostle makes it clear that if we live for the flesh in choosing to sin, God will bring chastisement upon the believer. The Spirit of God is in us to help us mortify the deeds of our body.
Relying on scripture and the Spirit of God
The Spirit is going to bring conviction upon our hearts when we are contemplating some sin. He will stir our conscience about this so that we know in no uncertain terms what we are thinking about is wrong. He will bring God's righteousness before us to remind us of Whom we must faithfully obey. (John 16:7-15)
This is connected to hiding the Word of God in our hearts so that we do not sin against Jehovah. (Psalm 119:11) The scripture that we read, study, memorize and meditate upon accumulates in our memory and minds. The Spirit of God uses this to guide us into conforming to Christ.
Note that when mortifying the deeds of our flesh is accomplished through the Spirit, not through our own strength, but through our submission to Him as He leads us. The word "mortify" means to put to death or by death to be liberated from bondage.
Romans 8:12-14 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Paul writes about this same subject again in his letter to the Colossians. In this verse we receive a command to "mortify" the members of our body which goes right along with what Christ is teaching us. Paul goes on in that section of Colossians to tell his readers some of the things they must do in putting off the old man things. ( fornication, anger, wrath, malice) You see that sexual sin is included in this list.
I would suggest reading all of Colossians 3 to see it in context. It is clear that as we are putting on the new man we are to be seeking those things which are above not the things on earth. Again, this is relying upon the power of the Spirit of Christ to come alongside us to bring His divine assistance.
Colossians 3:4-5 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Paul reinforces the need for mortification to take place in our lives. He speaks of having no confidence in the flesh because the Word of God showed him that in his flesh dwelleth no good thing. (Romans 7:18)
Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Points to Ponder....
- Jesus teaches us that we must be on guard against thinking lust driven thoughts.
- We have been given the Holy Word of God to guide our feet and show us the way that we should walk.
- We have been indwelt with the Spirit of Christ who will lead us in where and how we should walk.
- We must mortify the members of our body. King David could have turned away from looking at Bathsheba just as men today can turn away from looking at pornography.
- The gate of the eye drives what we are going to think about and what we think about governs what we are going to do.
- It is crucial to put our eyes focus upon the Word of God as much as we can.
- It is crucial to seek those things which are above.
- We must constantly pray for the help of God's Spirit in leading us to victory in all these things so that our worthy God can be glorified.
Once more we have studied the strong and clear teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ as He continues to show us our need to have renewed minds and transformed hearts. We must learn to commit ourselves to pleasing God by responding in faith to what we have studied from His Word.
By faith we seek the aid of His Spirit. By faith we read, study, memorize and meditate on the Word of God as we seek to absorb its truth. By faith we pray for the help Christ has promised to send. By faith we trust our Father in heaven to keep correcting us, changing us and conforming us more and more into the image of His dear Son, Jesus Christ.
Bob
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