Do you ever find yourself reading a Bible passage and wishing it wasn’t there? We’re going to study a few very challenging Bible verses in the Sermon on the Mount. Below are two passages that are often ignored or explained away as impractical.
You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you: Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also” (Matthew 5:38-39).
You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44).
It’s possible that Jesus anticipated our reaction to His demands in the Sermon and cautioned us ahead of time against such behavior.
The Old Testament Matters
My friend Rudy Ross recently showed Bruce Kirby and me a thin piece of paper in his Bible that separated the Old Testament from the New. He said, “This is not an ironclad door that locks Christians out of the Old Testament.”
One of the most significant issues that Jesus faced was the question of authority. What right did Jesus have to challenge some of the foundational principles of Israel’s heritage?
Like Rudy, Jesus didn’t find an ironclad door between His message and that of the Old Testament. Here’s how Jesus described the way He interpreted God’s Word:
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” (Matthew 5:17-18).
Jesus didn’t find certain ancient practices or teachings objectionable and determine to eliminate them. Instead, He was determined to bring them to fulfillment.
If you have read about the sacrificial system and thought it was a strange and brutal practice, consider this: We wouldn’t be able to understand the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our sins without the ancient sacrificial system.
What about the ethics and morality of the Old Testament? It is hard to improve on the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). Jesus fulfilled the Ten Commandments and other important Old Testament passages by addressing the inner self. He focused on the inner state of our hearts, which is where outward behavior originates.
Jesus wasn’t exaggerating when He spoke about the two smallest characters in the Hebrew alphabet. He declared that heaven and earth will pass away before these minuscule aspects of God’s teaching pass away.
If God cares so much about His law and teaching, who are we to knowingly disregard it?
Human Responsibility
I once heard that after a pastor has served a church for four or five years, their theology will become that of the congregation. This underscores the responsibility that ministers have to faithfully live and teach God’s Word.
Jesus said this about passages that pastors and teachers may want to avoid speaking about:
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” (Matthew 5:19-20).
Not every teacher stands behind a pulpit. Parents are possibly the most significant teachers in the world.
What do church-attending parents teach the listening ears of their children when they refuse to forgive a slight offense from a co-worker?
What were church leaders teaching in the South after segregation when they formed sports leagues for white-only students?
The pastor who mentored me during my first years out of seminary once said this about a particular denomination: “They would have nothing to say if they weren’t against something.”
The list of ways we break God’s commandments and teach others to do the same through our words and deeds could easily fill several blog articles. However, you get the point.
Two things are necessary to follow Jesus’ counsel in these verses. First, we need to know what God’s will is.
There was a time when I got a speeding ticket and told the officer, “I didn’t know what the speed limit was.” I was informed that ignorance of the law didn’t count, and I found my way to the police station to pay my fine.
Ignorance of God’s teaching is our fault, not God’s. Not only are we guilty when we break His commandments, but we also cheat ourselves out of learning how to live the best life possible.
Once we know God’s will, we need to follow it. Think about this like going to the gym.
I had a personal trainer at the gym many years ago. He emphasized a few minor changes in how I lifted weights. Two things happened: I was extremely sore for about two weeks, but later I achieved record-level lifts.
The Holy Spirit is our personal trainer. What may seem minor to us may be a major issue to Him. Following His direction might be difficult at first, but He will take us places only God knows we can go.
The saying is, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” Jesus teaches us to pay attention to the “small stuff” in life so we can find His best for us.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 