DR. MICHAEL A PROUD, JR.

DATE:  August 29, 2010 am

TEXT:  Matthew 5:17-48

TITLE:  LIVING KINGDOM LIVES 3: Kingdom People: Desire to Know the Father's Heart

Sermon:  During the course of this past week, small group members were challenged to consider the difference between “The Letter of the Law and the Spirit of the Law.”  In this challenge it was proposed that one cannot adhere to the spirit of the law without pursuing a relationship with the lawgiver.  In other words, without a relationship with the person in authority, or giving the instruction, one is left only with the ability to follow the letter of the law.  Let me see if I can explain this foundational aspect for this mourning’s verses.

When I use the term “Letter of the Law” I am referring to the carrying out of instruction solely based on one’s own interpretation of what the law states.  Some laws are easy to follow, or at least clear in their instruction.  Speed limit signs offer little ambiguity: 65 MPH; 45 MPH; 25 MPH.  The law for that particular stretch of road is extremely clear, you are only supposed to travel up to the posted speed limit on that particular stretch of road. 

Other instructions are not so clear in their stated directive alone: “Do the dishes; Clean your room; Help out around the house.”  These instructions leave a lot of room for various interpretations by the hearer.  After all, what does it really mean to “DO the dishes?”  If the context of the instruction comes after the evening meal, then one can assume the instruction bears some relationship to cleaning off the table.  But, does that instruction include, and heretofore extend responsibility for the counter tops, food left over, dishes both on the table and the clean ones in the dishwasher?  And is the plaintiff also intending inclusion of culinary remains to be placed into the cold storage device?  How could my client have gleaned all of those expectations simply from the statement, “DO the dishes?” 

Taking this simple illustration about doing dishes, you can see the problem with our legal system.  Our legal system in the United States is based on the “Letter of the Law.”  This is why contracts are lengthy and filled with small print.  Because there is an attempt being made to cover each and every situation that might arise so the one being bound to the contract cannot come back and say, “You nowhere indicated that you wanted me to sweep the floor as a part of ‘doing the dishes.’” The problem with this “Letter of the Law” approach was illustrated when a woman who had been the victim of a crime, sat in a courtroom and watched her assailant get off without recourse on a technicality.  The smoking gun, as it were, was secured without proper procedure.  Thus, even though the evidence was stacked against her assailant the judge had to pronounce the man was “Free to go.”  The woman protested and asked, “Where is justice?”  To which the judge responded, “Madam, this is a court of law, not a court of justice.”

However, there is another side of this and that is the “Spirit of the Law,” which requires more of the hearer than just actions.  You see, to follow the Spirit of the Law requires the hearer to know the lawgiver.  The Spirit of the Law is a term we use to refer to the intent of the one making the request or giving the instruction.  It requires that we know the lawgiver’s desires, likes, or dislikes.  What makes the lawgiver happy, and what brings sorrow?  To follow the Spirit of the Law” requires a relationship, a respect, and a desire to please the one giving the laws or making the requests. 

One of the examples given to the small groups was that of a request made by a wife to her husband: 

A husband and wife had been married for 10 years. One particular day, the wife’s schedule of appointments caused her to run late coming home. She had intended to stop by the store and pick up a loaf of bread for the kid’s lunches the next day, but still had several errands to run before she could head home. So, she called her husband and asked if he would stop by the store and pick up bread on his way home, to which he responded, “Sure.” 

As the husband arrived at the store, the only bread he found on the shelf was white bread. He knew his wife refused to buy white bread, as her favorite saying was, “The whiter the bread, the quicker you’re dead.” This husband knew his wife’s desire, even though she did not specifically say, “Don’t buy white bread.” The choice facing the husband was, buy white bread or go to another store and get what he knew his wife really wanted. His next step would determine whether he followed the Letter of the Law or the Spirit of the Law.    

This is what we have been looking at in the life of Jesus.  What was He motivated by, the Letter of the Law or the Spirit of the Law?  Clearly, it was the Spirit of the Law.  His desire to know the Father’s heart was the cornerstone of His life.  We have already talked about how Jesus’ love for the Father was the spring from which His obedience flowed.  For Jesus, obedience was not following a list of rules and regulations in a precise order, it was longing to do what pleased the Father.  And this is the focus of our study for this morning.  For if we are truly to Live Kingdom Lives, it must be from the foundation of a growing and loving relationship with the Father.

We are going to look at this text from 30,000 feet.  In other words, our purpose is to get the big picture.  To do this we will spend most of our time this morning looking at verses 17-20, because they lay the foundation for what is to follow.  Interestingly enough, most commentators look at these four verses as some of the most difficult verses to understand in the gospel of Matthew.  But, I contend that they are only difficult when we look at them with the “Letter of the Law” eyes.  However, if we understand the laws and commandments of the Old Testament to be the revelation of God’s heart or His desires, then we come see that Jesus was not teaching legalism, but the immovability of God’s intent.  This is what Jesus understood, this is how Jesus lived, and this is how He instructed us to live as well.  Let’s look at these verses more closely, as we see The Importance of Knowing The Father’s Heart...

1.     The Father knew what He meant, vv. 17-20.  In these four verses, which once again lay the context and setting for the rest of this chapter, we see the Lord Jesus giving priority to the Father’s heart.  When Jesus spoke of the permanence of the Law and the Prophets, He was speaking of the whole of the Old Testament.  In fact, it is important for us to remember that during Jesus’ day the Old Testament was the only Bible the people had.  And yet, while Jesus was referring to the Old Testament, He was not just speaking of the written words found in the Old Testament, He was speaking about the revealed will, purpose, and desire of the Father.  Hear this now, Jesus was speaking of the Father’s heart! 

Folks, this is a fundamental truth that if we miss we will not get the big picture which Jesus was seeking to reveal in verses 17-48.  It was in verse 17 where the Lord Jesus clarified His position to the Law, that He was not seeking to do away with it.  While not spoken specifically, one can only conclude that the nontraditional way in which Jesus lived (associating with sinners, not observing Sabbath traditions, etc...), might have led some to conclude He had come to throw out the Old Testament all together.  But He did not come to do that at all, rather, He came to fulfill it; to show how it was meant to be followed and to be the ransom necessary for salvation.

He fortified this in verse 18 when He said, “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.” He said this because He knew the Father’s intentions spoken in the Law would not change until they were all completed.  In other words, the Father said what He meant in the Old Testament, and His intentions would not change.

Some have looked at these words and concluded Jesus was preaching a message of legalism.  They believe Jesus was concerned about following the Letter of the Law, because they believed right actions made a person righteous.  But to the contrary, Jesus was speaking of the adherence to the smallest details of the Old Testament because they contained the heart of God.  There was no reason for the least stroke of the Law to vanish, because God got it right the first time!  He meant what He said.  And because Jesus knew the Father’s heart and His desires, His stance for the Law was really steeped in His deep desire to honor the Father.

As we look at verse 19 we see this message of love for the Father fortified as the foundation for Kingdom Living.  Because obedience is not the fulfillment of a list of things to do, but rather, an expression of love for the Father, Jesus pointed out those who are greatest in the Kingdom are those who honor the Father’s heart by following His instructions and teach others to do the same. 

To “annul” (NASB) or “break” (KJV & NIV) the least commandment and teach others to do the same, is an unloving act toward the Father.  The Greek word translated here is “luse” which does not mean disobedience, per se, but “teaching against or setting aside.”  In other words, Jesus was speaking of those who choose to set aside even the smallest portion of the Law, or teach that it is not important to follow; these are least in the kingdom.  The intent here is the importance of honoring all of God’s heart by follow the Spirit of the Law.

However, verse 20 stands in contrast to this by revealing the standard which was most prominent in Jesus’ day, the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.  Here Jesus was specifically speaking of a group of people who were the epitome of “Letter of the Law” thinking.  And as a result, they would not even enter the kingdom of heaven.  Rather than seeking the heart of God, these men sought the doing of the law as their application of what it meant to be a child of God.  And just like our example from earlier, “Do the dishes,” these men concluded the Bible said what they said it said; not what God meant.  And in this is the fundamental difference.  St. Augustine said, “If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.”

This sets up for us the remainder of the verses in our chapter.  These are The Commands of the Kingdom.  What is listed for us in these six kingdom commands are the defining activities of each and every believer.  These are the things which separate us from the world, they reveal that we are unique in every way.  For each of these things listed cut against the human will and require we surrender to the Holy Spirit’s control.  We could spend months dissecting each of these kingdom commands, but our purpose this morning is to get the big picture to see how living by the Letter of the Law resulted in a disregard for what God truly intended; or to put it another way, a disregard for God’s heart.

Let’s look at the second reason it is important to know the Father’s heart.  The Importance of Knowing God’s Heart...

2.     The religious leaders failed to know what the Father meant, vv. 21-48.  Each of these six kingdom commands are established with the same formal introduction: “You have heard...But I say to you...”  The contrast in all six of these examples is to first state a teaching from the Law or the Prophets, and then correct the common application which was based on following the Letter of the Law.  These two positions are easily distinguished because one focuses on what is done, and the other focuses on the condition of the heart.  You do not need to be engaged at the heart level to follow the Letter of the Law.  However, this is a requirement to follow the Spirit of the Law. 

The religious leaders based their understanding of “righteousness” in terms of what was done, thus they had completely discarded God’s true intentions for giving His instructions.  Let’s look briefly at how we see this fleshed out in these verses.

1st Command, “You shall not commit murder” and “Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court,” v. 21.  This is the sixth commandment.  Murder here is not killing, but wrongful, criminal murder.  The consequence from Scripture is the death penalty.  The focus of this command from the Letter of the Law is what can be proven in a court of law.  The intention of the Father is that the heart be free from the hatred which not only divides, but motivates and fuels the act of murder.  Thus, Jesus’s correction was to focus on what the Father meant, what His heart was behind this command; if you hate, you have committed murder in your heart. 

2nd Command, “You shall not commit adultery,” v. 27.  Once again an instruction taken from the Ten Commandments, this time from the seventh commandment.  The religious leaders focused on the outside, only that which could be proven.  Thus, lusting after a woman was not considered sin if they kept their hands to themselves.  But Jesus once again moved to the point of God’s intention.  Adultery is the betrayal of the marriage relationship between a man and a woman.  Where does that come from?  Where is that desire forged?  In the heart, the seat of desire.  The Father’s intent here was not just to keep people from committing the physical act of adultery, but keeping marriage strong by staying connected at a level of desire for one another.  If your heart is for your wife, and her heart is for you, your relationship becomes affair proof.

3rd Command, “Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce,” v. 31. The practice of divorce had become so egregious, that a man could divorce his wife for the smallest way in which she displeased him.  In fact, the religious leaders taught not only that a man could do this, but that Moses commanded him to do this.  And it all came down to their interpretation of two small words from Deuteronomy 24:1, “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house...”  Those two small words?  “Some indecency.”

What did this cavalier way of treating women result in?  Destruction of reputation and according to Jesus, adultery.  The hardened hearts of these men damaged and destroyed the lives of these women, yet they believed they were right before the Lord.  This violates the command we just talked about, the principle of a Godly home where all relationships are nurtured as God nurtures and loves us. 

4th Command, “You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord,” v. 33.  Oaths and vows were not only permitted, but in certain circumstances they were commanded.  But, what is the heart of this command from the Father?  Do, what you say you are going to do.  Today, as in antiquity, oaths and vows are offered and contracts are signed, as an admission of failure in truthfulness.  In Matthew 23:16-19 Jesus chastised the scribes and Pharisees because of their elaborate schemes to sound truthful, but to leave themselves an escape from their commitments...READ. 

Psalm 15:1& 4 (NIV), “Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary?  Who may live on your holy hill?” “...who keeps his oaths even when it hurts.”  What was Jesus’ word?  “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; and anything beyond these is of evil.” (v. 37). 

5th Command, “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” v. 38. This command from the Lord was to keep the punishment from becoming greater than the crime.  However, it became interpreted as a mandate not to let things go.  This is a heart condition which seeks retribution for wrongs done, when in fact God’s intent was to protect people from undue retaliation. Jesus elevated the Father’s intent by saying, “Do not resist him who is evil...” 

6th Command, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy,” v. 43.  The first portion of this command was taken directly from Leviticus 19:18 where the Lord told Moses to instruct the people about caring for each other and supporting one another.  However, the latter part of this command, though common in Jesus’ day, was not a direct quote from Scripture.  It was compiled from a number of passages, primarily from Deuteronomy 23:1-6.  The Lord instructed the people not to include any Ammonite or Moabite into the assembly of the Lord, because they did not greet the Hebrews with food as they came out of Egypt.  In verse 6 these words were spoken, “You shall never seek their peace or their prosperity all your days.”

It was here that the mentality of exclusion was developed by God’s people.  A command which was intended to keep Israel’s focus pure when it came to their practice of worship and dedication to the Father, became a justification of hatred toward everyone who was not Jewish.  The enemies of God were the enemies of the people, but this later became understood as the enemies of the people were the enemies of God.  And it was the religious leaders who determined who these enemies were.

Jesus’ instruction revealed the true heart of God on the matter–“Love you enemies and pray for those who persecute you–in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” God’s people are not to be like the rest of the world, loving only those who return that love.  We are to be like God Himself, who loved us even while we were His enemies.

Now, here is the conclusion of the matter, verse 48, “Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Not sinless, but complete and mature.  This happens as we live by the Spirit of the Law, as we draw near to the Father’s heart. 

Folks, everything about following the Letter of the Law is geared to what I think, what I want, and what I am willing to do.  The Bible then, says what I say it says, and not what the Lord intended.  The final question which small groups were asked to discuss in their focus on these verses was, “In what ways will seeking the heart of God build community among the believers at Arbor Christian Fellowship?” In this I am sure there were a variety of insights, but one of the chief ways in which this could be answered is that it gets us collectively looking to God for our answers and not ourselves.  IT IS NOT ABOUT US!

Look again at our legal system and ask, “Is this a system which brings people together?”  No!  By definition it is a system which seeks to resolve conflicts, but it is reactive and never proactive.  The truth of the matter is, I am content with the legal system as long as it sides with me.  But, when we are all collectively seeking the heart of God, we are positioning ourselves to respond to whatever He wants, as a community of faith.