Exploration of Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:27-30. First just simply stating the meaning in the passage, then exploring how the passage teaches us about who Jesus is, the big ideas of his teaching, how his teaching shapes our way of life, and how he connects eternity with our day to day living.
Teaching Notes:
October 13, 2019
Matthew 5: 27-30
My thesis for the study:
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus teaches us how to live in the world. Jesus gives actual instruction and formation. More than rules or law, the SOM is a set of convictions about moral truth.
Where? Summary: Since all of Jesus actions and teachings show us that he is not interested in mere rule-keeping righteousness, we find that he is working for restoration, and that he places high demands upon those who follow him.
INTRODUCTION
1. Interesting quote to start
Wilar 159
2. Welcome: Hi Pals, this is Blaine Hill with the Simply Stated Podcast for the Journey Sunday School class at Lake Murray Presbyterian Church in Chapin, SC. This season of the podcast is on Jesus sermon on the mount, in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. Last week we talked about rage and resentment. Today we are reading Matthew 5:27-30, so self-indulgent lust is the order of the day.
We are using a four part framework to understand different sections of the Sermon on the mount
1. Person: What do Jesus words reveals about who he is.
2. Theology: What theological idea can we draw from this teaching?
3. Ethics: What ethical teaching or guide can we take from this teaching?
4. Eternity: How does this teaching link our everyday life and eternity?
3. But first let’s read the passage and try to get the basic pieces simply stated.
4. Read 5:21-26
Not likely to be made into precious memories figurines.
A BLOCK
5. Stating things Simply
a. Heard it said—In the Ten commandments. Central teaching. (Exodus 20:13) In the part of the X it is in the section on how we realte to other people .Comes after the command to honor father and mother and not to murder, but after the command not to steal.
b. Adultery, not just sexual misadventures in general, but about married people. This command forbids a married person to have sex with someone other than their husband or wife, and forbids a person having sex with someone who is another person’s husband or wife.
c. In practical matters, the Old Testament law was especially focused on the idea that no one other than her husband is permitted intercourse with a married woman. In principle, both the man and woman committing adultery, but in practice we have rason to think that women probably got the worst of things (John 8). A friend suggested to me that maybe it was only, or largely a crowd of men listening. Perhaps.
d. “But I say to you” We saw this same contrast by Jesus when he talked about murder and nursing grudges. Jesus is making a really huge claim, a claim to deepen, to fulfill the scripture.
e. Everyone/woman.
f. Looks with lust. Jesus is talking about deliberately seeking to look at someone for the purpose of being aroused by the view.
He isn’t simply talking about noticing that someone is attractive, but deliberately staring, seeking. Jesus is talking about on purpose behavior. Just as Jesus is not calling us out for feeling irritation at someone, he is not criticizing human sexual attraction.
If you have ever been on the internet, it has thrown some salacious or provocative pictures your way. Jesus is talking about clicking through and using the search bar, much less turning on the incognito browser.
Jesus is pointing act the deliberately indulging our desire for someone.
Obvious point—Jesus is pointing out something that was common to observe in his day-men leering at women.
g. In his heart—Jesus is not equating our feelings and thoughts with actions. Jesus is perceptive and wise, not simplistic. He is using provocative language here to show the real power of our intentions. Jesus is working to lead us to actual right living, not just a set of rules. The way we cultivate the desires of our heart has very real impact in our way of life.
Maybe it would help us to see the power of self-indulgent lust more clearly if we just think about how self-indulgence, as a way of life, does nothing good for people. Spoiled.
h. Eyes and hands; hell and heaven
i. Hell-like the presvious passage, the word here intitially refers to the smouldering garbage heap outside of Jerusalem. But also correctly point us in the direction of eternity.
ii. Hyperbole—provocative language.
iii. Is far more serious and requires more attention than we know.
iv. Bit of a straw man. We are supposed to object to the conclusion, so we are forced to say, well, what should we do about the indulgence of sexual desire.
v. Even more Jesus is critique self-righteousness of religious leader by this ridicule. Self mutilation won’t change the heart.
6.
B BLOCK
7. Jesus introduces himself as the key to scripture
a. Person
· Calmly assumes attraction without any shame—insight into humanity
· Jesus is deadly serious about defending marriage—not as much the institution-but your marriage, your neighbor’s marriage.
· Class added: Jesus sense of humor
b. Theology
· Jesus reaffirmes the X, and radicalizes it.
· Not mere rule keeping righteousness.
· Similar to Job 31:1-8
· Class added: How to think about the word member here, in comparison to how Paul talks about people of the church as members in I Corinthians 12
c. Ethics (Bruner’s little steps; Willard’s dikaiosune –how is a good person to live?)
Class added: heard report on how ease of access to pornography through phones etc. is impacting adolescent boys expectations around sexuality.
Take decisive action against sin
Defense of marriage
Christian rejecfion of pornography
Intentionally looking outside the marriage for sexual excitement is already damaging the marriage.
Non-condemnation of sexual desire is ethical position, espeicially important for adolescents and young adults.
Used to caution women to ‘modesty’v. The Male gaze
Easy to fall into self-righteousness and condemnation here
Love is not predatory—MeToo, Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer,
8. Eternity.
· Rejects division of body/soul; heavenly earthly;
· Protects us by naming a common sin, as sin and destructive and calling us to life of KoH, now.
·
9. Since all of Jesus actions and teachings show us that he is not interested in mere rule-keeping righteousness, we find thathe is working for restoration, and that he places high demands upon those who follow him.
CLOSING
Extra
10. Least and greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Bounus: Tragedy as conflict of two virtues in a character.