Yesterday, one of our elders, Jonathan, spoke on Jesus’ teaching on relationships in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5). He aptly titled the message “Murder, Adultery, Revenge. The passage is very pertintent regarding issues that are the same across cultures and time. Why? Because each is rooted in a core essential of humanity: relationships.
If we are to look at the Greatest Commandment and the second, it can be summed up by the phrase “Right relationship with God and with people.” Jesus’ teaching on murder, adultery, and revenge deals specifically with the fallout related to improper relationships. These elements of our fallen nature destroy right relationship with God and with people. Yet, even the dictates of the Torah only focused on the external actions. Whereas, Jesus attacks each of these on a heart level (level of thoughts and intents). As Jonathan taught, Jesus brought a message of grace. His grace did not lower the standards of the law. His grace empowers us to live according to the standard of the law, and even surpass it. Below, we will look at what Jesus has to say about Murder, Adultery, and Revenge in the framework of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Murder
One thing to note in all of these examples is Jesus’ approach to making commentary on the law. Whenever he says “You’ve heard it said…But I tell you,” He is making bold statements. That’s why it records people being amazed that “He spoke with such authority.” (Keep this in mind as we progress through these instances).
“You have heard it said, you shall not kill. But I say to you, whoever is angry with a brother or sister is guilty of judgment.”
Here, Jesus is raising the standard of the bar much higher. He speaks to the human heart. In terms of actual murder, which is in a different category than manslaughter, it begins in the heart. It starts as a buildup of unholy images and compulsions that eventually break open at some form of provocation. Being angry with someone here is not a matter of feeling annoyed or frustrated with someone. If we are slighted, it is natural to have an emotional reaction. Yet, as in all things, the matter in question is what we “do” about it. Do we ponder ill-will and harm to the person? Are we prompted to lash out against them. That is where the seeds of murder begin. Those seeds will not be allowed in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus’ standard for entry into heaven is higher than the compliance standard for the nation of Israel. Only by his grace can we rise to that standard. Yet by his grace, we are empowered to rise to it.
Adultery
“You have heard it said, Do not commit adultery. But I tell you, if a man looks at a woman to lust after her, he has committed adultery in his heart.”
As John wrote in one of his epistles, “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life are not from the Father, but are of the world.” The lust of the eyes has been the downfall of many men and women. Though lust looks differently in men and women, the struggle is still there and still real. In the law, the consequences of adultery was death. Now it is a matter of entry into the eternal kingdom of heaven. The standard is raised. It is now not just a matter of avoiding a sexual encounter, but avoiding the thought of a sexual encounter. (you could even add thoughts of an emotional encounter as well).
In a culture where fueling the lust of the flesh in a sexual way is a simple click away and where 30% of evangelical ministers struggle with it, this command is highly relevant, and growing. Yet God’s grace empowers us to live a pure life. We can walk away from these promptings and temptations. From guiding our eyes away from unwholesome images to distracting our thoughts toward something more uplifting, God provides us a way of escape–we just have to take it.
Revenge
“You have heard it said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say to you do not resist an evil person. If someone slaps your cheek, turn the other to him also. If someone forces you to walk a mile, walk two. If someone demands your shirt , give him your cloak too.”
The eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth law was revolutionary when Israel was being formed. There was a Latin term in Jesus’ day that was related to it: Lex Talionis the Law of Retribution. It prohibited excessive retribution for an infraction.
Yet Jesus teaches something much different. He teaches that it is not our place to vindicate ourselves. We place that in the hands of God. In terms of walking a mile, it is commonly said that in Roman law, a soldier could force a Jew to carry his supplies for a maximum of one mile. Jesus is instructing us to “go the extra mile”.
In the end, the heart of this teaching is not to simply be unduly mistreated, but to exhibit something from the kingdom of heaven: goodwill, even to our oppressors. We can take these samples of teaching as a motive for pacifism. However, they are far from passive. It takes a bold and discerning person with a great amount of strength to act in a way that expresses goodwill to all mankind, even a wicked person. In my estimation these examples are limited to a one-on-one scenario. It is still the place of communities and governments to restrict and overcome wicked communities and governments. Jesus’ teaching on revenge has nothing to do with shying away from confronting wicked behavior. It does exhibit God’s preferred motive: express love and kindness through a motive of good will as far as one can–Epistle of Romans says it is “God’s kindness that leads us to repentance.”
We are to pursue right relationship with God and man. These teachings give us a glimpse into what we are expected to rise to through God’s grace. This is the character of heaven. Are we up for the challenge to live as Jesus lived and taught?
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