“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be answerable to the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. Come to good terms with your accuser quickly, while you are with him on the way to court, so that your accuser will not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will not be thrown into prison. Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last quadrans” (Matthew 5:21-26; all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible).

With this passage, Jesus began a series of teachings, each beginning with the phrase “You have heard that the ancients were told,” “You have heard that it was said,” or “Now it was said.” Matthew 5:21-48 has six of these statements. Each time, Jesus cited the Old Testament law but then raised the bar. He had told His audience, “For I say to you that unless your righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Now, He would show them what He meant. Righteousness is not just a matter of doing the right things. As we shall see while studying the Sermon on the Mount over the next few months, righteousness is not primarily about actions. It is about the attitudes and thoughts that direct our behavior.

Throughout Matthew 5, Jesus would say “You have heard….” But then, He would add, “But I say….” Jesus spoke with authority. His Jewish hearers would recognize the authority of the Old Testament scriptures. They did not doubt that the law, prophets, and other Old Testament writings were the very words of God.

They had heard numerous rabbis over the ages who would quote that word. Then, they would cite the Talmud, a collection of sayings by other rabbis interpreting the scriptures. So, many of their sermons sounded something like this: “In the Torah, Moses (speaking for God) said…. Rabbi So-and-so told us that it means this….” The rabbi’s teaching often relied on the perceived authority of these other esteemed rabbis.

Jesus did not rely on the authority of other rabbis. “You have heard… but I say.” Jesus spoke as if His authority equaled that of Scripture. “I do not need to quote my grandfather’s favorite rabbi to tell you what the Ten Commandments mean. I know what they mean!” One of Jesus’ hearers would later write that Jesus was, Himself, the Word of God (John 1:1-18). Who better to interpret God’s Word than the Son of God Who actually was the Word?

Jesus’ hearers did not recognize then that Jesus was the Word of God. However, by the end of this sermon, they would acknowledge that “He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” (Matthew 7:29).

A wise follower of Jesus should be a doer of His words and not a hearer only (James 1:22). Jesus says, “I am telling you….” What do we do?

Do we carefully and honestly listen to His words, believe them, and memorize them, so that we remember them when the moment is right? Do we recognize the lies of the world when they contradict Jesus’ teaching? Some of those lies sound good, but they reject Jesus’ teaching. Think of these popular dictums:

• “Only surround yourself with positive people.”
• “God helps those who help themselves.”
• “If it makes you happy, it must be okay.”

Numerous people live by these statements, but none of them are biblical. People who do not study Jesus’ words can easily think they are good Christians, but they are, in fact, devout humanists who worship themselves as the epitome of “the good that lives in all people.”

How often do we hear or read a teaching of Jesus and think, “He couldn’t really have meant that! Surely He meant something completely different.” Jesus’ teachings are challenging. They go against our human nature. We need the power of His Holy Spirit in our lives to faithfully and consistently obey Him, and even then it is difficult. We cannot afford to make excuses by watering down His teaching or saying, “Well, He meant that back then, but times have changed.” Times have changed, but God, sin, and human nature are all still the same.

Being a true disciple of Jesus will put us in conflict with the world and our culture. It might even put us in conflict with our churches or families. It will often put us in conflict with ourselves. However, the only way to follow Jesus and live as a child of His kingdom is to hear, believe, trust, and obey Him. He has the authority. Will we follow Him?

Lord Jesus, You have spoken to us, and Your words are recorded in the Holy Bible. Forgive us for the times that we have doubted Your words, made excuses for ignoring them, or tried to explain them away to justify ourselves. Help us to be doers of Your words and not hearers only who deceive themselves. In Your name, we pray. Amen.

Are there parts of Scripture that you try to explain away? How do you resist the temptation to water down God’s Word in your life? Feel free to share your thoughts about this passage in the comments section below.

Copyright © 2023 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.