1. Disciples and politics
Matthew

2. The Sermon on the Mount (part 1 – Chapter 5)
1 – 16 The people of the Kingdom
The law as standard of behaviour
Living out the law in our personal lives
Living out the Law in our public lives

3. Disciples and public life
33 – 37: truthfulness – e.g. oaths
38 – 42 injustice- e.g. hard demands
43 – 48 conflict – e.g. enemies
Politics!

4. Disciples and politics

5. Disciples and politics
How can you live for God in a corrupt world?

6. 1. Truthfulness Temple X Gold of the temple PP
Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel: “This is what the Lord commands: When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.
Temple X Gold of the temple PP
Altar X Gift on the altar PP

7. 1. Truthfulness? Scribes and Pharisees Ananias and Sapphyra
Simon the Sorcerer
Medieval indulgences
American televangelists
Politicians’ promises at elections
The Brexit debate!
All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

8. 1. Truthfulness
All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Beware of white lies!
Demand the truth
Speak the truth in love

9. 2. Injustice An eye for an eye? Justice, or vengeance?
We combat injustice with grace and
generosity
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12.20

10. Revenge, or forgiveness?

11. 3. Conflict
How do we stop it? Love your neighbour and hate your enemy? Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.

12. The Jesus revolution
Let your yes be yes, and your no, no – be straightforward and truthful
Go the second mile – be generous and decisive
Love your enemies – and shame them into change.

13. The Jesus promise
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;     we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans