1. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) …

3. Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48  This section has been greatly misunderstood  The “general” understanding… “You’ve heard Moses say… But I’m setting you straight. Here’s how it really is…”

4. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48  The greatest barrier to the kingdom would not be Gentile idolatry & immorality  The greatest barrier would be the perversions of the Pharisees & scribes Mt 23:13-15  “Legalistic thinking” Mt 23:16-24

5. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48  Jesus’ 6 “contrasts” illustrate 1 main point… God is not just concerned about outward actions…He is also concerned with motives that might lead to those actions.

6. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48 Contrast # 1 Ù Murder (vv. 21-26)  A “legalistic” Jew saw Ex 20:13 and thought “Don’t take another man’s life”  This left untouched malice, hatred, contempt… areas courts cannot condemn

7. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48 Contrast # 1 Ù Murder (vv. 21-26)  Jesus teaches otherwise  The Jews missed the Law’s intent Lev 19:17  “Divine courts” will condemn a heart full of ill-will towards another person

8. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48 Contrast # 1 Ù Murder (vv. 21-26)  Jesus even emphasis how such malice towards another affects one’s worship  The gospel of the kingdom connects hatred and murder 1 Jn 3:14-15

9. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48 Contrast # 2 Ù Adultery (vv. 27-30)  A “legalistic” Jew saw Ex 20:14 and thought “Don’t go to bed with another man’s wife”  This left untouched lust, sinful desires  Jesus teaches otherwise

10. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48 Contrast # 2 Ù Adultery (vv. 27-30)  Lust is already “adultery of the heart”  Left unchecked, it will lead to literal adultery  A point even taught before the Law Job 31:1

11. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48 Contrast # 2 Ù Adultery (vv. 27-30)  David’s sin was not so much in “seeing” a naked Bathsheba…it was in “looking upon her” and finding a way to satisfy his desire 2 Sam 11  Such temptations must be “radically removed”

12. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48 Contrast # 3 Ù Divorce (vv. 31-32)  A “legalistic” Jew saw Ex 24:1b as a “right” and even a “command” from Moses Mt 19:7  Jesus teaches otherwise…He affirms the real intent of marriage “from the beginning” Mt 19:8

13. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48 Contrast # 3 Ù Divorce (vv. 31-32)  The “putting away party” can divorce & remarry if he/she puts away a mate for fornication  The “put away party” cannot remarry…it doesn’t matter whether the divorce is lawful or unlawful

14. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48 Contrast # 4 Ù Vows (vv. 33-37)  A “legalistic” Jew saw Lev 19:12 and thought “Just don’t commit perjury, especially when the name of God has been invoked…all other vows are not binding” Mt 23:16-22

15. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48 Contrast # 4 Ù Vows (vv. 33-37)  Jesus teaches otherwise  This was “sophistry” (deceptive word games)  Kingdom citizens are people of their word  Every word spoken will be judged Mt 12:36-37

16. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48 Contrast # 5 Ù Vengeance (vv. 38-42)  A “legalistic” Jew saw Ex 21:24 and saw a “license” for personal revenge  Jesus teaches otherwise…this precept was meant to govern legal retribution

17. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48 Contrast # 5 Ù Vengeance (vv. 38-42)  Kingdom citizens will be “wronged” 5:10-12  Nowhere does Jesus ever teach a disciple cannot restrain someone from doing evil  The point is how this can & must be done

18. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48 Contrast # 5 Ù Vengeance (vv. 38-42)  Whatever we do in response to another’s evil toward us or others we love must be done in love…not personal revenge  Evil cannot be resisted with evil Rom 12:17-21

19. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48 Contrast # 6 Ù Love (vv. 43-48)  A “legalistic” Jew was quick to quote Lev 19:18, but also always showed contempt to “enemies”  They were “separatists” (kept themselves aloof from others they deemed “unworthy”)

20. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48 Contrast # 6 Ù Love (vv. 43-48)  A “legalistic” Jew would also “nit-pick” how “neighbor” would be defined Lk 10:27-29  Jesus teaches otherwise

21. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Man’s Traditional Teaching 5:21-48 Contrast # 6 Ù Love (vv. 43-48)  If a kingdom citizen sees an “enemy” in need, he will not refuse to serve him out of love for him  This is a character trait learned from a “perfect” Father Rom 5:6-10

22. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Empty Self-Righteousness 6:1-18  The “kind” of righteousness Jesus has been discussing is not academic …it is active  He now instructs how one will practice the righteousness of His kingdom  Right actions can be done wrong

23. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Empty Self-Righteousness 6:1-18  Remember His words from 5:20  The scribes & Pharisees were the epitome of such “shallow” righteousness Mt 23:1-12  Hypocrisy Ù strategically planned “praise”  Those who exalt themselves will be humbled

24. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Empty Self-Righteousness 6:1-18  If all we seek & receive is “men’s praise”… we have our reward in full vv. 2b, 5b, 16b  Such get no reward from the Father v. 1b  The over-riding principle is found in 5:16b  To illustrate, Jesus uses 3 “topics”

25. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Empty Self-Righteousness 6:1-18 Topic # 1 Ù Charity (vv. 2-4)  The object = help others less fortunate  The concern is not to draw attention to yourself  If that is one’s motive…he has his “reward”

26. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Empty Self-Righteousness 6:1-18 Topic # 1 Ù Charity (vv. 2-4)  “Do not let the left hand know what the right hand is doing”  Translation Ù make your charitable deeds so secret that not even your other hand is aware

27. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Empty Self-Righteousness 6:1-18 Topic # 1 Ù Charity (vv. 2-4)  Even if no one else sees/knows your actions…. …the needy still get helped …the Father who “sees in secret” knows and will reward you

28. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Empty Self-Righteousness 6:1-18 Topic # 2 Ù Prayer (vv. 5-15)  The object = petition God for help, cast cares  The concern is not to be heard by others  If that is one’s motive…he has his “reward”

29. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Empty Self-Righteousness 6:1-18 Topic # 2 Ù Prayer (vv. 5-15)  Many words…vain repetitions are useless  They may impress men…they don’t impress God  Pray in your “closet”…the God who sees in secret will hear you and grant what you need

30. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Empty Self-Righteousness 6:1-18 Topic # 2 Ù Prayer (vv. 5-15)  The God to Whom we pray already knows our needs before we ask them  As an “example,” Jesus gives a Model Prayer

31. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Empty Self-Righteousness 6:1-18 Topic # 2 Ù Prayer (vv. 5-15)  The Model Prayer  Praise to God…a desire for His will to succeed  Petition for daily needs, temptation deliverance  Request for mercy from God… to others

32. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Empty Self-Righteousness 6:1-18 Topic # 2 Ù Prayer (vv. 5-15)  The very attitude re: prayer Jesus is addressing here is illustrated in Lk 18:9-14

33. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Empty Self-Righteousness 6:1-18 Topic # 3 Ù Fasting (vv. 16-18)  The object = to humble self…seek God’s favor  It is not just to appear “righteously afflicted”  If that is one’s motive…he has his “reward”

34. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Empty Self-Righteousness 6:1-18 Topic # 3 Ù Fasting (vv. 16-18)  Fasting appears to be the result of spiritual activity and not “planning” to abstain from food  Because one pursues a spiritual goal, he may not take the time to eat

35. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) Kingdom Righteousness 5:17 – 7:12 Re: Empty Self-Righteousness 6:1-18 Topic # 3 Ù Fasting (vv. 16-18)  “Anoint your head…wash your face” v. 17  Don’t appear to be “spiritually afflicted” so that men will notice and praise you…the Father who “sees in secret” knows and will reward

36. The Sermon On The Mount (Matt. 5-7) …