Reaching the UnreachedAn annual conference for churches trying to reach out in the hard places of our land

Matthew presents Jesus as a new Moses bringing a new exodus and a new kingdom, creating a new community and a new covenant. Jesus has gone up a mountain to teach his new community just like Moses went up Mount Sinai to receive the law. And so we might suppose we were about to get a new law or a new ethic. But, no, Jesus says he’s not bringing a new law, but fulfilling the old law (5:17-18).

In Deuteronomy 4:5-6 God said that if Israel lived under his law then the nations would realise that it was good to live in God’s kingdom. But most of the time Israel didn’t do a good job of living under God’s law. Instead of drawing the nations to God, Israel brought God’s name into disgrace (vv. 13).

But Jesus is creating a new community for his new age with the law written on their hearts (in fulfilment of Jeremiah 31:31-34). This community will live in a way that brings light to the world and glory to God (vv. 14-16).

This is the way the community of Jesus is to live (v. 19). It’s not just an impossible ethic to make us despair and drive us to Jesus. This is the way we are to live. This is how we will be light in our city.

And so Jesus makes it very practical.

In each case he does three things:

1. He presents the command of the law – the traditional justice or righteousness.
2. He shows how this is fulfilled in the heart – how the law is written on the heart (Jeremiah 31:31-34). And in so doing he reveals the underlying problem behind our failure to keep the law – the inordinate desires of our hearts.
3. He presents a solution – a practical way of breaking the cycle of escalating conflict.

We see this pattern in each area of potential relational breakdown:

• anger and viol ence(vv. 21-26)
• adu ltery and divorce (vv. 27-32)
• dishonesty and suspicion (vv. 33-37)
• revenge (vv. 38-42)

Anger and vio lence

traditional justice	do not mur der(v. 21)
underlying issue	anger in our hearts (v. 22)
breaking the cycle of escalating conflict	take the initiative in reconciliation (vv. 23-26)

Adultery and divorce

traditional justice	do not commit adu ltery or divorce (vv. 27, 31-32)
underlying issue	lust in our hearts (v. 28)
breaking the cycle of escalating conflict	take the initiative to avoid temptation (vv. 29-30)

Dishonesty and suspicion

traditional justice	do not break your vows (v. 33)
underlying issue	dishonesty in our hearts (vv. 34-36)
breaking the cycle of escalating conflict	take the initiative to earn a reputation for honesty (v. 37)

The Pharisees said a vow made in God’s name was binding, but not a vow made ‘by heaven’ and so on. Jesus says everything is under God’s authority (even the hairs on your head) so this is ridiculous reasoning that reveals a dishonest heart.

Revenge

traditional justice	do not repay more than you were wronged (v. 38)
underlying issue	revenge and pride in our hearts (v. 39)
breaking the cycle of escalating conflict	take the initiative to repay with a blessing (vv. 39-42)

The aim of the ‘eye for an eye’ law was to limit retaliation. It is very easy for one party to repay a wrong with interest and then for the other party to over-react so that the conflict escalates. (‘Give to those who ask and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow’ is not a universal prescription. That would quickly overwhelm us. The context is revenge. It is saying, ‘Don’t withhold your help from someone as an act of revenge.’)

Jesus advocates the opposite approach: repay with a blessing so the conflict ‘de-escalates’.

It all adds up to a wonderful, hope-full, life-giving, liberating way of life that creates a wonderful, hope-full, life-giving, liberating new community which is a light to the world and which brings praise to our Father in heaven (vv. 14-16)