Carrying on from Matt. 6:1, Jesus gives three contrasts between man-centered and God-centered acts of righteousness using giving, praying, and fasting (Matt. 6:2-18, with an extended discussion on praying).

The hypocrites in Jesus’ examples are those who want to be praised or seen by others. Their motivation is selfish. They contrive to be noticed when giving to bring attention to themselves. They contrive to be seen when praying to make sure everyone is aware of their piety. They contrive to be seen when fasting to ensure everyone sees how difficult fasting is for them. Their works are done to build themselves up.

Jesus speaks firmly that people such as these have received their reward (“Truly, I say to you …”). They have received, in a sense, payment in full. God owes them nothing. When we seek the praise or admiration of others, we are at that moment receiving all the reward we will ever get – their applauses and nothing more.

Yet at the same time, even knowing that such behavior is ultimately selfish and not God-honoring, I find myself desiring to be lifted up. I sinfully want to be acclaimed for what I do. I wonder how often I have deluded myself into thinking my motivation is God-focused. How terrible it would be to find that my works of righteousness had already received their reward. I don’t want such a fleeting reward. I want to hear my Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

All of us must carefully watch over our focus – our motivation – in doing good works. “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14 ESV)

In the second half of Matthew 5, Jesus instructs us on the righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees. It is instruction that cuts through our façade and pierces to the heart.

Our acts of piety must run deep – our actions must be instructed by a love like God’s love. We should not appear to act as mere men and women, but as men and women wholly committed to a discipleship that costs everything in this world.

Yet it is ever so easy for our hearts to promote ourselves among over and above others. We may pray to hear other’s tell us how well we prayed. We may bring up our giving to be congratulated or admired by others. We may discuss our experiences with fasting to be well-regarded by those around us. It is all too easy make our work into something that gains favor and admiration from others.

And so, Jesus’ warning in Matt. 6:1 is exceedingly relevant for us today. Our righteousness cannot be motivated by a desire to be seen or praised by people around us – else it is no righteousness at all! Right conduct in doing the will of God should not be performed to get attention.

Our motive, our attitudes, our intent – all must be God-centered, not earthly-centered. We must seek the rewards of heaven (Matt. 5:20) and not earthly rewards.

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48). As I read those words, I can’t help but link them back to “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy” from Leviticus 19:2 (cf. Deut. 18:13). Yet I’ve learned that with that last verse what Jesus is saying has a narrow and a wide view. Jesus concludes his teaching on loving your enemies (narrow), and in a sense, his whole teaching about righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees and scribes (wide).

The Father shows his perfection to his enemies in the way that he loves them. We must have a similar love, controlled by our choice and will, not by how lovely the other person is. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) We were loved when we were God’s enemies. To show God’s love, we will go – we must go – and do likewise.

Reflecting on this passage in light of its ties to Leviticus and Deuteronomy, Don Carson reminds us of the connotations in the word “perfect” – the “perfect” sacrifice without blemish and the blamelessness of God’s people. Perfection carries the weight of wholehearted obedience to all Jesus taught, a “complete” devotion to his teachings.

The key to this verse is “as your heavenly Father”. We emulate him in all we say and do. His perfection is the goal for all our thoughts and actions, for all our relationships inside and outside the community.

In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus confronts the teaching to love your neighbor but hate your enemy. Perhaps this was a popular understanding similar to the Qumran communities, who taught a hatred of the “sons of darkness”. Perhaps such an attitude was informed by passages in Deuteronomy and Psalms which deal harshly with surrounding nations.

Of course, Jesus is also confronting our natural inclination to “hate” those who oppose us, who are different from us. It’s easy for us to develop an exclusivity around “neighbors” such that we tend to “love” only our neighbors.

Jesus says we cannot love only our neighbors, only those who are brothers or who love in return. Jesus says we must make an on-going effort to love all of our enemies. He takes a singular “enemy” and universalizes it into all “enemies”. Don Carson defines the love we should show as “generous, warm, costly self-sacrifice for another’s good.” We are also to pray for those who persecute us. We return good for evil shown to us. We shower good deeds on those who malign us (Romans 12:20; 1 Peter 2:12).

Jesus, the pioneer of our salvation, showed us how when he prayed for his enemies to be forgiven (Luke 23:34). Stephen, one of the seven chosen to distribute food to the widows, followed Jesus’ example when stoned to death by the mob (Acts 7:60). Our goal in showing this type of love is to be sons and daughters of our Father who is in heaven. Children reflect the character of their father. God’s treatment of the evil and the good, the just and the unjust, provides us with our motive and motivation to love our enemies. Grant Osborne said that we show the mark of God on our lives as we show love to and pray for those hostile to us. “God’s people should be different. It should be obvious that we are extra-ordinary, for our Father is extra-ordinary.” (S. Ferguson)

The law of retribution, the lex talionis, is a law that many of us harbor secret desires to see fulfilled. “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” We want to see a “tit for tat” justice system where everybody else gets what’s coming to them – except us, of course. For us, we want (and plead for) the mercy of the court! In this passage in Matthew 5:38-42, Jesus addresses our natural inclinations to mete out vengeance and instead forces us to see that the way of the kingdom involves generosity, overcoming evil with good (Romans 12:21).

The teaching Jesus focuses on comes from several Scripture passages in the Old Testament (Exodus 21:21-25, Leviticus 24:17-23, and Deuteronomy 19:15ff). The law was prescribed for the nation and not individuals. It was designed to restrict violent escalation by making the punishment fit the crime (so to speak). Yet, as fallen people, we enjoy striking back at those we feel have wronged us. We foster hatred and revenge when we ask “how much revenge can I get away with and still meet the law?” Grant Osborne tells us that in Jesus’ time, the law was rarely applied literally, most times relying on monetary retribution.

But Jesus tells us that we must renounce the right to confront a hostile person with violence. One example from Jesus is being insulted. A slap on the cheek in a society dominated by the right side would be a backhanded blow – an insult, worthy of a large fine up to a year’s salary. Jesus is not here condoning submission to physical abuse. He appears to be saying that we should accept dishonor, being in a degrading and vulnerable situation, rather than retaliate. The Bible is full of commands to confront mistreatment – especially mistreatment of the disenfranchised.

The remaining examples discuss not seeking legal reparation in lawsuits, doing more than required (with Roman conscription), and giving to those who ask (loans or possibly otherwise). They emphasize evil done to you and our response. We respond by giving up our rights to trade insults, by giving away our prized possessions, by giving our time to others, and by loaning our money to others. Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24 ESV)

“It is the unworthy who have experienced the good things of the kingdom; and as they have experienced the surprise of unexpected grace so they act in a similar manner toward the undeserving among them.” (Hagner, quoted in Osborne)

Jesus begins this section of teaching by repeating the introduction he used in verse 21. This possibly signifies a new section of teaching – a block where Jesus draws commands from other parts of the law.

There is no specific Old Testament command that Jesus refers to. He is again summarizing the teaching the people have heard. Several passages seem to apply here, such as Exodus 20:7, Leviticus 19:12, Numbers 30:2, and Deuteronomy 23:21-23.

Jesus offers a very striking contrast to what they’ve heard: “do not take an oath at all.” “The Jewish leaders had developed an incredible complexity of rules by which one could support the veracity of a statement by taking an oath …” (Osborne)

With the examples that Jesus draws upon, we get the impression that Jesus is taking issue with spurious oaths, oaths designed to allow for later release since they weren’t taken using God’s name. Jesus corrects that; all oaths are done in God’s presence. To swear by anything (heaven, earth, or Jerusalem) is to swear by God. In fact, Jesus points out that swearing by your own head is also pointless. The truthfulness of your statement can’t be guaranteed by swearing on your own head. You have no power over your own hair!

What Jesus seems to be aiming at for his people is this: total honesty, not hidden behind oaths, with responsibility for what you say. “All who submit to his authority cannot be too careful to speak only truth.” (Carson) Focusing on more and more oaths and not personal integrity comes from “evil” (or “the evil one”).

Oaths can make the truth more solemn and sure. As an example, look in Psalm 132:11: “The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: ‘One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne…’” The Lord isn’t swearing an oath to force keeping his own covenant but is making the truth more solemn and sure. The truth of our words should not need oaths to confirm, yet oaths can be used to confirm the sureness of what we say (like on a witness stand or saying “I do” at the altar).

Ultimately, we live in God’s presence. He sees us and He hears us. Sinclair Ferguson said “Every promise we give, every word we speak, we do before his face.”

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 seems to be the backdrop to the teaching that Jesus picks up on next. This command from Moses dealt with limiting divorce to certain causes (“indecency”), formalizing the process to protect women who were divorced, and emphasizing the permanency of the divorce (and thus, the seriousness of marriage). (Lloyd-Jones) There were two schools of thought about that command in Jesus’ day, according to Grant Osborne. One way of thinking concluded that only sexual immorality and immodesty were reasons to divorce. Another broadened the reasons to include many causes, such as “if she spoiled a dish for him.” Jesus begins by referencing what the people had heard (vs. 5:31).

Jesus sides with a more conservative way of thinking. Sexual immorality (a very broad term in itself) is the only ground for divorce. The ESV Study Bible says that “Jesus is prohibiting divorce for the many trivial reasons that were used so frequently in the first century, leading to widespread injustice, especially for women whose husbands suddenly divorced them.”

Jesus is also saying that such sinful actions on the part of one spouse (the husband in this case) have repercussions on the other. If the woman divorced in such a way remarries, then she commits adultery – as well as her new spouse. This implies that where divorce is obtained due to sexual immorality, the second marriage of the innocent party does not begin with adultery.

So, what about re-marriage for our friends and family members who have experienced divorce not due to sexual immorality on either part (or to “desertion” by an unbelieving partner as later described by Paul)? What also does it say for family and friends who have caused a divorce? Is re-marriage an option? I believe Scripture is generally teaching here with Jesus and with Paul’s extended discussion that those so divorced should refrain from re-marrying. Each situation is unique, and my general statement can’t cover every situation. The church leadership can help believers who have been divorced understand how this biblical teaching may apply in their unique situation.

It seems that everywhere we turn, we are inundated with sex – normally it’s used to try to sell us something. When I’m watching TV with my girls, even watching something fun and entertaining and clean, the commercials can go from racy to soft porn without a second’s notice. Why is that? It’s because the world has perverted the good gift that God has given us. Sex is powerful, and when used in the wrong contexts, it captures us and leads us down the wrong path.

Those in Hollywood or elsewhere who use sex in movies and pornography (and even commercials!) to make money are not representing what sex truly is or how it should be used. Those things are “acts designed to arouse the hardened heart, not the tender heart.” (Tim Challies, Sexual Detox) The experiences we take in feed us a wrong picture of how men and women should interact with each other.

That’s why Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:27-30 is so important for us today. Even after conversion, we are not free from or victorious over the sin we’ve been caught up in. We are all sinners. Our culture’s preoccupation with sex is still something that can preoccupy us. Jesus’ standard seems so hard and so difficult because we are so fallen. Just as Jesus linked murder to the attitudes that precede it, so here he stabs right through our façade to point to our heart’s desires: from external actions (adultery) to internal intentions (looking with lustful intent).

Jesus is also breaking down the artificial barriers we put up to say we have avoided this sin. “Adultery can only be accomplished if we’re already married” we might argue. Jesus says, “No!” A studied look with sexual intent is still sin – whether committed by a married man or a single woman. God’s law demands purity and integrity in our hearts and thoughts; our whole being must be devoted to God.

Purity in our hearts is so important that Jesus tells us to take violent, decisive action against anything that causes us to sin. We must remove temptation’s source – better to lose a little than to lose everything in hell. We must not pamper, flirt with, or nibble around the edges; we must hate it, crush it, and dig it out. (Carson) As my friend Bill pointed out, we are “experienced sinners”, like recovering alcoholics; we know our own weaknesses and must fight and claw our way free of them.

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.… Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:5-7, 12-14 ESV)

If murder, anger, and contempt are all liable to judgment, what does Jesus say is the way to deal with it? In the two examples he gives us, we see that personal reconciliation is the answer. The new kingdom community is about relationships.

Reconciliation is urgent. In the first example, Jesus tells his disciples that reconciliation is more important than fulfilling your religious duty. This could have been a big deal for folks who made their way to Jerusalem once or twice a year. That sacrifice was important, something they may have waited a while to be able to do. But Jesus steers them from performing their act of worship until after reconciliation had been accomplished. In the example, the animosity is between brothers and sisters, possibly within the church community. Grant Osborne points out that the fault between the two appears ambiguous, and the one who recognizes the matter between them should take the initiative to resolve it.

Judgment is imminent. In the second example, Jesus mentions an accuser, presumably someone external to the brothers and sisters. It is important to settle matters while we are still able. There is a time coming when we will be called to account for our thoughts, words, and actions. “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:18-21 ESV)