Winter Quarter Overview with Mind Map Honoring God
Hello Sunday school teachers, preachers, and students!
Welcome to SundaySchoolPreacher.com. In
this overview of the Winter Quarter I want to lift for you the major themes and
movements of the next thirteen lessons.
So as we study these lessons you will have some idea of where the lesson
series is taking us.
King David made a place for the Ark of the covenant in Jerusalem. The time came when the Tabernacle was replaced by the Temple. Solomon the son of King David built the Temple in Jerusalem. Moses built the tabernacle, but the time came when the tabernacle was replaced by the Temple. Solomon built the Temple. But the time came when that Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon in 583 B.C. The second rebuilt Temple survived until King Herod rebuilt it. It was that Temple that Jesus walked in. But that temple was also destroyed. Now let’s walk though how our Winter Quarter get us here.
The overall focus of the Winter Quarter is
honoring God in worship. We have
thirteen lessons through December, January, and February divided into three
units.
Unit one deals with David as he honors God. Unit two deals with dedicating the temple of God. And unit three deals with Jesus teaching us about true worship.
For each of the three units and each of the four or five lessons in the units I’ll give you a mind map graphic that highlights the big picture. In this overview I’ll focus on key characters, key words Key scripture texts, and since we are dealing with honoring God in worship I list the key places of worship the text shows us.
The theme for unit one is “David Honors God”.
The theme for unit two is Dedicating the Temple
of God
And unit three is Jesus Teaches about True Worship.
So let’s take a look at unit one. There are five lessons in unit one all of which come from 1 Chronicles except our Christmas lesson which comes from the Gospel according to Luke.
So in very broad terms we are going to look at
the Ark of the Covenant of God which was housed in a tabernacle (tent). We move from the tabernacle to the Temple in
Jerusalem and then from the Temple in Jerusalem to the heart of every believer.
So the time came when the Tabernacle was replaced by the Temple. Solomon the son of King David built the Temple in Jerusalem. That Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and the Israelites were taken prisoner to Babylon. About seventy years later, a remnant of those in captivity returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the first Temple. Moses built the tabernacle, but the time came when the tabernacle was replaced by the Temple. Solomon built the Temple. But the time came when that Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. That rebuilt second temple survived until King Herod rebuilt it, taking forty six years to do so (John 2:20). It was this Temple which Jesus visited, but even this temple was destroyed. It was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. And that Temple has never been rebuilt to its former glory. And that leads us to where God dwells today. The tabernacle no longer exists; the Temple made with human hands has been destroyed. It is the book of Acts that reminds us that “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth. Does not dwell in temples made with hands” (Acts 17:24). As Christians, we have been redeemed through the death of Jesus. And as Peter reminded us last quarter “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold … but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18, 19). And because of that redemption, because of that shed blood on Calvary’s cross, God now dwells in, amongst, and with every believer. Knowing that God is with us is good reason to honor God and celebrate God’s presence with us. Unit one deals with how David honors God. Unit two deals with how Solomon his son built the Temple or God and unit three brings it home with Jesus Christ teaching us about true worship. The tabernacle is gone, the temple is destroyed, but God is with us through the presence and power of God’s Holy Spirit. I hope you will join me each week this quarter as I explore David, Solomon, and Jesus in the weekly Sunday School lesson. Thank you and may God bless you real good.
Hello Sunday school teachers, preachers, and students!
Welcome to SundaySchoolPreacher.com. This
week I review how Jesus teaches about spiritual discernment in Matthew 7:1-6,
and 15-23. In this chapter we see major
teaching points about spiritual discernment, hypocrisy, constructive criticism
and others. As Jesus begins to conclude his sermon on the mount we understand
what he requires is not easy. It
requires spiritual maturity and being sensitive to the leading and guiding of
the Holy Spirit. It can be easy to fall
into the trap of a smooth talking false prophet. It can be especially easy to fall into this
trap when the false prophet started out doing good works and as Jesus said they
prophesied in his name, cast out demons in his name, and even performed many
miracles in the name of Jesus. What
frightens me is that Jesus said there would be many who did these things in his
name. But in the end he declares depart
from me you evildoers, I never knew you.
Spiritual discernment is needed by all who follow Jesus. This week’s lesson gives us a glimpse of how
to achieve discernment. Some of the
ideas surrounding this week’s text include the terms:
Criticism
Hypocrisy
Prophecy
Background:
Matthew is written about 70 A.D.
after the fall of the temple. It is
written to Jewish Christians who are struggling with their own identity. These Jewish Christians are not accepted in
the mainstream Jewish community because they believe in the divinity of
Jesus. The New Interpreters Study Bible
notes that with bitterness the Jewish Christians have withdrawn from the
synagogue. The Temple has been
destroyed, the Romans have occupied the land of the Israelites, and the Roman
soldiers subject and oppress the Israelite people. Because The Temple is destroyed, the Judeans
are confused, distraught, and distressed because much of their religious
existence revolved around The Temple.
They question whether God has abandoned them. Matthew is primarily written to Jewish
Christians and it offers unconverted Judeans (and others) a picture of why
Jesus is the Savior.
This seventh chapter of Matthew deals
with the ideas of judgment, accountability, and discernment among other things. Part of what this chapter deals with is how
we judge the actions and character of others.
When judgement comes from a place of moral superiority it is
sinful. This seventh chapter points that
out using examples the people of its day would understand.
Just as in previous weeks, our text
this week continues to show what the righteousness of Jesus looks like. Jesus
is focused on teaching his standards of righteousness and showing how God’s
people should be treated. Some important
words to consider from this text include:
Criticism
Hypocrisy
Prophesy
Review of Last Week and How it Connects to This Week:
Last week the lesson began at verse
thirty-eight with Jesus continuing his Sermon on the Mount. He opens with the “You have heard that is was
said” “But I say unto you” formula. In
this verse he reminded the disciples and the crowd of Leviticus 24:19-20 – “19
Anyone who maims another shall suffer the same injury in return: 20 fracture
for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; the injury inflicted is the injury
to be suffered”. Jesus reinterpreted
this command turning it upside down and in the next verse he literally says to
do the opposite. Instead of “eye for
eye” Jesus told them to “turn the other cheek”.
The righteousness of Jesus goes beyond The Law. His righteousness takes it to the next
level. I also mentioned how this verse
causes us to evaluate the idea of retributive justice against the idea of
restorative justice. Retributive justice
is “the view that God’s justice intends to give sinners that which their sins
deserve (Jer. 5:29, 20:12)”. Restorative
justice “emphasizes an equal concern for crime victims and offenders, while
deemphasizing the importance of coercion. It also seeks to focus on the harm
done to persons and relationships rather than on the violation of a law” (The
Free Dictionary). In other words,
retributive justice would not turn the other cheek whereas restorative justice
would require the one who slaps a person to repair or somehow pay reparation to
the one slapped. In this way, relationships
can be made whole and community restored because both the victim and the
offender are involved in restoring community.
Verse forty dealt with our
relationship with the legal system or as Townsend Commentary puts it “legal
revenge”. Jesus was telling us when we
are sued to willingly give more than the law requires, even to our own
detriment.
Verse forty-one told us to “go the
extra mile”. I mentioned how Standard
Commentary notes that “By law, a Roman soldier could compel a person to carry
his gear, but only for one mile”. Roman
soldiers were despised by the Israelites.
The Romans had occupied the land of Israel, destroyed The Temple, and
oppressed the Israelites. To go the
extra mile for your oppressor is indeed a radical love.
Verse forty-two dealt with our
relationship with money. Our economic
system and our societal values today are vastly different from this time in
ancient history. The point is for us to
be generous when and where we are able.
Verse forty-three and forty-four returned
again to the “You have heard that it was said” “but I say unto you
formula”. In verse forty-three Jesus
reminds us the law says to love your neighbor (Leviticus 19:18). I mentioned how Standard Commentary notes
that “Nowhere does the biblical law command one to hate an enemy”. The point Jesus is making is that his
righteousness requires a radical, life changing, transformative love.
Verse 45 helped us understand that
what happens to someone else could just as easily happen to you. God makes the sun to rise on the evil and the
good and God sends rain on the just and the unjust. Good things can happen to bad people and bad
things can happen to good people.
I noted in verse forty-eight Jesus
tells us to be perfect even as God in heaven is perfect. Townsend Commentary described this perfection
as meaning “mature and full grown”. We
are not and cannot be perfect. Yet, we
can be mature and complete in our love toward God’s creation and especially
God’s people. Our goal is perfect love;
that is what we are striving for.
This week’s lesson helps us
understand spiritual discernment. As
Jesus continues to outline what the rules of his kingdom looks like, we learn
about checking ourselves first before we start correcting others. We also learn about spiritually discerning
motives of false prophets. Townsend and
Boyd’s Commentary title the lesson Jesus Teaches About Spiritual Discernment. Standard Lesson Commentary titles it Spiritual
Discernment. The scripture text comes
from Matthew 7:1-6, and 15-23.
What Takes Place in This Passage:
Verses one and two start this chapter
with the admonition “do not judge, so that you will not be judged”. In this context, Jesus is telling us not to
look down on or speak against others as if we are morally superior. Jesus cared about people. All of God’s people. Someone else may be farther along in their
Christian maturity than me or you but this admonition from Jesus helps us know
that they are not superior to me or you.
Not only that, but verse two lets us know that when we judge we will be
judged in the same manner. When you were growing up you may have heard someone
say “what goes around, comes around”.
That may not be scriptural, but the principle certainly is.
In broad terms, verses three through
five deals with hypocrisy. Westminster
Dictionary of Theological Terms defines hypocrisy as “the outward appearance of
conveying truth or righteousness that masks the inner state of mind or
intention of untruth or evilness”. These
verses help us understand that we cannot act morally superior to others whose
faults are small compared to our own very large faults. We should first evaluate our own motives and
actions before evaluating the behavior and motives of others. While behavior is easy to see, a person’s
motives are not always clear. It’s easy
to say “right is right” and “wrong is wrong” but sometimes what we think is
right or wrong really isn’t so clear.
The point Jesus is making here is that we should be guided by love. When love is the guiding principle we are
less likely to judge others from a position of superiority. We should keep in mind that Jesus loves all
of God’s people. As Jesus outlines what
righteousness looks like and the rules of his kingdom in chapters five through
seven we see again and again the high importance he places on treating people
right. Not just friends and family and
the people who look, act, and think like us but all of God’s people regardless
of their position in life.
Verse six moves away from telling the
disciples and crowd to not be hypocrites.
Instead it essentially tells them to be good stewards of
discernment. As I’ve stated in previous
lessons, Matthew’s Gospel is not kind to the scribes and Pharisees. When Jesus talks about not giving that which
is holy to dogs and not casting your pearls before swine, he is talking about
the scribes and Pharisees. Standard
Lesson Commentary notes that Jesus “does not want them to be hypocrites like
the scribes and Pharisees yet Jesus knows the potential for misuse of his
exhortation not to judge”. What is
important for us to know is that some people will take advantage of your
kindness. This verse helps us to be on
guard for the unrighteous who are not really concerned about righteousness or
doing right by others. People like this
are not concerned about your well-being and may wish you no good.
The text skips now to verses fifteen
through twenty-three. Townsend
Commentary titles these sections True and False Prophets (verses 15-20) and
True and False Disciples (verses 21-23).
Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms defines a prophet as “One
who speaks on behalf of God to God’s people, most prominently the Hebrew
prophets whose writings are found in the Old Testament. In verse fifteen Jesus cautions his disciples
and listeners to beware of false prophets who come in sheep’s clothing but are inwardly
ravening wolves. Other words that
describe people like this could be huckster, grifter, charlatan, imposter,
swindler, cheat, fraud, deceiver, fake, and I’m sure there are others. Jesus tells us to beware of these kinds of
people. Jesus loves everybody, but that
love does not mean we should let ourselves be taken advantage of by them. One measure of discernment to guard against
being taken advantage of is to evaluate how much of what they teach benefits
them personally.
Verse sixteen reminds us that we will
know them by their fruits. It’s true
that you can’t know what is in a person’s heart. But it is just as true that you can see what
they do. You can see who and what they
support, and you can see what they condone and how they conduct themselves. You will know them by their fruit.
Verses seventeen and eighteen say it
plainly. A good tree produces good fruit
and a corrupt tree produces corrupt fruit.
In other words, good prophets will do good things and bring about good
on behalf of God. Corrupt prophets will
do corrupt things and bring about corruption in the name of God. But keep in mind that not every false prophet
starts out corrupt. Sometimes they fall
into corruption somewhere along the journey and become corrupt. So the point for us is to always keep our
eyes on Jesus as our guide and not a human who is capable of failing us.
Verses nineteen and twenty tell us
that trees not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire
and that we will know them by their fruits.
Ultimately the end of false prophets will be destruction. Unrepentant abusers of God’s people have no
place among the righteous.
In verse twenty-one Jesus explains
that those who make it into his kingdom will be those who “walk the walk” not
just “talk the talk”. Jesus expects us
to live this Christian life. Jesus
expects us to live a righteous life guided by and actually doing the work of
love.
Verses twenty-two and twenty-three
close this lesson on spiritual discernment showing us that many will say they
have prophesied, cast out demons, and done many wonderful works in the name of
Jesus. Yet, in the end Jesus will tell
them “I never knew you, go away from me you evildoers. What should be frightening to us is that
there will be many who say they have done this in Jesus name. We must be vigilant and diligent so that we
are not deceived by these charlatans, grifters, imposters, frauds, and
deceivers otherwise known as false prophets.
Our goal is to walk in God’s perfect love and in doing so with
discernment we won’t become victims of these false prophets.
Context:
Spiritual discernment, constructive
criticism, and hypocrisy, are some of the major teaching points in this
text. The first two we should embrace
and the last we should reject and avoid.
But that is easier said than done.
It takes spiritual maturity to exercise spiritual discernment. It can be easy to fall into the trap of a
smooth talking false prophet. It can be
especially easy to fall into this trap when the false prophet started out doing
good works and as Jesus said they prophesied in his name, cast out demons in
his name, and even performed many miracles in the name of Jesus. Spiritual discernment requires being
sensitive to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Again, that requires maturity.
Constructive criticism happens when
someone offers a solution to a problem in a positive way. That happens best when we have first
evaluated ourselves. When our motives
are true, not self-serving but more so in the interest of another we are able
to offer constructive criticism without judging others. When offered in the right way constructive
criticism avoids judgement while still identifying and helping to solve a
problem. It is in some ways the very
opposite of judging others.
Most people know hypocrisy when they
see it. When people say one thing but do
another its hypocrisy. When people smile
in your face but hate you as soon as you turn your back, that’s hypocrisy. There are a number of other examples but
again, most people know it when they see it.
As followers of Jesus Christ we should strive to never become
hypocrites. As followers of Christ our
yes should be yes and our no should be no.
Our goal should be to live and act in love following the righteousness
of Jesus Christ.
Key Characters in the text:
Jesus Christ –
Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah and according to the Christian church the
incarnate second Person of the Trinity.
He was crucified on a cross and was raised from the dead by the power of
God.
Key Words (not necessarily in the text, but good for
discussion):
Criticism – the
act of passing judgment as to the merits of anything.
Discernment – The
process of assessing and evaluating, particularly in relation to trying to
determine God’s will in a particular situation or for one’s life direction.
Hypocrisy –
The outward appearance of conveying truth or righteousness that masks the inner
state of mind or intention of untruth or evilness.
Prophet – One
who speaks on behalf of God to God’s people, most prominently the Hebrew
prophets whose writings are found in the Old Testament.
Demon – An
evil spirit that works contrary to the divine will (Mark 1:34, 39).
Themes, Topics, Discussion, or Sermon Preparation Ideas:
1. Judgement versus
discernment.
2. When wise as
serpents (Matt 10:16) see ravening wolves (Matt 7:15).
Questions:
1.
Discuss ways you have noticed hypocrisy.
2.
Discuss ways constructive criticism could have prevented hypocrisy.
Concluding thought:
This week’s lesson teaches us about spiritual
discernment. Just as in last week’s
lesson a changed heart brings about a changed life. The righteousness Jesus calls us to, is to be
both wise or discerning and grounded in love.
It is a love that helps others overcome their faults and sins. It is a love that operates in the
righteousness of Jesus and makes effort to first judge ourselves before we
judge the intentions, and motives of others.
Sometimes it is indeed a difficult task.
But that’s our goal. That’s what
we are striving for.
Preview of Next Week’s Lesson:
Next week we leave the New Testament and move back to the Old Testament. Our lesson comes from I Samuel and deals with a covenant between friends. The challenge faced by one of these friends will reveal the loyalty of his friendship. I am reminded of a quote from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends”. Covenants have meaning. The mettle of this friendship will be tested in next week’s lesson. Next week the text continues at I Samuel 18:1-5, and 19:1-7.
Hello Sunday school teachers, preachers, and students! Welcome to SundaySchoolPreacher.com. This week I review how Jesus teaches about transforming love in Matthew 5:38-48. In this chapter Jesus continues to outline what righteousness looks like for his Kingdom. A changed heart brings about a changed life. The righteousness Jesus is teaching turns lives upside down. It is transformative. It is a new way of thinking, a new way of living. Just as the birth of a first born child changes everything, the radical love Jesus teaches changes everything about how we think, act, live, and love. As Jesus contrasts his righteousness with the righteousness of The Law we see our own inadequacy and the complete sufficiency of Jesus as the fulfillment of The Law. Jesus continues to be more concerned about our relationships with one another than he is with us following the rules and regulations of The Law. As Jesus continues to reinterpret The Law we should understand that righteousness is based in a love that does right by God and God’s created. This lesson is about transforming love; A love that reorders our life. Some of the ideas surrounding this week’s text include the terms:
Transforming Love Changes Everything
Pacifist
Reparations
Radical Love
Background:
Matthew is the first of the four
Gospels with the other three being Mark, Luke, and John. Even though scholars note that Mark is
written first, Matthew is listed first in the Protestant Bible. Matthew holds this place as the first Gospel
because according to the New Interpreters Study Bible One Volume Commentary “it
is concerned to link the old revelation with the new, to show the new as the
culmination rather that the abrogation of what went before”. In other words, part of Matthew’s purpose is
to show how the New Testament is linked to what we call the Old Testament. Additionally, “Matthew’s evident concern is
to tell the story of Jesus, who is center stage in nearly every episode in the
Gospel. When this text is written
“Israel desires the rule of God even though that rule remained as an ideal, or
a future hope. That hope is removed from
the everyday reality of human frailty, faithlessness, and the brutal reality of
suffering and oppression they were subjected to under Roman rule”.
Keep in mind, when this text is written
the Jewish Temple has already been destroyed.
That’s significant because the Israelites are now confused, distressed,
and distraught because The Temple was central to their religious existence. It was the place they went to meet the
requirements of God. With its
destruction they question whether God has abandoned them. Matthew is written as a response to this
situation, it gives the Israelites the option to choose Jesus.
Just as in last week, our text this
week continues to deal with the contrast of Jesus’ righteousness against the
righteousness of The Law. Notice how
Jesus says “you have heard that it was said” and then he follows with “but I
say unto you”. He’s telling them the Law
says XYZ, but I say unto you 1, 2, 3. Jesus
is more concerned about the spirit of the Law, the treatment of God’s creation,
than he is with a set of rules and regulations.
For Jesus, righteousness is built largely upon how all people, not just
Israelites, and God’s created are treated.
As Jesus continues to outline what righteousness looks like, he is
showing us that righteousness is a spiritual matter that comes from a changed
heart; A heart of love. This continues
to be about the spirit of the Law, not the letter of the Law. How we handle and care for our relationships
with others speaks volumes about who we are and what we value. Some important words to consider from this
text include:
Pacifist
Reparations
Radical Love
Perfection
Review of Last Week and How it Connects to This Week:
Last week verse twenty-one began with
“You have heard that is was said”. Here,
Jesus was reminding the disciples and listeners of what the Law said long
ago. As Jesus explained each of the
three examples he used he was making a point.
The point he was making for his disciples and the listening crowd was
that He was calling them to a higher righteousness. Jesus was calling them to a spiritual
righteousness based in love; not a righteousness based on strict adherence of
The Law. His first example dealt with
murder. Murder is a shocking and
atrocious sin but Jesus says that even if you are angry with your brother or
sister without cause it is essentially the same thing as murder. Jesus takes the “Old Testament”, the Hebrew
Bible or The Law and he reinterprets it to take it to a whole new
standard. One point we can take away
from this exchange is that anger can destroy relationships.
Verses twenty-three and twenty-four
reinforced this point and make it clearer that Jesus is more concerned with our
human relationships, how we treat each other, than he is with whatever gift we
might bring to God.
Verses twenty-five and twenty-six
dealt with contentious relationships.
The point here was that we should work out our differences quickly. Don’t let your differences fester. Don’t let
differences linger.
Verses twenty-seven and twenty-eight
dealt with adultery. But more so it
dealt with how husbands ought to treat their wives who in a patriarchal society
had little to no rights. Again, Jesus
takes it to the next level when he said “whoever looks at a woman lustfully has
already committed adultery with her in his heart”. Jesus was teaching the disciples and
listeners the spirit of the law is what was important, not the letter of the
Law. We need a changed heart. A heart of love.
Verses twenty-nine and thirty dealt
with the relationship we have with our selves. Self-care is important. In fact, when we fail to take care of
ourselves I argue that we are more likely to have “offending members” or causes
of stumbling in our faith walk. Plucking
out offending eyes or cutting off offending hands is not to be taken
literally. Again, Jesus was making a
point. He is showing us that the
righteousness of his kingdom goes beyond following rules.
In verses thirty-one and thirty-two
Jesus again uses the “you have heard it was said, but I say unto you”
formula. This time Jesus dealt with
another matter of the heart; spousal relationships. Keep in mind that through much of history, in
patriarchal societies, women were treated as property. Jesus was telling us that the spousal
relationship should not be abused. The
righteousness of Jesus’ kingdom is in large part based on doing right by
others. As Jesus reinterprets The Law of
Moses he takes it to the next level to make guilty the male who divorces his
wife and the man who marries a divorced wife.
Again, Jesus is driving home his point and I argue that this too should
not be taken literally. Women are not
the property of their husband. Jesus recognized
that abuse and teaches his disciples and the crowd that spousal relationships
are important.
As we continue to focus on the idea
of a heartfelt covenant, this week’s lesson helps us understand the
transforming love of Jesus. As Jesus
continues to outline some of the rules of his kingdom, in this lesson Jesus teaches
about a transforming love that is radical.
It is a new way of thinking and a new way of living. It is transformative. Townsend and Boyd’s Commentary title the
lesson Jesus Teaches About Transforming Love.
Standard Lesson Commentary titles it Transforming Love. The scripture text comes from Matthew 5:38-48.
What Takes Place in This Passage:
Verse thirty-eight continues Jesus’
Sermon on the Mount with “You have heard that is was said”. Jesus is reminding the disciples and
listeners of what the Law said long ago.
In this verse he reminds them of Leviticus 24:19-20 – “19 Anyone who
maims another shall suffer the same injury in return: 20 fracture for fracture,
eye for eye, tooth for tooth; the injury inflicted is the injury to be suffered”. Jesus reinterprets this command turning it
upside down. In verse thirty-nine he
literally says to do the opposite. The
righteousness of Jesus goes beyond The Law.
His righteousness takes it to the next level. A level that in some cases may be unattainable
for humans not controlled by the Holy Spirit.
Verse thirty-nine requires us to “turn the other cheek”. With this pacifism Jesus is making the point
that his righteousness is a radical, complete, and transformative way to love who
God has created. Even if the people God created
are the very ones who wronged you. Jesus
is telling us that our relationships should be founded upon and intertwined
with a love that is all-encompassing. It
is a radical way to love.
This verse also causes us to evaluate
the idea of retributive justice against the idea of restorative justice. Retributive justice is “the view that God’s
justice intends to give sinners that which their sins deserve (Jer. 5:29,
20:12)”. Restorative justice “emphasizes
an equal concern for crime victims and offenders, while deemphasizing the
importance of coercion. It also seeks to focus on the harm done to persons and
relationships rather than on the violation of a law” (The Free Dictionary). In other words, retributive justice would not
turn the other cheek whereas restorative justice would require the one who
slaps a person to repair or somehow pay reparation to the one slapped. In this way, relationships can be made whole
and community restored because both the victim and the offender are involved in
restoring community.
Verse forty deals with our
relationship with the legal system or as Townsend Commentary puts it “legal
revenge”. The point for us to know is
that even in a legal matter, love is the overriding dominate principle. This kind of love is indeed radical. Jesus is making his point. He is telling us when we are sued to
willingly give more than the law requires, even to our own detriment.
Verse forty-one tells us to “go the extra
mile”. Standard Commentary notes that
“By law, a Roman soldier could compel a person to carry his gear, but only for
one mile”. Roman soldiers were despised
by the Israelites. The Romans had
occupied the land of Israel, destroyed The Temple, and oppressed the
Israelites. To go the extra mile for
your oppressor is indeed a radical love.
Verse forty-two speaks to our
relationship with money. Our economic
system and our societal values today are vastly different from this time in
ancient history. The point here is for
us to be generous when and where we are able.
Again, it is the relationship that matters. When and where we can we ought to always seek
to build, restore, and make relationships whole even, if not especially, when
involving money in our society today.
Verse forty-three and forty-four
return to the “You have heard that it was said” “but I say unto you
formula”. In verse forty-three Jesus
reminds us the law says to love your neighbor (Leviticus 19:18). Standard Commentary notes that “it was a
popular misapplication of the command where the logically opposite has been
added: hate thine enemy”. “Nowhere does
the biblical law command one to hate an enemy”.
The point Jesus is making is that his righteousness requires a radical,
life changing, transformative love. This
love can only spring from a changed heart.
A heart transformed by love. A
heart that returns good for evil.
Verse 45 helps us understand that
what happens to someone else could just as easily happen to you. God makes the sun to rise on the evil and the
good and God sends rain on the just and the unjust. Good things can happen to bad people and bad
things can happen to good people. In as much
as we are the recipients of good and the victims of bad we are all “in this
boat together”. God loves all of God’s
creation and so should we. Again, this
is a radical, countercultural love that we ought to always strive for.
In verses forty-six and forty-seven
Jesus is making his point clear. If you
only love those who love you how are you different from the despised tax
collectors who often abused and cheated the Israelites.
In verse forty-eight Jesus tells us
to be perfect even as God in heaven is perfect.
This indeed is a tall order. I
should note that Townsend Commentary describes this perfection as meaning
“mature and full grown”. We are not and
cannot be perfect. Yet, we can be mature
and complete in our love toward God’s creation and especially God’s
people. Our goal is perfect love, that
is what we are striving for.
Context:
Our text this week is a strong call
to nonviolence based in restorative love.
The US criminal justice system is based on retribution and in some cases
rehabilitation. Another model which I
believe is more closely related to the teachings of Jesus is restorative
justice. Restorative justice
acknowledges the victim of crime and includes the victim in determining how the
offense is to be resolved. It holds
space for reconciliation. It holds space
for renewal of relationship between victims of crime and perpetrators of
crime. It’s not easy, but the radical
love Jesus calls us to is not easy either.
God is concerned with our relationship with others. It’s easy to love those who love you, it’s
not so easy to love the “unlovable”. If
we are to be true disciples of Jesus Christ, he calls us to a radical
love. A transforming love based on our
relationships with others.
Key Characters in the text:
Jesus Christ –
Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah and according to the Christian church the
incarnate second Person of the Trinity.
He was crucified on a cross and was raised from the dead by the power of
God.
Matthew – Each
of the four Gospels lists Matthew as one of the twelve Apostles. Most scholars believe Matthew and Levi is the
same person. As a tax collector Matthew
would have been associated with the Roman government. This would have also made him despised by his
Jewish countrymen and women.
Key Words:
Disciples –
One who follows and learns from another as a pupil. Old Testament prophets had disciples, as did
John the Baptist and the Pharisees. It
is used specifically for those who follow Jesus Christ.
Agape – The
self-giving love seen supremely in God’s love for the world (John 3:16) and as
a mark of the Christian life (I Cor. 13).
Themes, Topics, Discussion, or Sermon Preparation Ideas:
1. What radical love
looks like.
2. Being perfect in an
imperfect world.
Questions:
1.
Discuss ways you have been transformed by love.
2.
Discuss why relationships are so important in Jesus’ Kingdom.
Concluding thought:
This week’s lesson teaches us about
transforming love. A changed heart
brings about a changed life. The
righteousness Jesus is teaching turns lives upside down. It is transformative. It is a new way of thinking, a new way of
living. As Jesus contrasts his righteousness
with the righteousness of The Law we see our own inadequacy and the complete
sufficiency of Jesus as the fulfillment of The Law.
Preview of Next Week’s Lesson:
Next
week Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount teaching about spiritual
discernment. This lesson will help us
contrast judging others against discerning spiritual matters involving
others. As Jesus continues to show us
what righteousness in his kingdom looks like, I will highlight our response to
being judged and discerning true prophets and disciples. Next week the text continues at Matthew 7:1-6,
and 15-23.
Hello Sunday school teachers, preachers, and students!
Welcome to SundaySchoolPreacher.com. This
week I review what Jesus said about anger, adultery, and divorce in Matthew
5. In this chapter Jesus continues to
outline what righteousness looks like for his Kingdom. We can learn at least two things in this
week’s lesson. First, Jesus is more
concerned about our relationships with one another than he is with us following
the rules and regulations of The Law.
And secondly, Jesus is asking us to truly live a righteous life. As Jesus reinterprets The Law using literary
devices to make his point we should understand that righteousness is based in a
love that does right by God and God’s created.
This lesson is about relationships and the spirit of The Law, not the
letter of The Law. Some of the ideas
surrounding this week’s text include the terms:
The Law
Divorce
Patriarchy
Background:
When this text is written the Jewish
Temple has already been destroyed and these Jewish Christians are a distinct
people of God separate from the Israelites with a completely separate
mission. Their mission is to “Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Some of them have Jewish heritage. Some of them are Gentile. Some still have Jewish practices. But they aren’t entirely Jewish. They are becoming something entirely
different from what they used to be.
Matthew is written to give them that guidance and direction as they move
from where they were to where God wants them to be.
Our text this week deals with
relationships as Jesus talks about the Law.
Notice how Jesus says “you have heard that it was said” and then he
follows with “but I say unto you”. He’s
telling them the Law says XYZ, but I say unto you 1, 2, 3. I think what we see in this text is that
Jesus cares more about relationships than rules; even the rules of The
Law. As Jesus continues to outline what
righteousness looks like, he is showing us that righteousness is not a strict
adherence to The Law; but more so a deeper spiritual righteousness that comes
from a changed heart; A heart of love.
This is about the spirit of the Law, not the letter of the Law. How we handle and care for our relationships
with others speaks volumes about who we are and what we value. Some important words to consider from this
text include:
The Law
Hell
Divorce
Patriarchy
Review of Last Week How it Connects to This Week:
Last week I reviewed the second
lesson of this five week series in Matthew.
I explained how Jesus continued to outline what righteousness looks like
for his Kingdom. I also noted how Matthew
gives us an honest account of the tension between what I keep calling the “old
school” Jewish hierarchy and these new Jewish Christians who aren’t worshipping
in the same way or following the same practices as the “traditional” Jews are. In verses thirteen and fourteen of last
week’s text Jesus described his disciples and by extension all of us who follow
him as salt and then light. These two
metaphors are descriptors that should help us understand how we should be and
how we should be seen in the world. Salt
is both a seasoning and a preserver. It
seasons our food and makes it taste better.
Likewise we should strive to make life “taste” better for those around
us. Salt also preserves. We ought to preserve the good in our lives
and encourage others to do the same. In
preserving what is good we can become lights in a dark world. I also noted that Saint Francis of Assisi is
credited with saying “preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use
words”. That’s a great explanation of
what it means to be salt and light in this world.
I noted in verses 15 and 16 how we
are encouraged to put our light on a candlestick so others may see our good
works. In other words, our lights should
shine bright. Don’t dim your bright
light because others are intimidated, jealous, envious, or any other
reason. Your good works, your example,
your ministry, your life’s example should be to God’s glory
Verse 18 told us that nothing would
be taken away from the Law; not one word, not one letter, not even a stroke of
one letter will be taken away until all has been fulfilled. I noted how Jesus is the fulfillment of the
Law and the prophets. Also noted was Standard
Lesson Commentary saying “God did not give the law intending that it would last
forever. Ultimately it points to Christ,
who makes perfect what the law could not perfect (Rom 3:20-31; Hebrews
7:16-19).
Verse 19 reminded us how Jesus
declares those who break one of the least of these commandments, and teaches
others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. No one can keep all of the commandments of
the Old Testament. Jesus offers a better
testament, a better covenant.
Verse 20 told us that our
righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees or we
will not enter the kingdom of heaven. I
noted how the Gospel According to Matthew is not kind to the scribes and
Pharisees. There is tension between
these Jewish Christians who are teaching a new way, a new covenant based in
Jesus Christ and the “old school” Jewish hierarchy. Matthew is written to a community who “with
much bitterness and conflict have withdrawn from the synagogue. It assists a now separate community in
defining its identity and shaping its faithful way of life within the diversity
of late 1st-century Judaism” (NISB). The
point for us today is to recognize and acknowledge Jesus as our Savior.
As we continue to focus on the idea
of a heartfelt covenant, this week’s lesson helps us understand how Jesus
teaches us to love one another. This is
the third lesson from the Gospel According to Matthew. As Jesus continues to outline some of the
rules of his kingdom, in this lesson Jesus deals with some matters of the
heart. He teaches about anger,
adultery, and divorce. Townsend and Boyd’s
Commentary title the lesson Jesus Teaches Us To Love One Another. Standard Lesson Commentary titles it Love One
Another. The scripture text comes from Matthew
5:21-32.
What Takes Place in This Passage:
Verse twenty-one begins with “You have heard that is was said”. In this way, Jesus is reminding the disciples and listeners of what the Law said long ago. In our text this week Jesus does this three times. As he walks through each of these three examples he is making a point. He is essentially calling the disciples to a higher righteousness. A spiritual righteousness not based on strict adherence of The Law but on a deeper spiritual level based in love. His first example deals with murder. To commit murder is a shocking and atrocious sin. But notice how Jesus takes it to the next level. He says even if you are angry with your brother or sister without cause you are in danger of judgement. He’s making the point that relationship is important and anger against your brother or sister is dangerous. Anger can destroy relationships.
Verses twenty-three and twenty-four reinforces the point and makes it even more clear that Jesus is more concerned with our human relationships, how we treat each other, than he is with whatever gift we might bring to God. He is essentially saying stop what you are doing; first be reconciled to your brother or sister and then bring your gift. Relationships are important!
Verses twenty-five and twenty-six
deal with contentious relationships. The
point here is that we should work out our differences quickly. Don’t let your differences fester. Don’t let
your differences linger. Bad news
doesn’t get better with time. So
whatever needs working out, go ahead and work it out.
Verses twenty-seven and twenty-eight
deal with adultery. Again, Jesus takes
it to the next level when he says “whoever looks at a woman lustfully has
already committed adultery with her in his heart”. This is not about the letter of the Law. Jesus is teaching us about the spirit of the
Law. We need a changed heart. A heart of love.
Verses twenty-nine and thirty deal
with the relationship we have with our selves. Self-care is important. In fact, when we fail to take care of
ourselves I argue that we are more likely to have “offending members” or causes
of stumbling in our faith walk. It
should be noted that plucking out offending eyes or cutting off offending hands
is not to be taken literally. Again,
Jesus is making a point. He is showing
us that the righteousness of his kingdom goes beyond following rules. It goes beyond “gaming the system” to get or
do what you want. The righteousness of
Jesus is a matter of the heart; a changed heart. Also, Townsend Commentary notes that ““hell”
comes from the Greek word gehenna.
Gehenna appears often in Matthew to refer to the eternal destination of
the wicked. Hell is not to be confused
with Hades (Luke 16:32), which was the underworld for the dead known as Sheol
in the Old Testament”.
In verses thirty-one and thirty-two Jesus returns again to this “you have heard it was said, but I say unto you” formula. This time Jesus deals with another matter of the heart; spousal relationships. Keep in mind that through much of history, in patriarchal societies, women were treated as property. Townsend Commentary notes that “Some of the rabbis allowed divorce on the grounds that the wife was displeasing to her husband or that the husband was attracted to a more beautiful woman”. Jesus is telling us that the spousal relationship should not be abused. The righteousness of Jesus’ kingdom is in large part based on doing right by others. As Jesus reinterprets The Law of Moses he takes it to the next level to make guilty the male who divorces his wife and the man who marries a divorced wife. Again, Jesus is driving home his point and I argue that this too should not be taken literally. Women are not the property of their husband. Jesus recognized that abuse and teaches his disciples and the crowd that spousal relationships are important.
Context:
Poetry, figurative language, literary and rhetorical devices, narrative, prose, proverbs, analogies, and other techniques are used in Scripture to instruct and ultimately draw us closer to God. Our text this week contains examples of literary devices used to make a point. When Jesus tells us to pluck out the offending eye or cut off the offending hand it is not literal. He is making a point. Notice how Jesus used metaphors of salt and light in last week’s lesson. Jesus’ use of literary devices helps us appreciate, interpret, and analyze his teachings. I especially like how Rev. Wil Gafney PH.D. explains a portion of this text, writing “Sometimes Jesus says something entirely contradictory to the text. Mostly he seems to be making it harder to do the right thing and some of what he says just seems flat out impossible. In the passages he reinterprets in our gospel today, Jesus accepts the basic meaning but recrafts them to say surprisingly more than they previously said. Jesus takes biblical interpretation to a whole other level”. Yes, that’s the point! As Jesus reinterprets parts of the The Law, we should see beyond the mere words on the page and hear the call to true righteousness. Righteousness rooted in relationship and love. Jesus doesn’t do away with the old covenant, he makes it better.
Key Characters in the text:
Jesus Christ –
Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah and according to the Christian church the
incarnate second Person of the Trinity.
He was crucified on a cross and was raised from the dead by the power of
God.
Matthew – Each
of the four Gospels lists Matthew as one of the twelve Apostles. Most scholars believe Matthew and Levi is the
same person. As a tax collector Matthew
would have been associated with the Roman government. This would have also made him despised by his
Jewish countrymen and women.
Key Words (not necessarily in the text, but good for
discussion):
Beatitudes – Teachings
of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount regarding the lives and dispositions of his
followers.
Disciples –
One who follows and learns from another as a pupil. Old Testament prophets had disciples, as did
John the Baptist and the Pharisees. It
is used specifically for those who follow Jesus Christ.
Patriarchy – A
male authority system that oppresses and subordinates women through social,
political, and economic institutions and practices.
Themes, Topics, Discussion, or Sermon Preparation Ideas:
1. What righteousness
looks like.
2. What did I say?
Questions:
1.
Discuss how anger can destroy relationships.
2.
Discuss why relationships are so important in Jesus’ Kingdom.
Concluding thought:
This week’s lesson teaches us at
least two things. First, Jesus is more
concerned about our relationships with one another than he is with us following
the rules and regulations of The Law.
Secondly, Jesus is asking us to truly live a righteous life. This is about the spirit of The Law, not the
letter of The Law. Righteousness based
in an ethic of love ought to be our guiding light. I can think of no example when doing right by
God and doing right by God’s created will lead us away from righteousness. That’s our task, that’s our goal; to do right
in love.
Preview of Next Week’s Lesson:
Next
week Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount using the same “you have heard
that is was said, but I say unto you” formula.
Jesus continues to make his point to the disciples and listeners about
what true righteousness look like. As he
makes his point Jesus teaches about transforming love. Next week the text continues at Matthew 5:38-48. As we keep in mind the idea of a heartfelt
covenant I will outline some of what transformative love looks like.
Hello Sunday school teachers, preachers, and students!
Welcome to SundaySchoolPreacher.com. This
week I take a look at the second lesson of the Beatitudes. In this week’s lesson Jesus continues to
outline what righteousness looks like and the rules and regulations of his
Kingdom. Matthew gives us an honest
account of the tension between what I keep calling the “old school” Jewish
hierarchy and these new upstarts that are telling people about a man named
Jesus who can save the world. “Old
school” Judaism and these new Jewish Christians don’t agree and they don’t get
along. Matthew is writing to these new
Jewish Christians to point them in the right direction concerning this New
Covenant and how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament. Some of the ideas surrounding this week’s
text include the terms:
The Law
The Prophets
Scribes and Pharisees
Background:
The overall focus for the summer
quarter is a heartfelt covenant. Heartfelt
is an adjective. It is a describing
word. It adds context to or describes a
noun which in this case is covenant. So,
we’re talking about a heartfelt covenant.
Heartfelt is defined as “a feeling or its expression that is sincere;
deeply and strongly felt”. When
something is heartfelt it is genuine, it’s authentic. In our lessons this summer we are studying
different aspects of this heartfelt, this genuine, authentic, and sincere
covenant established by Jesus Christ.
But what I really want to highlight is that WE are the ones who
experience this covenant in a heartfelt way.
With that in mind, I’ll provide some
background on the origin of the book of Matthew, a bit of background on the
people this Gospel was written to, and then I’ll narrow the focus to this
week’s study which is the 5th chapter of the Gospel According to Matthew.
Matthew is also known as Levi the son
of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14). Matthew is a
tax collector when Jesus finds him sitting at a tax booth. Jesus simply says “follow me” and Matthew got
up and followed him. As a tax collector,
Matthew was likely despised by other Jews because he would have been seen as a
collaborator with the Roman Empire.
Also, tax collectors were called unclean and often defrauded and cheated
people by charging excessive taxes. So
Jews did not associate with tax collectors.
Additionally, keep in mind this text
is likely written after 70 A.D. The
Jewish temple has been destroyed and Matthew is writing to Jewish Christians. The New Interpreter’s Study Bible explains
that “although the name Matthew is linked with this Gospel about 100 years
after it was written, it is not known who the real author is, when the text was
originally written, or why this work is named Matthew”. An illustrated biographical dictionary
explains that “although Mark is the shortest Gospel, Matthew and Luke
substantially use the same text as Mark but supplement it with additional
writings”.
The fifth chapter of Matthew begins
Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The sermon
covers chapters 5 through 7. Chapter 5
begins with “blessings and sayings (5:3-16) the middle section of the sermon
has six interpretations of scripture (5:17-48), instructions on three
distinctive discipleship practices (6:1-18), and teaching on social and
economic practices (6:19-7:12)” (NISB).
Over the next four weeks I will cover all of chapter five and close the last
lesson with chapter 7. Some important
words to consider from this text include:
The Law
The Prophets
Scribes and Pharisees
Review of Last Week and How it Connects to This Week:
Last week was the first of five lessons from the Gospel According to Matthew. The text was Matthew 5:1-12 which is the beginning portion of the Beatitudes. I began with a description of verse one and two observing how Jesus took notice of the crowds, and then how he withdrew to an unnamed mountain to address his disciples. I also noted that “So far there are only four disciples (4:18-22; 10:1-4), but they represent all disciples” (NISB). I also noted that the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, and those who hunger and thirst after righteousness is important language for a people who are oppressed, persecuted, and subjugated by the Imperial Roman government and their fellow Jewish nationals. I provided a definition of the poor as “those who are economically or spiritually without sufficient resources and noted that God has a special concern for the poor. Contemporary liberation theology emphasizes reading Scripture from the perspective of the poor. I also quoted the NISB noting that “The second half of each blessing promises God’s future reversal of imperial situations” (NISB).
I also mentioned mercy from verse
seven. Mercy is an important descriptor
of God. Our homes are better when mercy
is present. Our communities are better
when mercy is present, and our governmental policies make society better when
they deal with poverty as a priority.
A Pure Heart
I also admitted my inability to
explain what a pure heart is. At least
in terms of righteousness, I’m certain the only way my heart can be declared
pure is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross.
I also talked about the difference
between peacemakers and peacekeepers. Peace
makers do the work of justice and righteousness. A peace keeper may or may not do this work.
Verses eleven and twelve closed the
lesson proclaiming that we should rejoice and be glad because we will receive a
great reward in heaven when we are persecuted falsely on the account of
Jesus. It’s important to stress that
this applies to those who are falsely persecuted, not justifiably persecuted.
Now, As we focus on the idea of a
heartfelt covenant this week’s lesson deals with how Jesus fulfils the
Law. This is the second lesson from the beatitudes
and the second of five from the Gospel According to Matthew. In this second lesson we hear directly from
Jesus as he outlines some of the rules of his kingdom. The beatitudes are a guide for our everyday
living that should be heartfelt by all Christians. Townsend and Boyd’s Commentary title the
lesson Jesus Teaches About Fulfilling the Law.
Standard Lesson Commentary titles it Fulfilling the Law. The scripture text comes from Matthew 5:13-20.
What Takes Place in This Passage:
In verses thirteen and fourteen Jesus
describes his disciples and by extension all of us who follow him as salt and then
light. These two metaphors are
descriptors that should help us understand how we should be and how we should
be seen in the world. Salt is a
seasoning and a preserver. It seasons
our food and makes it taste better.
Likewise we should strive to make life “taste” better for those around
us. Instead of creating problems we can
help solve problems. Instead of simply
criticizing others we can offer constructive criticism that makes others
better. Salt also preserves. We ought to preserve the good in our lives
and encourage others to do the same. In
preserving what is good we can become lights in a dark world. When people see your good works you become a
light for them to emulate, a beacon of what can and should be instead of what
is. We should not underestimate the
power of a good example. Because sometimes
the only sermon someone may hear is the one they see in how you live. Saint Francis of Assisi is credited with
saying “preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words”. That’s a great explanation of what it means
to be salt and light in this world.
Verses 15 and 16 encourage us to put
our light on a candlestick so others may see our good works. In other words, our lights should shine
bright. Don’t dim your bright light
because others are intimidated, jealous, envious, or any other reason. Your good works, your example, your ministry,
your life’s example should be to God’s glory.
And as long as you’re walking with God, let your light shine.
Verse 17 deals with the title of this
week’s lesson. Here, Jesus tells the
disciples that he has not come to destroy the law or the prophets but to
fulfil. Jesus does not do away with the
old, he makes it better. In next week’s
lesson we see some of the ways Jesus makes the Old Testament better.
Verse 18 tells us that nothing will
be taken away from the Old Testament; not one word, not one letter, not even a
stroke of one letter will be taken away until all has been fulfilled. Keep in mind that this is the very beginning
of Jesus’ earthly ministry. He has just
called his first disciples in Galilee and they don’t yet know that Jesus is the
fulfillment of the Law and the prophets.
Standard Lesson Commentary notes that “God did not give the law
intending that it would last forever.
Ultimately it points to Christ, who makes perfect what the law could not
perfect (Rom 3:20-31; Hebrews 7:16-19).
In other words, the Old Testament points to Jesus as its own
fulfillment.
In verse 19 Jesus declares that those
who break one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.
It’s been said many times that no one can keep all of the commandments
of the Old Testament. Again, Jesus
offers a better testament, a better covenant.
Here, in the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry neither his disciples
nor the gathered crowd know how Jesus will fulfill the Old and make it
better. The writer of Matthew is
recalling events that happened about 27 AD.
So when the final version of this text is complete at least forty years
have passed. The disciples may not have
known at this point so early in Jesus’ ministry but eventually they would come
to understand exactly who Jesus is and how he fulfills the Law and the
prophets.
Verse 20 tells us that our
righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees or we
will not enter the kingdom of heaven. The
Gospel According to Matthew is not kind to the scribes and Pharisees. There is tension between these Jewish
Christians who are teaching a new way, a new covenant based in Jesus Christ and
the “old school” Jewish hierarchy. Matthew is writing to a community who “with
much bitterness and conflict have withdrawn from the synagogue. It assists a now separate community in
defining its identity and shaping its faithful way of life within the diversity
of late 1st-century Judaism” (NISB).
The point for us today is to recognize and acknowledge Jesus as our Savior. And he is our Savior by grace.
Context:
One of the things I love about
Scripture is how is shows both the good and the not so good. We see the faults and human frailty of the
patriarchs through the Old Testament and they serve as an example of both what
to do and what not to do. It’s an honest
account of the good and the not so good.
The Gospel according to Matthew is situated in that same vein. It’s an honest account of the tension between
what I keep calling the “old school” Jewish hierarchy and these new upstarts
that are telling people about a man named Jesus who can save the world. “Old school” Judaism and these new Jewish
Christians don’t agree and they don’t get along. When Matthew tells us that our righteousness
must exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees it’s just one more
instance of this tension laid bare for all to see. What we should be mindful of is that Jesus
didn’t do away with the old rules, he made them better. Jesus offers a new agreement, a new covenant,
a new testament that is a better covenant for everyone today.
Key Characters in the text:
Jesus Christ –
Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah and according to the Christian church the
incarnate second Person of the Trinity.
He was crucified on a cross and was raised from the dead by the power of
God.
Matthew – Each
of the four Gospels lists Matthew as one of the twelve Apostles. Most scholars believe Matthew and Levi is the
same person. As a tax collector Matthew
would have been associated with the Roman government. This would have also made him despised by his
Jewish countrymen and women.
Pharisees – A
Jewish party during Jesus’ time that obeyed the Law of Moses and its unwritten
interpretations, known as the tradition of the elders (Mark 7:3). They focused on holiness (Lev. 19:2). Some were hostile (John 7:32) others were
helpful to Jesus (Luke 13:31).
Key Words (not necessarily in the text, but good for
discussion):
Beatitudes – Teachings
of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount regarding the lives and dispositions of his
followers.
Disciples –
One who follows and learns from another as a pupil. Old Testament prophets had disciples, as did
John the Baptist and the Pharisees. It
is used specifically for those who follow Jesus Christ.
Kingdom of Heaven – An equivalent term for “Kingdom of God” found in Matthew’s Gospel.
Themes, Topics, Discussion, or Sermon Preparation Ideas:
1. Old school versus
new school.
2. Salt is a
seasoning, are you making anyone’s life “taste” better?
Questions:
1.
Matthew is writing to a people who are trying to figure out if they will
be “old school” Jewish or this new style Jewish Christian, or something
entirely different. When is it best to
go with the new school approach?
2.
Is Jesus the spiritual fulfillment of the Old Testament Law?
Concluding thought:
Matthew writes to a marginalized
people, a people who are oppressed by the government and even their own
brothers and sisters in the faith and reassures them of God’s plan and points
them toward a mission to save the world.
This fifth chapter of Matthew shows some of how that mission began. It also points us toward a coming Savior that
in this chapter begins to outline what righteousness looks like. It’s not the righteousness of a legal system
that requires the sacrifice of animals and keeping certain legal
requirements. It is a righteousness
based in love and faith in Jesus Christ.
That’s our task; to love others and to love God.
Preview of Next Week’s Lesson:
Anger, adultery, and divorce are a
part of next week’s lesson as I will continue where we left off this week. Matthew 5:21-32 is the text next week and in
these verses Jesus teaches us to love one another. As we keep in mind the idea of a heartfelt
covenant I will outline some of what that love looks like.
Sunday School Preacher 