Jesus' Application of the (Old Testament) Law - Part 2

Example #4: Application on the Issue of Oaths

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. (Jesus, Matthew 5:33–37)

            As Jesus continues to contrast His approach to the law with what was commonly taught, He hits on the issue of oaths. The Old Testament gives the following commands: “And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:12). “If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth” (Numbers 30:2). And, “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you” (Deuteronomy 23:21). The standard teaching, then, was to make sure you actually fulfill oaths made to the Lord, which sounds good. The problem is that oaths and swearing was abused by people (as it is today), and this is what Jesus confronts.

            One abuse is swearing about trivial things. People, instead of simply saying what they mean, add swears to what they are saying. They “swear to God” that the food at that restaurant is the worst they have ever had. They “swear to God” that they are going to punish their child if he does that one more time. Obviously, this trivializes the purpose of swearing, and it demeans God’s name. Another abuse is swearing with technicalities (the equivalent of crossing your fingers). As long as we don’t actually swear to the Lord (the reasoning went) then we don’t have to actually follow through on what we swore. Today, people make promises and sign agreements, and yet they find loopholes in order not to follow through on their commitment.

            Jesus is simply calling people on the carpet and telling them to speak truthfully. They should not have to add oaths to their statements for people to trust them. When people hear you say something, they should know, based on your character, that what you say is true. There are times when society may legitimately require and oath or signature to ensure honesty (such as in legal situations), but this only backs the principle of how important it is to be truthful. Jesus was asked to swear under oath by the Jewish council whether He was truly the Son of God, which He then affirmed (Matthew 23:63–64). But even if oaths may be instituted by government for certain reasons, Jesus’ clear teaching is that His followers are not to rely on them in normal conversation.

Example #5: Application on the Issue of Retaliation

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. (Jesus, Matthew 5:38–42)

The law of retribution, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” is an ancient principle,

observed in law codes other than the Old Testament. The Old Testament law does present this principle, saying for example, “But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe” (Exodus 21:24). The reasoning behind a law such as this is that it prevents crime (through fear of consequences) and protects a guilty person from being given a punishment that is greater than the crime itself merits (MacArthur, 329).

            The problem Jesus is pointing out is using this law as a justification for personal vengeance. Jesus here teaches that on a personal level, His people are to be forgiving and even accommodating to others in situations where we may be tempted to retaliate. If someone slaps you (a severe example of disrespect), Jesus says to “turn the other cheek,” or to accept it calmly. If someone wants to sue you (in Jesus’ time, they could take clothing if that was all you had), He instructs us to give more than what is demanded. And if someone demands you carry their load for a mile (as Roman soldiers then were permitted to do), be willing to carry it for two.

            What is the purpose behind these reactions that Jesus advocates? A hint is found in what Paul says in Romans:

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:18–21)

There are two reasons for why Jesus’ followers are to refrain from taking personal vengeance. The first is to overcome evil with good. By treating others the opposite of what they deserve, it actually serves to convict them of how they are treating us. Most of us know that when we act harshly and someone returns this with the same attitude, it only exacerbates the issue. But when someone treats us nicely in spite of ourselves, it tends to soften our hearts. An example of overcoming contention with goodness is seen in the following words of a woman who had become bitter in her marriage. It had come to an end for her, so she kicked her husband out of the house. But in the meantime he spent time in prayer and studying marriage books and tapes. She recounts:

The girls were really starting to miss him not being around, so we decided he would return home “until further notice.” Well, he would hold my hand every night and pray for me and for our marriage as I stared up at the ceiling anxiously waiting for him to finish. He would leave little notes, or a little flower on the bathroom mirror or in my car. So many little things he would do to show me that he loved me and wasn’t going to let this marriage end easily.

It just irritated me. I thought, can’t he understand that I don’t love him, that I don’t want to be with him anymore? Why is he trying so hard?. . .

            I was emotionally going through something that neither of us really understood, but he stayed there and loved me through it. I’ll spare you all the little extra details, but I eventually broke. No woman in her right mind could let go of that much love and commitment.

            [Now] I am very much in love with my husband. (Eggerichs, 98)

I am sure her husband was far from perfect and had a part in leading the marriage to turmoil in the first place, but he learned how to treat bitterness with kindness and love, and overcame evil with good.

The second reason for not retaliating is that we can trust God to bring justice. Jesus exemplified this attitude, according to Peter, in that “when He [Jesus] was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (I Peter 2:23). Jesus committed His situation to God, who can take care of justice.

One other principle that sheds light on this topic is seen in Paul’s instruction concerning government:

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. (Romans 13:1–4)

Paul, in these words, demonstrates that God uses the government to punish evil. This is the proper sphere of meting out justice. On a personal level, Christ’s followers are to return evil with goodness, but there are actions for which people will ultimately face judgment from the legal system. The government is a means by which God brings justice and which may help people not to engage in destructive behaviors.

Works Cited:

Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, Love and Respect: The Love She Most Desires, The Respect He Desperately Needs (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2004).

John F. MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Matthew 1–7 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1985). 

All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version.  Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Jesus' Application of the (Old Testament) Law

Jesus and the Law of God: His Application of the Law

So in this part of Jesus’ sermon, we have seen four principles He has brought out concerning His view of the Old Testament law: He came to fulfill the law, the law is God’s unfailing Word, the law (morally speaking) is to be kept by Christ’s followers, and the law is to be kept differently than the manner of the Scribes and Pharisees. This whole subject of living righteously brings out a theological struggle that Christianity has faced, and I would generalize the approaches in the following way: Fundamentalists have tended to emphasize the head—Christianity is about knowing and believing the right things. Liberals have tended to emphasize the hands—Christianity is about doing the right things. Jesus, in contrast to both of these approaches, emphasizes the heart—it’s about being the right kind of person. This is drawn out in His application of the law.

We have seen that Jesus has said that a person must have a greater righteousness than the scribes and Pharisees in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. He explains the kind of righteousness God desires by giving six examples taken from the law. In each case, He presents the standard teaching (what most people think) and then gives His own perspective (what God thinks). He shows how the law is supposed to be applied to our lives—true righteousness as opposed to the merely outward goodness of the scribes and Pharisees (a goodness that we, as humans, are all too content with).

Example # 1: Application on the Issue of Murder

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.” (Jesus, Matthew 5:21–26)

            First, Jesus gives the standard teaching on murder. Don’t murder; if you do, you will face judgment. Most people then and today feel they are justified as long as they don’t actually murder someone. But Jesus’ evaluation goes much deeper. He goes to the heart. “I say to you” (in other words, I am telling you what is actually correct) “whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” In Jesus’ view, hatred within makes you guilty before God. Harsh words that come out of our mouths reveal something horrible within. Hatred is what leads to contempt for others, where we no longer truly care about their well-being. This is what gives humans the propensity for horrific actions such as murder, but hatred is something all humans must deal with. It is so serious that Jesus says before we offer a gift to God, we ought to take care of our relationships with others. And it is so serious that it can lead to many adverse consequences both here on earth and in the judgment to come.

Example 2: Application on the Issue of Adultery

“You have heard that it was said to those of old,‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” (Jesus, Matthew 5:27–30)

            Again, in this second application of the law, Jesus gives the typical teaching on adultery: as long as you don’t sleep with someone other than your spouse, you are innocent. And again, Jesus probes to the root issue: lust (sexual desire for a person who is not your spouse). Our culture is so entangled with the promotion and gratification of lust in television, movies, music, magazines, books, and the internet, where various forms of pornography are displayed, that Jesus’ standard seems impossibly high. But it is not Jesus who is presenting something unusual or ridiculous, it is our society that is morally awry.

            So dangerous is the reality of lust that Jesus (in a hyperbolic way) says drastic measures must be taken to deal with unrighteous sexual desires. Jesus and the Bible as a whole teach that marriage and sexuality are a good thing, but when these are invaded by self-gratification and infidelity, all sorts of terrible problems ensue. Instead of intimacy and love, people are left with guilt and brokenness in relationships. The God who designed sexuality hates that which endangers its purity and potential for true intimacy.  Our society has strayed far from Jesus’ standard, and it is paying the consequences in widespread sexually transmitted diseases, breakdown in families, and much dissatisfaction in the area of sexuality (ironically, for a society that seeks so much satisfaction in it).

            All of this (including the act of adultery itself) stems from the heart. That is why Jesus essentially says that lusting after someone makes one guilty before God. It is better to enter eternal life maimed from dealing with this issue than be cast into hell through God’s judgment because of the sin of lust (cf. Matt 18:8–9).

Example #3: Application on the Issue of Divorce

“Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. (Jesus, Matthew 5:31–32).

As if the previous example is not hard enough to take, Jesus confronts the issue of divorce. Even two-thousand years ago people still had to deal with the issue of divorce. The Old Testament law made provision for divorce, but in no way commended it (cf. Deuteronomy 24:1–4). Many of the Jews of Jesus’ day thought that because the law made provision for divorce, it was an acceptable option. When specifically asked about this issue, Jesus gave His perspective in no uncertain terms. Matthew writes:

Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” (Matthew 19:1–9, ESV)

            Jesus’ teaching is that divorce is not acceptable. The only time it is condonable (but still not commanded) is in the case of sexual immortality. While it may be true there are cases where a couple may need to physically separate (for example, due to abuse), Jesus says what God has joined together (in marriage), let no one separate (with divorce). God’s ideal, as Jesus quotes from Genesis, is that two people become “one flesh.” In other words, their relationship is to be one of loving unity, so much that their identity is wrapped up in one another. This is a far cry from how American culture often views marriage. One problem is that we make a huge deal out of weddings, but often give scant attention to marriages themselves. As a billboard sign used to say: “Loved the wedding, invite me to the marriage. –– God” The reason God made provision for divorce, says Jesus, is because of the hardness of people’s hearts. Once again, we see the real issue is that of the heart.

The Need for Heart Surgery

I had the most interesting conversation today with a man who has had over 10 heart attacks. He says he has technically died at least 11 times. This man clearly has a physical heart problem and had to undergo very risky surgery to turn his situation around. Jesus’ examination of people based on His use of the law reveals that each of us needs a situational turn-around. We need spiritual heart surgery because, as Jesus says, “out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man” (Matt. 15:18–20a). He also says that the only way to have good fruit is for a tree to be good: “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit” (Matt. 12:33). Our words and actions (fruit) ultimately reflect what we are inside. And while we tend to justify ourselves as being good people, Jesus shows that we have a spiritual illness, a propensity toward wickedness that is exposed when we see God’s law applied to the heart.

What the man I spoke with today needed was a surgeon who cared and was willing to take great risk to save this man’s life (he said he had been lost a few times on the operating table as well). Fortunately, he does have a surgeon who really understood his specific condition and has concern for him. Jesus is a physician to those who realize they are ill (Luke 5:31). He cares for us and was willing to go to all lengths to save us, giving His life on the cross (Mark 10:45). He knows exactly the operation that must take place in each of our hearts if we will go to Him for help. As God promised through the prophet in the Old Testament, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:26–27). Jesus can change our stony, hard hearts and create in us a heart that loves God and others rightly, allowing us to truly fulfill His righteous law.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version.  Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Jesus' View of the (Old Testament) Law - Part 2

Concept 3: Jesus Teaches that the Law Is to Be Kept

“Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Jesus, Matthew 5:19).

We have seen in what Jesus says that He came to fulfill the law and the prophets (found in the Old Testament) and that the law is God’s unfailing truth. Here, Jesus teaches that the law is to be kept, not disregarded. Those who uphold God’s law are considered great in God’s kingdom. Once again, we must remember that Jesus fulfills the judicial and ceremonial aspects of the law through His rule over His people (the church) and His death on the cross (the atonement for sin). The moral aspect of the law, which reflects God’s righteousness, still has bearing on God’s people. This is supported by the entire New Testament Scriptures, which reiterate, for example, all of the Ten Commandments (with the exception of keeping the Sabbath).

How the law applies to Christians today can be a confusing subject for many, but it must be remembered that the early church, which began in a Jewish context, had to deal with the issue of how to apply the law to Gentiles (non-Jews). The conclusion was that Gentiles did not have to follow ceremonial aspects of the law (such as circumcision) but did need to uphold the moral principles of the law and be sensitive to those of a Jewish background (cf. Acts 15:1–29). Therefore, it is true that Christians don’t follow laws on food or clothing, but these were seen as non-binding on those who believe in Christ. In contrast, moral issues such as homosexuality (as well as adultery and any sexual activity outside of marriage) are addressed in the New Testament, and Christians are expected to follow the same principles laid down in the Old Testament.  So Jesus expects His followers to live out the moral principles contained in God’s holy law, as will be further seen in the coming points of His sermon.

Concept 4: Jesus Exposes the Wrong Approach to the Law

            Finally, as Jesus presents His view of the law, He says, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19). This would be a disconcerting thought to those of Jesus’ day, that even the scribes and Pharisees were not good enough to make it into the kingdom of heaven. They were, after all, the professional law studiers and keepers. Lloyd-Jones comments:

The average man said to himself, “Ah, there is very little hope of my ever being as good as the scribes or the Pharisees. They are outstanding; they live to be sanctified and holy. That is there profession; that is their whole aim and object in a religious, moral and spiritual sense.” But here comes our Lord [Jesus]; and He announces to these people that unless their righteousness shall exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees they shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Lloyd-Jones, 176)

            The people listening to Jesus must have been astounded to hear that they had to have an even greater righteousness than the scribes and Pharisees to make it to heaven. But one thing we see in the Scripture is that Jesus decimates our preconceived ideas of goodness. We think, in general, that people are good, but Jesus refers to people as “evil” and says no one is good except for God (cf. Matt. 7:11; 19:17). The problem is that many people look at righteousness like the Pharisees, who were a very religious group of people in Jesus’ day. They thought that because they followed religious teaching and were outwardly very respectable, then they were truly righteous, but Jesus gives a much different perspective (as He will demonstrate when He applies the law in the coming points of His sermon).

            Jesus’ teaching about righteousness is not concerned with how we compare to others but how we relate to God. The Pharisees tended to miss the point of the law. They followed their religion scrupulously but their hearts were far from God, and they did not reflect a concern for the things that matter most to God: faith toward God and mercy toward others (Matt. 15:7–8; 23:23) Jesus told a story that illustrates two approaches to righteousness. It’s about a Pharisee and a tax collector (who were considered very sinful because they collected money for a foreign government).

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:10–14)

Notice that in Jesus’ story, the one who is justified (considered righteous before God) is not the one who appears best before others but the one who is humble before God. The law of God is not supposed to make us feel proud about how good we are but humble us as we see how bad we are. Then we are justified by God on the basis of His mercy and grace.

Righteousness by grace is echoed in the words of the popular hymn “Amazing Grace” by John Newton, which says: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. . . ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear [have reverence for God], and grace my fears relieved [because of God’s mercy]; How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.” This sounds like something the tax collector in Jesus’ story would say. Jesus has great news for those who recognize they are sinners—they can be saved by grace, which leads to a life of true godliness. But to those who approach the law as the scribes and Pharisees (with an attitude of self-righteousness), He offers nothing but the indictment that this supposed righteousness is not going to inherit the kingdom of heaven.

Works Cited:

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company, 1959–60).

Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version.  Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.