THE MISSION OF JESUS AND TEACHING
Matthew 5:17-44
JESUS FULFILLED OUR NEEDS
V:17 \”Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
Jesus gives us His mission and demonstrates His works.
Only Jesus was qualified to fulfill the Law. The Law was designed to be our tutor until grace
came. The Law is good because it shows our sinfulness. Only Jesus was qualified to fulfill
all the requirements of the Law.
Some say that there are 613 commands in the law. Only Jesus would know them all and could
keep them in focus at all times. Anyone who breaks any of the commands is guilty of the
whole law. By keeping all of the commands, Jesus death on the cross atoned for the sins of the
entire world.
The Law is still a reminder of our sinfulness and the righteousness of God. We are not under
penalty of law because of Jesus’ work on the cross. All believers are under the grace of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ.
The Law will be with be in effect as the reminder of our sinfulness and God\’s righteousness
until this current heaven and earth are destroyed. In the new heaven, there will be no need for
the Word because we will be living in the Word.
LAY YOUR ANGER ASIDE
V:21 \”You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, \’Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.\’ 22 But I tell you that anyone angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, \’Raca,\’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, \’You fool!\’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
There is a murder of the body and murder of the spirit, Jesus holds the murder of the spirit to the same judgment. You can kill a person\’s spirit with your words. The Lord warns us to control our anger. When you are angry with another person you are likely to say hurtful things which will damage their spirit.
The word angry is the Greek word which means to be enraged.
The word raca is the Greek word that means worthless. When we become enraged our
true feeling about another person is vocalized. To call another person worthless or foolish
degrades them. We become guilty of the murder of the spirit. We must humble ourselves
before others see them as important as we see ourselves. We are reminded to love
our neighbors as ourselves.
SANCTITY THE FAMILY IN YOUR HEART
V:27 \”You have heard that it was said, \’Do not commit adultery.\’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Family is God\’s first institution. He loves family and the sanctity of family. Anything that undermines the foundation of a family is against the will of God. The desire of a man for another woman outside of his marriage is adultery.
When a man desires another woman, he takes his focus off the one he made a lasting
commitment to before God and man. The heart of a man is corrupted by lust. Families
can be destroyed by lust in the heart for others outside of marriage.
LET GO AND LET GOD FIGHT YOUR BATTLES
V:38 \”You have heard that it was said, \’Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.\’ 39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
The law of retaliation is given in Exodus 21:24. One has the right to protect himself. The Lord
gives the believer another alternative; one of humility and selflessness. It is our job to seek a
peaceful solution. When attempts to reconcile the situation fail, we turn it over to God. The
Lord says vengeance is mind.
Certainly, this is not a command one would do according to the desires of the flesh. With God
as our refuge, we humble ourselves and be seen as peacemakers.
LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
V:43 \”You have heard that it was said, \’Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.\’ 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Our normal thought is to love those close to us and those who show love to us. The love of the
The enemy is never on our minds. We only think about our enemies when confronted by them.
The Lord requires us to spend time considering the needs of our enemies. We need to consider their
spiritual needs. We never know if our enemies were placed in our midst to be drawn to Christ.
The love we show others may be the light that changes them from enemy to friend.
Being the light of the world and the salt of the earth we should imitate Christ with
our lives.
Rev. M. Mitchell
