Matthew 5:23-45 God Never Changes, But He Does Change His Rules.
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Transcript:
Many people today mishandle the Bible because they don’t grasp the extent to which God modified His rules over the centuries. Some people assume that any and every command in the Bible, no matter when it was given and where it is recorded, needs to be obeyed.
However, the Bible teaches very clearly there were times God gave a law, and then modified or rescinded the law later in history. In order to accurately handle the Bible, we need to understand when and how God’s law was changed. Matthew 5 is one of the passages where Jesus adjusted the rules that govern human behavior.
After being baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He successfully resisted the temptation.
Next, He moved to Capernaum. He started teaching in the synagogues around Galilee, preaching the gospel, and calling disciples. He healed many people of various diseases so large crowds followed Him. The people in the crowd were not just Galileans. People also traveled several days from Syria, the Decapolis, and Judea to hear Jesus.
Chapters 5 through 7 record a sermon Jesus gave in Galilee called the Sermon on the Mount. He started with some blessings. He described His followers as salt and light. Then He started talking about the law. Jesus reminded His followers about the law against murder, and added that it is also wrong to be angry with a brother. Let’s resume reading at verse 23.
Matt. 5:23 Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
Matt. 5:24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.
Jesus taught it was not enough to simply avoid murder. He told His disciples to reconcile when there were differences. This teaching was not entirely new, but Jesus emphasized this in a way that is not found in the Old Testament.
Matt. 5:25 Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
Matt. 5:26 Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last quadrans.
Matt. 5:27 ¶ “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’;
This is one of the Ten Commandments. Apparently, the disciples listening to Jesus were very familiar with this law.
Matt. 5:28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
The tenth commandment was against coveting. Apparently, the teachers of the law were not emphasizing this commandment, so the disciples were not familiar with it. Jesus told His followers that avoiding lust is just as important as avoiding adultery. In this case Jesus did not add or change anything, He simply tried to bring balance to their understanding of the law.
Matt. 5:29 But if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Matt. 5:30 And if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.
I think many people misunderstand verses 29 and 30 as Jesus telling people to remove an eye or hand if their eye or hand causes them to sin. If that were the case, then every person would have to remove some body parts. I do not believe that is what Jesus was teaching.
I believe when Jesus used the word stumble, He meant spend eternity in hell. Jesus said losing an eye or hand is better than going to hell, meaning people should remove an eye or hand if an eye or hand is the reason a person does not do what needs to be done to escape hell.
If a body part causes us to sin, we should seek to stop sinning. However, the radical step of removing a body part is only suggested when the body part prevents us from being saved from hell.
Matt. 5:31 ¶ “Now it was said, ‘WHOEVER SENDS HIS WIFE AWAY, LET HIM GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE’;
Deuteronomy 24 mentions a certificate of divorce, but the only permitted reason for divorce was getting married and finding indecency in your new wife. Matthew 5:31 indicates that by the first century AD, the standard teaching about that verse was much more permissive.
Matt. 5:32 but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Jesus taught the only justifiable reason for divorce and remarriage is adultery. Remarriage in any other case is itself adultery. This is a teaching that needs to be emphasized today. The church has gotten very lax and permissive about divorce and remarriage, so today there are many people in our churches who are living in adultery.
Matt. 5:33 ¶ “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’
Making vows was a common practice in the Old Testament time period. There are multiple references to vows in the Mosaic Law and throughout Old Testament history.
Matt. 5:34 But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
Matt. 5:35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING.
This is a blatant change in the law. The Mosaic Law permitted, and sometimes encouraged, the use of vows. However, Jesus issued a change and prohibited the use of vows from that time forward. Vows is not something we should practice today.
Matt. 5:36 Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
Matt. 5:37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of the evil one.
Jesus wants people to simply speak truthfully. We should not have to make a vow in order for people to believe what we are saying.
Matt. 5:38 ¶ “You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’
Matt. 5:39 But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
This is also a change. The Old Testament law prescribed a system where victims could exact revenge on their assailant. Jesus ended that and taught His disciples to do the opposite of seeking revenge. Today, we should not desire revenge.
Matt. 5:40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your garment also.
Matt. 5:41 And whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.
Matt. 5:42 Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
Matt. 5:43 ¶ “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’
The Old Testament did not blatantly tell the Israelites to hate their enemies, but some commands and passages tended in that direction. It appears that by the first century AD Jews were being clearly taught to hate their enemies. That was somewhat of a distortion.
Matt. 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Matt. 5:45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
This is another example of Jesus making a change in the law. He told His disciples to love their enemies. That was very different than the Old Testament teaching about enemies.
Many people today mishandle the Bible because they assume every command in the Bible applies today and needs to be followed in some way, shape, or form. However, over the centuries God changed the rules man needs to follow. Matthew 5 contains some of those changes. In order to properly and successfully obey God, we not only need to know the commands, we need to know how God’s commands have been given, added, modified, and taken away throughout the course of Bible history.
“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”