MATTHEW 5:33-42
UNDER CONTROL, AM 5/25/03
#14 - SERMON ON THE MOUNT
It was a couple of weeks ago at 6:00 P.M. on Saturday night, May 11, 2003 at Mount Union Bible Church. I was upstairs waiting for Bob Farster to let me know when dinner was ready. He came upstairs announced that everything was ready. Thanks to Bob and Don’s leadership the meal was on time and enjoyed by the ladies at their Mother-Daughter Banquet. Feeding a hundred people and having everything ready for a complete dinner was quite an accomplishment. What amazes me is that with planning and lists Bob keeps the whole dinner “under control”.
“While Charles Spurgeon was still a boy preacher he was warned about a certain quarrelsome woman and told that she intended on giving him a tongue-lashing. ‘All right,’ he replied, ‘but that’s a game that two can play.’ Not long afterward she met him and assailed him with a flood of abuse. He smiled and said, ‘Yes, thank you, I am quite well, I hope that you are the same.”
“Then came another burst of abuse, pitched in a higher key, to which he replied, still smiling, ‘Yes, it does look rather as if it might rain, I think I’d better be getting on.’
“‘Bless the man!” she exclaimed. ‘He’s as deaf as a post. What’s the use of storming at him! And so her railings ceased and were never again attempted.” Source Unknown
Spurgeon had his tongue under control.
Someone has written:
o You cannot control the length of your life, but you can control its width and depth.
o You cannot control the contour of your countenance, but you can control its expression
o You cannot control the other fellow’s opportunities, but you can control your own.
o You cannot control the weather, but you can control the moral atmosphere which surrounds you.
o You cannot control the distance that your head shall be above the ground, but you can control the height of the contents of your head.
o You can’t control the other fellow’s fault’s but you can see to it that you yourself do not develop or harbor provoking propensities.
o Why worry about what you cannot control? Why not get busy controlling the things that depend on you. Source Unknown
Under Control – As Christians we realize that only God can empower us through the Holy Spirit so that we are truly under God’s control.
Galatians 5:16 - This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Again this week we return to the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus’ topic in Matthew 5:33-42 is control. When we follow Jesus’ teaching and allow the Holy Spirit to control us, we find that the following things will be under control:
OUR LIPS – Vss. 33-37
OUR LENIENCY – Vss. 38-39
OUR LAWSUITS – Vs. 40
OUR LABOR – Vs. 41
OUR LOANS – Vs. 42
OUR LIPS UNDER CONTROL– Vss. 33-37
I think that the Psalmist had us all pegged when he confessed his need for help with his tongue:
Psalm 141:3 - Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
In verses 33-37 Jesus deals with one of the key problems with our lips. It is the problem of telling the truth, and not lying.
Vs. 33 - In this passage Jesus is not talking about swearing as we think of it today. He is not referring to taking the name of the Lord in vain, although this is a sin. Filthy language is definitely wrong.
Exodus 20:7 - Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
What is at stake here with this passage is the truthfulness, the honesty, the integrity of our lips.
Vows or oaths are not uncommon in the Old and New Testaments. These were done seriously and when absolute truthfulness was involved.
Numbers 30:2 - If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
Genesis 14:22-23 - And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, [23] That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take
any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
2 Corinthians 1:23 - Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.
Matthew 26:63-64 – Jesus is at his trial. He is asked to swear by the living God and He does give an answer.
But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. [64] Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
So, why then, did Jesus say not to swear?
There are two reasons.
First, swearing or using of oaths, was a far too common thing in the days of Jesus. People would use an oath for things that didn’t matter. They would think nothing of using an oath for anything.
Would you take much stock in a person who used an oath to verify that:
Ø He was going to wear a red shirt today
Ø Right after the “Price Is Right” she was going to mop the floor?
Ø That he or she was going to do their homework?
Vows and oaths are and were not necessary for such things.
According to James Montgomery Boice, “The second reason perversion of the proper use of oaths by the people of Christ’s time was worse. It was evasive swearing.
People who were afraid to swear by the name of the Lord because they were not telling the full truth began to swear by things, and because mere things were not thought to be as significant as the name of God this second class of oaths was not considered to be binding.” James Montgomery Boice, The Sermon on the Mount ( Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1972), p. 152
In our text Jesus gives some examples of the ways people swore or gave oaths.
Vs. 34 – By Heaven – That’s the throne of God
Vs. 35 – By Earth – That’s God’s footstool
Vs. 35 – Jerusalem – That’s the city of the great King – the
Lord Jesus Christ
Vs. 36 – by the head – The head can’t change natural things
like hair color.
Vs. 37 - Instead of using an oath to convince people of our honesty, Jesus just wants us to be honest with our words.
Let your yes mean yes and your “no” mean no!
If you are placed under oath as Jesus was at his trial, just do what Jesus did. Answer the questions honestly.
If you have made an oath or even a promise, and have not kept it, confess that sin to God. Then if you can, try and keep it.
Just remember that there is nothing more valuable than a man that keeps his word.
Dwight Pentecost – “A story has come down in my family and was given to me as a pattern for life when I was just a lad. My great grandfather had twelve children.
Two of those served in the Union Army in the Civil War and were captured by the Confederate Army and confined in Andersonville Prison in Richmond, Virginia.
They had been there for an extended period of time when my great-grandfather decided to visit his sons. To visit them he had to get a permit to pass through the lines. He knew the Secretary of State who served under President Lincoln and obtained a letter from him to permit him to pass through the lines. The letter read, ‘This is to introduce to you one whose word is as good as his bond, and his bond as the Bank of England.’” Dwight Pentecost, The Sermon on the Mount – Contemporary Insights for A Christian Lifestyle (Portland, Oregon, Multnomah Press, 1975, 1980), p. 113-114
May our yeses and no’s be that truthful!
May our Word be as good as our bond!
Jesus says keep your lips, your truthfulness under control.
There is a shortage of truth even among Christians.
Let’s make sure that we, as Christ’s servants always tell the truth. Let’s have our lips under control.
OUR LIPS – Vss. 33-37
OUR LENIENCY – Vss. 38-39
Vs. 38 – The quote that our Lord was using came from a few passages in the Old Testament. The principle of an “eye for an eye” and a “tooth for a tooth” referred to the civil government. When there were violations against people, the government was to exact punishment and to do it fairly. The government has authority in such matters.
Leviticus 24:19-20 - And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; [20] Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.
Romans 13:4 - For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Vs. 39 – According to the Lord Jesus the rule of vengeance, “an eye of an eye” or a “tooth for a tooth”, was for the government and not individuals.
If I say something is “a slap in the face”, what am I saying?
I am saying that I have been insulted.
If someone literally slaps me in the face, my first inclination is to want to slap back.
If someone insults me, cuts me, hurts me, demeans me, what is the first thing I want to do?
I want to insult, cut, hurt, and demean back.
Jesus is saying, “Don’t retaliate”.
Be lenient towards the person who has just insulted you or hurt you.
Romans 12:17 - Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
“The black evangelist Tom Skinner was converted to Christ while he was leader of the largest, toughest, teenage gang in New York City, the Harlem Lords. His conversion was so real that he left the gang the next day, turning from a life of fighting and violence to preach the Gospel. There was an immediate victory over crime and cruelty. Soon there was victory over hate and bigotry also.
“Several weeks after his conversion he was playing a football game, in which, as his assignment on one play, he blocked the defensive end while his own halfback scored a touchdown.
“As he got up from the ground to head back to the huddle the boy whom he had blocked jumped in front of him in a rage and slammed him in the stomach. As he bent over from the blow he was hacked across the back. While Skinner fell the boy kicked him, shouting, “You dirty nigger! I’ll teach you a thing or two.”
“Skinner said that under normal circumstances the old Tom Skinner would have jumped up from the ground and pulverized the white boy! But instead, he got up from the ground and found himself looking the boy in the face and saying, ‘You know, because of Jesus Christ, I love you anyway.’
“When the game was over the opposing end had had some time to think about it, he came over to Skinner and aid, “Tom, you’ve done more to knock prejudice out of me by telling me that you loved me than you would have if you’d socked my jaw in.”
Who is it that has a tendency to “slap you in the face”?
With the help of the Holy Spirit of God, turn the other cheek. Refuse to retaliate physically or with words, and as in the case of Tom Skinner, you could experience some gratifying results.
OUR LIPS UNDER CONTROL – Vss. 33-37
OUR LENIENCY UNDER CONTROL – Vss. 38-39
OUR LAWSUITS UNDER CONTROL – Vs. 40
Vs. 40 – The picture is of a lawsuit in court.
Someone wants your coat, your suit or shirt as satisfaction for a debt.
In Jewish law he could take the shirt, but he could not take the cloak which was the equivalent of an overcoat.
The cloak was needed to keep warm at night.
Jesus says, “Let him have the coat too!”
Why would Jesus say that?
The Lord Jesus does not want us to hold on to our possessions selfishly. If our possessions need to go, we are to let them go.
We must realize that even if something precious is taken away from us, people can not take away what is really important, our relationship to God.
And remember, God is responsible to take care of our needs.
Matthew 6:28-30 - And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: [29] And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
OUR LIPS UNDER CONTROL – Vss. 33-37
OUR LENIENCY UNDER CONTROL – Vss. 38-39
OUR LAWSUITS UNDER CONTROL – Vs. 40
OUR LABOR UNDER CONTROL – Vs. 41
Vs. 41 – Israel was under Roman rule at the time.
One problem was a Roman soldier could force a citizen of Israel, a non-Roman, to carry his baggage the distance of a mile.
Jesus said take the man’s baggage two miles.
Jesus is simply saying, do more than what is expected of you. And I believe the implication is that we should do it cheerfully.
We are to go the extra mile.
Many times we do not like the inconvenience doing something for someone else.
That seems to be especially true in the church.
· You are asked to sing a special number
· You are asked to serve on church council
· You are asked to teach
· You are asked to attend a dinner, a class meeting, or a special service
· You are asked to help with daily vacation Bible School
· You are asked to go on a missions trip
The easiest thing in the world is to say “no”.
1 Corinthians 15:58 - Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
It will take consecration to the Lord to go the “extra mile for others.”
Fred Craddock, in an address to ministers, caught the practical implications of consecration. "To give my life for Christ appears glorious," he said. "To pour myself out for others ... to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom--I'll do it. I'm ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory.
"We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the table--'Here's my life, Lord. I'm giving it all.'
"But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there.
Listen to the neighbor kid's troubles instead of saying, 'Get lost.' Go to a committee meeting. Give up a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home.
"Usually giving our life to Christ isn't glorious. It's done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it's harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul."
-- Darryl Bell, Maple Grove, Minnesota. Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 4. Biblical Illustrator 3.0
OUR LIPS UNDER CONTROL – Vss. 33-37
OUR LENIENCY UNDER CONTROL – Vss. 38-39
OUR LAWSUITS UNDER CONTROL – Vs. 40
OUR LABOR UNDER CONTROL – Vs. 41
OUR LOANS UNDER CONTROL – Vs. 42
Vs. 42 – An easy way to go bankrupt would be to answer every appeal you receive for money.
I believe that Jesus is talking about legitimate need here.
When someone comes to you and asks for help, and it is a legitimate request, we should strive to help.
1 John 3:17-18 - But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? [18] My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Why is it that we are sometimes hesitant to give to legitimate needs?
Are we selfish?
Are we greedy?
Do we want to hold on to what we deem as ours?
There was a time in our last church that Dottie and I faced a $2,000 tax bill by April 15. Not knowing where the money was coming from, I just mentioned in church that I had a personal, unspoken request. Friends in the church came and asked what the problem was. Without us asking us to, they loaned us the money. And later it was made an outright gift.
It was their generosity that saved us from a serious problem.
Sometimes we can’t give all that a person might request.
However, we can give what we are able to give.
This morning we have been listening to Jesus talk about having things under control.
OUR LIPS UNDER CONTROL – Vss. 33-37
OUR LENIENCY UNDER CONTROL – Vss. 38-39
OUR LAWSUITS UNDER CONTROL – Vs. 40
OUR LABOR UNDER CONTROL – Vs. 41
OUR LOANS UNDER CONTROL – Vs. 42
Humanly speaking we will never experience this kind of control without God’s help.
This requires self-control that none of us has.
The help comes from the Holy Spirit of God, when we allow Him to control our lives.
Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
You can’t have the help of the Holy Spirit, however until you have Christ as your Savior.