Participants: Glenn Russell & Ranko Stefanovic (Host)
Series Code: MTBOTB
Program Code: MTBOTB00007A
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00:21 Hi, I'm Glenn Russell,
00:22 welcome to our exploration of the gospel of Matthew. 00:27 This is part of 3ABN series entitled Books of the Book. 00:31 And it's been a fascinating journey so far, 00:33 with our teacher Dr. Ranko Stefanovic, 00:36 as we've been digging in through this wonderful, wonderful book. 00:39 There is just so many under, depths of meaning that, 00:43 we're not even able to touch so much of it. 00:45 And especially today we'll find that challenge. 00:47 We're into one of the most powerful passages, 00:50 the sermon on the mount of Jesus in Matthew Chapter 5. 00:53 Ranko, it's a marvelous thing to explore, this sermon. 01:00 You've preached a lot of sermons. 01:01 I've preached a few. 01:04 Never have I ever been able to match 01:07 the beauty, the depth, the symmetry. 01:09 This is just a marvelous document, isn't it? 01:12 Yeah, no wonder that even many in non-Christians 01:18 and I lived in completely different political system 01:22 that was fighting against God. 01:24 But actually they stick to the Sermon on the Mount, 01:27 they said, this is the masterpiece, 01:29 how people, people should live. 01:31 And really here we have, that Jesus describes, 01:34 the characteristics of the citizens of His kingdom. 01:37 It's a masterpiece, 01:38 we need the master to help us understand. 01:40 Let's pray together. 01:42 Lord, as we go through Your word. 01:44 We want Your word to come through to us. 01:47 Not human opinions, not our own speculations 01:51 we want to understand what You have 01:54 given to us in the scriptures. 01:57 Lord, be with us now as we study, 01:59 as we explore, as we learn and most of all, 02:02 may we be doers of your word, in Jesus name, amen. 02:06 Ranko, we've been walking through the gospel of Matthew. 02:09 We're in Chapter 5, we've seen that Jesus presents here 02:12 these beatitude a radically new way of looking at life. 02:16 A new way of living, a new way of thinking 02:18 about God and following Him, 02:21 a way they will turn us into light 02:24 and salt to make a difference. 02:25 You see, Glenn, as we mentioned, 02:27 ancient Greeks they believed that the people 02:31 are spared [02:31] of how much of farthey're blessed. 02:34 The Jews were not quite different. 02:36 Wealth was a sign from God. 02:39 Yeah. Poverty was a curse. 02:44 But Jesus radically changes this concept, 02:47 telling that people are not 02:51 because of external circumstances. 02:53 People are because of their internal relationships, 02:57 their internal connection with God. 02:59 What God did that's not around them, 03:02 what God does personally with them. 03:06 All right, let's go on now with Matthew Chapter 5 03:08 and I like to read verses 17 through 20. 03:12 "Do not think that I came to destroy 03:14 the Law or the Prophets." 03:15 Now, we must remember, Jesus speaking. 03:17 "I did not come to destroy the law of the prophets, 03:20 I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 03:23 For assuredly, I say to you, 03:25 till heaven and earth pass away, 03:27 one jot or one tittle will by no means 03:30 pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 03:34 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least 03:36 of these commandments, and teaches men to do so 03:38 shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. 03:41 But whoever does them and teaches them, 03:44 he should be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 03:46 For I say to you that unless you're righteousness 03:50 exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, 03:53 you will by no means enter heaven." 03:55 Now let me just ask one question, 03:57 the people of Jesus day 04:00 thought that the Pharisees were pretty good folks. 04:02 We don't have the same view today. 04:04 But they thought that the Pharisees were pretty good. 04:06 Jesus is raising another standard. 04:08 Actually Pharisees were very good people. 04:12 They were very-- 04:13 But you see when people read the Bible 04:15 they get different picture of the Pharisees, 04:18 and so many times unfortunately in Christians they say, 04:21 you see the gospel as they do not present 04:24 the correct picture of the Pharisees. 04:25 That's not true. 04:27 The gospel is they do not deal 04:28 with the Pharisees in general terms. 04:31 They deal with special groups of the Pharisees. 04:33 You see the Pharisees and Sadducees 04:35 they hated each other. 04:36 They don't like each other. 04:38 They can't understand each other. 04:39 Their philosophy mindset was completely different. 04:41 But in the gospels you have always certain Pharisees 04:44 and the Sadducees they're always together. 04:48 Jesus addresses a particular group of the Pharisees. 04:53 Not all the Pharisees in general. 04:55 Many Pharisees actually they accept Jesus 04:57 like Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea. 05:03 And in the Book of Acts 05:04 many Pharisees they became Christians, yes. 05:06 But they often were in conflict 05:07 with Jesus over the issue of law. 05:09 Help us see now, 05:10 how does Jesus address the issue of the law. 05:14 Did Jesus come to do away with the law? 05:17 Jesus makes very clear that actually 05:21 He did not come to abolish the law. 05:24 This is strange that many Christians 05:26 go in the Sermon on the Mount. 05:27 Actually they argue when Jesus came 05:31 that He brought the end to the law. 05:35 But Jesus makes very clear, 05:36 but we have something to admit, 05:38 what kind of law, the law does Jesus talking about? 05:46 It says, the law and the prophets 05:48 actually this is not about really Ten Commandments. 05:50 The law and the prophets in the Bible 05:52 means actually the entire Old Testament. 05:56 So Jesus came not to abolish the Old Testament, 06:01 its significance and meaning, Jesus came to fulfill 06:05 all those Old Testament prophecies. 06:07 Do you remember we talk, 06:08 that the purpose of the gospel of Matthew 06:10 is to show that actually Jesus was the fulfillment 06:13 of all those Old Testament prophecies. 06:16 Of course, a part 06:19 of that Old Testament are the commandments. 06:22 The Ten Commandments that are later 06:24 elaborated in the text. 06:25 And He repeatedly says, 06:27 "you've heard that it was said, but I say to you." 06:29 "But I say to you..." Actually the key text here is, 06:34 "I say to you," it's a verse 20. 06:38 "I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses 06:44 that of the scribes and Pharisees, 06:46 you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." 06:52 Then something I learned, very interesting. 06:54 I don't know if you notice it. 06:55 That Jesus does not indicate 06:57 the Pharisees did not have righteousness. 07:01 They had the righteousness. 07:03 They really were engaged 07:06 in studying the Torah and the law. 07:09 But what was the problem? 07:11 They tried to stick to the letter of the law. 07:14 The law says, you shall not kill. 07:16 They did not kill. 07:18 But Jesus indicates here in all these passages 07:22 that actually a person can be guilty of killing 07:26 without taking somebody's life. 07:29 So he's taking it to deeper level 07:32 and restoring the meaning, 07:33 because it must have been bit of a shock for His listeners. 07:36 For them to hear, look you got to be more spiritual 07:40 than the most spiritual person they knew or more religious 07:43 than the most religious people they knew. 07:45 How is that possible? 07:46 No, actually here it comes 07:48 a radical shock to all the Pharisees. 07:53 Jesus first said, I did not come 07:56 to abolish the law and the prophets. 07:58 Second, He recognizes 08:00 the righteousness of the Pharisees. 08:02 But actually Jesus, can I say that, 08:05 Jesus is more legalist than the Pharisees. 08:08 You better explain that one, Ronko. 08:09 It's better. Why? 08:11 Because for Jesus it's not only not to commit adultery 08:16 to have physical act of sexual relationships. 08:20 Jesus said that the person can commit adultery 08:23 even in his own thoughts. 08:25 So Jesus goes much, much deeper. 08:27 You see Jesus does-- 08:30 the difference between the Jesus and the Pharisees 08:32 is that the Pharisees paid attention 08:35 to the external performance of the law. 08:38 Jesus internalizes the law and he intensifies the law. 08:44 Do you see the difference? Yes. 08:45 I wanna catch and make sure we catch these two words. 08:47 Internalizing and intensifying. 08:50 It's a higher standard. But it's an internal standard. 08:53 In that sense what I say 08:55 that Jesus is more legalist than the Pharisees. 08:58 But in positive way, you know, not in negative way. 09:01 Now there is so much here in this Sermon on the Mount 09:05 that we could talk about that's so powerful. 09:08 Every Christian should read this regularly. 09:10 Oh yeah. Regularly, regularly. 09:12 But theirs is also some puzzling parts. 09:15 Matthew Chapter 5, verse 48 for example. Yeah. 09:20 Is one that there is a lot of struggles over. 09:24 Can you help us with that one a little bit, 09:26 because, you know, true or false 09:29 if you ask your students this question? 09:30 Does God want us to be perfect? 09:33 You know, some people say no we should strive our best 09:36 and then we'll quote this phrase. 09:39 So can we move up to that 09:41 and lead us into that discussion. 09:43 You see, Glenn, the starting point 09:47 for understanding of this what Jesus said in 5:48 09:50 it's really verse 20. 09:51 If your righteousness does not exceed 09:56 the righteousness of the Pharisees. 09:59 You know, I would like to remind our viewers 10:02 that we talk about that before we understand 10:04 what the text means to us today. 10:07 We have to understand 10:09 what the text meant to those people of this time. 10:13 If we want really to make this text relevant to us, 10:15 we can ask what kind of righteousness. 10:19 My right shouldn't exceed the right of the Pharisees. 10:21 We don't have the Pharisees today. 10:23 But let's make sense of that, 10:25 what was the righteousness of the Pharisees? 10:27 Jesus said in verse 21, 10:29 "You have heard you shall not commit the murder." 10:33 But in verse 22, Jesus says, 10:36 "Whoever is angry with his brother. 10:40 He is already guilty of murder." 10:44 Or we go to verse 27, 10:48 "You have heard it was said 10:50 you shall not commit adultery." 10:52 And you can say, you know, I'm pure. 10:56 I'm not guilty I never commit adultery. 10:58 But Jesus said at the judgment day 11:00 many will be found guilty of adultery 11:03 because they did not have an opportunity to do it 11:06 but they did everything in the thoughts. 11:10 Then in verse 31 Jesus talks about a common way 11:14 among the Pharisees to the verse 11:16 why for any reason. 11:18 But that Jesus said, and you see, 11:20 we call it antithesis. 11:21 Jesus said, you heard this is the popular opinion. 11:26 This is the popular view. 11:27 But Jesus said, the Christians are not those 11:31 who behave according to the popular morality, 11:36 according to the popular standard of honesty, 11:39 the popular way of life. 11:41 The Christians behave by asking the question, 11:44 is this God's will for us? 11:47 What is God's will for me to do in this life? 11:51 And now we're coming to you question, 11:54 the last of all these things Jesus said, 11:57 "You have heard that it was said." 12:00 Verse 38, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. 12:06 Jesus here quotes 12:08 the Old Testament law. Old Testament law. 12:10 But you see, that Old Testament law 12:12 was given to the court and to the judges. 12:17 Not to, for personal relationship among the people. 12:20 Unfortunately, all this antithesis here 12:23 they do not deal with the law of God, 12:25 they deal with the forsake system of the law. 12:29 Their interpretation, the interpretation of the law, 12:32 that was the standard that was the norm 12:34 that they established in the society, 12:36 but the followers of Jesus, 12:38 can I say, the Christians today. 12:39 They do not behave according to the popular standard 12:43 that the people sets, they behave according 12:45 to the standard that God set for them. 12:49 So it means it's not minimum, 12:52 it's not about the letter of the law, 12:56 it's about that inner attitude toward God. 12:58 Can you explain that one? 13:00 See I got married very long ago, 13:03 next year will be our fortieth anniversary. 13:06 I marry to the beautiful wife and we got married. 13:13 We did not write any rule 13:16 that I will have to follow 13:17 in order to be legally right before my wife. 13:21 But I still keep all those rules, why? 13:24 Because I love my wife. 13:26 In my marriage, I am not trying to do minimum, 13:30 you see, the birthday comes 13:32 I have to buy something to my wife. 13:34 Let me go and buy something for five dollars 13:36 and something to do for my wife. 13:38 I try to do something, 13:39 the best and the most that I can buy for my wife. 13:42 Does it make sense? I hope she's listening. 13:44 Because my relationship with my wife 13:46 are defined by that inner connection, 13:49 inner relationships that we have. 13:51 In that way your righteousness exceeds 13:56 that minimum that you can do. 13:57 This is exactly what the Pharisees were doing. 14:00 Were keeping a very relationship perspective. Yes. 14:03 That our attitudes, our behavior's 14:05 not the only measurement. 14:07 It's also the motivation behind it, 14:09 the desire the relationship with it. 14:11 Well, you've still not fully answered 14:13 the question to my satisfaction. 14:15 So dig into it a little bit more 14:17 right after our break here, we'll be right back. |
Revised 2014-12-17