StoneBridge Community Church
Associate Pastor Jonathan Lusche
Fulfilled
In Matthew 5:17, Jesus makes clear that he came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches his disciples what a "fulfilled" life looks like in practice. In this sermon series, we will be looking at key teachings from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, seeking to understand how Jesus' words apply to our lives today.
Crimestop: How to Prevent Yourself From Committing Premeditated Murder
Can you be guilty of a premeditated crime that you didn’t commit? In his famous book Nineteen Eighty-Four (written in 1948 CE), George Orwell toyed with this idea. And in Matthew 5:21-26 (written circa 85 CE), Jesus did too. Follow Associalte Pastor Jonathan Lusche down the rabbit hole and come out the other side clearly connecting the dots.
Matthew 5:21-26 NIV
"You have heard that it was said... But I say to you..."
This is a formula that Jesus uses repeatedly in the Sermon on the Mount. In this formula, Jesus quotes a teaching from the Law of Moses and then states his own teaching. What is Jesus accomplishing with this formula, though?
At first glance, it can look like Jesus is undermining the Law of Moses, but that misses the point of what Jesus is actually doing. One commentator writes that "Jesus' proclamation of the will of God is the 'door' to the Old
Testament." It isn't that Jesus is undermining the Law of Moses, more so as open up the Law of Moses, and that values holding it up, to us.
Dale Bruner writes that, in Jesus' time, "contemporary teachers often said, 'But I say to you,' modestly, to contrast their remarks with those of other human teachers. But Jesus cites the OT Word of God . . ." With this understanding in mind, this formula isn't meant to lower the status of the Law of Moses, but to elevate Jesus' status as the authoritative teacher of the Law of Moses. Jesus doesn't cast aside the Law of Moses, so much as he explains the Law of Moses. And he is the only one who can adequately explain God's intent behind the Law of Moses.
Matthew 23:27 NRSV
Beyond the scope of this week's message, it is interesting to note that when Jesus accused the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:27, (seen above), he was echoing the words of the prophet Ezekiel 13:10-16, (seen below).
Ezekiel 13:10-16 NIV
Christian Ethics:
God's best way for us to live our best life.
1. If you feel angry ask yourself, "What's my hurt?"
Proverbs 14:29 NRSV
2. Resolve conflicts quickly.
1 Corinthians 13:5 NIV
3. Take healing steps forward and trust that God is in the process.
Matthew 18:15-17 NIV
Proverbs 15:22 NIV
NEXT STEPS:
If you’re currently struggling with anger/hurt,...
1. … prayerfully discern whether it's righteous or personal in nature.
2. … resolve to follow healthy paths towards healing and prayerfully entrust the matter to God.
3. … this week, take a specific action to resolve an outstanding conflict and seek to forgive or be forgiven.
GROWTH GROUP / PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. What struck you about this week's message? Why?
2. In hindsight, have you ever confused your personal hurt/anger with a sense of righteous anger? If so, how? Did your confusion result in some type of action on your behalf? How’d it play out? What would you do differently? What would you do the same?
3. Read Matthew 18:15-20. This passage is sound counsel about following proper “channels” to resolve conflict. Assuming all of us haven’t always followed the wisdom of this passage, did bypassing “proper”, healthy channels result in success or failure? What happened? If you have followed the wisdom of this passage, what were the results? It may be impulsive and/or easier to bypass healthy pathways, is there a successful payoff? If not, what’s required to accomplish conflict resolution in a healthy way?
3. Why would resolving conflict in a timely manner be important? Have you ever been forgiven? Have you ever forgiven someone else? How has being forgiven and/or forgiving someone else provided reconciliation and harmony?
We encourage you to use Facebook, Instagram, and other social media to share images, quotes, links, or what you've learned from this week's message and YouVersion message notes. Social media can also be a great way of inviting your friends to worship and special events.