Slide 1
Matthew 5:38-42LOVEYour Enemies
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As to caring for the Sermon on the Mount, if caring for here
means liking or enjoying, I suppose no one cares for it.
Who can like being knocked flat on his face by a sledge hammer?
I can hardly imagine a more deadly spiritual condition than that of
a man who can read that passage with tranquil pleasure.C. S.
LewisEnjoying the Sermon on the Mount?
In a 1958 issue of Christian Century,1 Dr. Normal Pittenger
published A Critique of C. S. Lewis. Among his criticisms was the
accusation that Lewis did not care much for the Sermon on the
Mount. In Lewiss Rejoinder to Dr. Pittenger, he responded: (SLIDE)
Christian Century, Vol. LXXV, October 1, 1958, pp. 11041107. As we
would expect from Lewis, it was a perfect comeback. But it is also
an accurate statement of how the Sermon on the Mount affects any
serious, believing reader. The Beatitudes, carefully examined,
descend upon us with eight successively humiliating blows. Perhaps
they even make us question the genuineness of our faith. Next come
the stunning metaphors of salt and light. Who can say he has
fulfilled such a dynamic witness? And if that is not enough, then
comes the statement, Unless your righteousness surpasses that of
the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not
enter the kingdom of heaven (v. 20), followed by six stringent
illustrations of what our righteousness should be like, each of
them incredibly demanding, each impossible in our own strength.
Almost every line of the Sermon, taken to heart, will flatten us!
It seems impossible!
C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock, Walter Hooper, ed. (Grand Rapids,
MI: Eerdmans, 1970), pp. 181, 182.
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QuizThe sermon on the mount begins with the _________.ReviewFill
in the blank.The sermon on the mount is found in the gospels of
________ and ____.The sermon was delivered by
____.BeatitudesrighteousnessMatthewLukeJesusThe theme of the sermon
is _____________.
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QuizThe Beatitudes begin with blessed are the poor in spirit and
conclude with blessed are they who are _________ for ___________
sake.ReviewFill in the blank.Jesus declared the mission of those
who are blessed is to be the _______________ and the
________________.persecutedrighteousnessSALT of the earthLIGHT of
the world
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QuizJesus said, except your righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case
enter ___________________.ReviewFill in the blank.Jesus contrasted
the traditions of the scribes and Pharisees with the __, __ &
__ commandments.the kingdom of heaven6th 7th 9th
& 5
QuizThe entire Law (the Torah) can be summed up in one word:
_____ReviewFill in the blank.LOVEJewish scholar, C. G.
Montefiore:This is the central and most famous section of the
Sermon on the Mount.
It is one of the most difficult as well as the most unique
passages. This is not the natural course of action for man. Only
the disciple who has been born of the Spirit, who knows the
enabling grace of Christ, can live by this standard. 6
Matthew 5:43-4843 You have heard that it was said, You shall
love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I say to you, love
your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate
you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His
sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just
and on the unjust.
Matthew 5:43-4846 For if you love those who love you, what
reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And
if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?
Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be
perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Structure of the Sermon on the
MountSetting4:25-5:27:28-8:1Blessings &
Warnings5:3-127:13-27Disciples Mission5:13-16Law &
Prophets5:17-197:12bToward Man5:20-487:1-12aToward
God6:1-186:19-34
ConductConsequences
by heavenby earthby Jerusalem Decreasing AuthorityGods
throneGods footstoolMessiahs cityYou lack controlby the hairs on
your head Do not swear . . .4 Commands of Matthew 5:34
Bodily HarmEssential PropertyLibertyMinor PropertyDecreasing
Severity39b whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other
to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your
tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 whoever compels you to go
one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from
him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. 4 Commands of
Matthew 5:39-42
MotiveSpeechActionPrayerIncreasing InvolvementLove your
enemies,bless them that curse you,do good to them that hate you,and
pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;4
Commands of Matthew 5:44
PURPOSE OF LAWRighteousness withGodJusticewithmanLOVE
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PURPOSE OF LAWTORAH = LOVEMatthew 24:12 And because lawlessness
will abound, the love of many will grow cold. What will happen if
Torah is disregarded?
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PURPOSE OF THE LAW
24 The law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be
justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer
under a tutor. Galatians 3:2425
THE GREATEST COMMANDMENTMatthew 22:3640Teacher, which is the
great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said to him, You shall love
the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with
all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And
the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40
On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
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THE GREATEST COMMANDMENTThe 10 Commandments, the heart of Torah,
is found in Ex. 20:1-17 & Deut. 5:1-22The Jewish scribes
divided the Law of Moses in 613 commandments (Mitzvah), 248
positive and 365 negative. Torah is the beginning of the
Tanach.Tanach is actually an acronym: T = Torah (Law)N = Neviiim
(Prophets) Ch = Ketuvim (Writings)
The writings of the Torah are also part of the Tanach (Hebrew
Bible), which contains not onlythe Five Books of Moses (Torah) but
39 other important Jewish texts. The word Tanach is actually an
acronym: T is for Torah, N is for Neviiim (Prophets) and Ch is for
Ketuvim (Writings).17
THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT (Mt. 22:36-40)
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TRADITIONYou have heard that it was said, You shall love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.Leviticus 19:18 love your neighbor
Qumran writings explicitly commanded love for those within the
community (those whom God has elected) and hatred for the
outsiderGreeks: To friends be kind, against enemies retaliate.
Qumran covenanters (cf. 1QS 1:4, 10; 2:49; 1QM 4:12; 15:6; 1QH
5:4), 1QS Serek Hayyahad (Rule of the Community, Manual of
Discipline) 1QM Milhamah (War Scroll); 1QH Hodayot (Thanksgiving
Hymns) from Qumran Cave 1
Greek maxim - Plato argued against (Cri. 49a-e; Rep.
1.322d336a). 19
TRADITIONYou have heard that it was said, You shall love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.
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FOUR COMMANDS (44)Love your enemiesLoving your enemies far from
being the pious injunction of a utopian dreamer, this demand is an
absolute necessity for the survival of our civilization. Yes it is
love that will save our world and civilization; love even for our
enemies. Martin Luther King
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FOUR COMMANDS (44)Love your enemiesstorg = family lovePlato: A
child loves (stergein) and is loved by those who brought him into
the world.phile = warm affection; tendernessers = sexual love,
passion agap = sacrificial giving to another for their welfare
alone2nd person, present tense, imperative mood
David Jeremiah tells a story about a boxer, a prize fighter, who
became a Christian. He decided God wanted him to pastor a church in
the worst part of town. He arrived and was beginning to get going
in his ministry when some of the rough, violent men of the town
decided to welcome him to the neighborhood. They showed up on his
doorstep one night and rang the doorbell. When he answered, one of
them stuck out and gave him a heavy blow across his right cheek. It
sent the pastor reeling across the room. He calmly straightened his
clothes, and walked back to the men standing in his doorway. Just
as he got there, a second man lashed out with his fist, and gave
the pastor another blow on his left cheek. This one was harder than
the first and sent the man crashing to the floor with his face
bruised and his nose bleeding. He got up, calmly took off his
jacket, rolled up his sleeves, assumed his boxing stance and said,
Gentleman, you hit me once, you hit me twiceI have no further
instructions from the Lord. 22
FOUR COMMANDS (44)Surprise your enemyand love him!
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Matthew 5:38-42LOVEYour Enemies
I have a picture on my prayer board that shows the 21 young
Egyptian Coptic Christians kneeling on a beach in Libyawith their
persecutors behind them ready to give the fatal ending.Why doI have
a picture of thishorrendous event?To remind me to pray for them.But
then the Lord asked me:Pray for these men. Not those who fell by
the sword, for your brothers have received their reward! I need you
to pray for those who stand behind them. Prayfor their persecutors,
they are lost in darkness. Intercede for them.Pray in the Spirit
for them.This kind of darkness can only be won on the battlefield
of Spiritual Warfare. Overcome their evil, their hate, through love
and prayer!I looked at the picture again, this time with spiritual
eyes. I began to see the love the Lord had for each of these men
veiled in black.So I, with the Lords help, prayed.Father,We lift up
each one of these men who by their hands have shed innocent blood.
They are trapped in hate and darkness. Let their sleep be restless,
let their dreams pierce their hearts and reveal to them the horrors
and atrocities they have committed.We pray a hedge of thorns around
their consciousness and their souls. Let them wake in terror of the
night and wake screaming with bloodstained hands!Open the eyes of
their hearts Lord! Reveal yourself to them through dreams and
visions!Let not one be lost to you.May the lies and cords of
darkness be broken! Give them understanding, awaken their hearts,
Lord. Make them weary of the bloodshed and the dead hollowness in
their hearts.Call out to them by name, Lord!Jesus let them see You,
reach out to You. Only You can free them from the desolation in
their souls.We ask this in Your mighty name, Lord Jesus, AMEN!
After praying, the song Amazing Grace came to me and I started
to sing it. I too was lost and I was found by a gracious loving
Savior who shed His blood for me and also for them.We need to pray
for the lost.Let us not harden our hearts and be deceived as to who
is deserving of prayer and salvation.This is a trap from the enemy!
Toleadthe believers of God to hate those who commit murder in the
name of hate.The families of thosemartyred for their faith in Jesus
forgave their husbands, fathers, sons and brothers murderers. They
are an example of Christs love to the fullest.Whether it be members
of Isis (Islamic State) or the likes of Boko Haram, we need to be
on our knees praying. Remember Saul to Paul! Will you heed the call
of the Lord to pray for them?The Lord is not slack concerning His
promises, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us,
not willing that any perish but that all should come to
repentance.2 Peter 3:9To God be the Glory!
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FOUR COMMANDS (44)B. Bless them that curse youbless - (euloge) =
speak well, good wordcurse - (kataraomai) = judge, condemn (Mt.
25:41)1 Peter 3:9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for
reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were
called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
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FOUR COMMANDS (44)C. Do good to them that hate youdo good -
(kals) = well, decent, beautiful hate - (mise) = despise,
disregard, abhorRomans 12:14, 17 Bless those who persecute you;
bless and do not curse. 17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard
for good things in the sight of all men.
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FOUR COMMANDS (44)D. Pray for them that spitefully use you and
persecute youLuke 23:34 Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for
they do not know what they do. And they divided His garments and
cast lots.
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TWO REASONS (45-48)Gods love A. That you may be sons of your
Father in heavenYour loveLoves reward= His nature; God is love=
mercy & grace; joy & peace= become (gensthe) sons of their
Father
- aorist punctiliar subjunctive refers to the establishing of a
fact 28
TWO REASONS (45-48)
(teleios)= culmination, of maturity, of achievement in function
B. That you may be perfect, just as your Father in heavenPRACTICE
MAKESPERFECT!
You is emphatic. Jesus is not saying what the Gentiles ought to
be or the Jews who do not follow him. He is referring to his
followers; they must be perfect. 29
TWO REASONS (45-48)B. That you may be perfect, just as your
Father in heavenJewish Talmud: Be compassionate and merciful as He
is compassionate and merciful (Shabbath 133b). Leviticus 19:2 Speak
to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them:
You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. Luke 6:36
Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
You is emphatic. Jesus is not saying what the Gentiles ought to
be or the Jews who do not follow him. He is referring to his
followers; they must be perfect. 30
Matthew 6:1-4Next Weeks Study in the Word of GodWorks that
Please God
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This study was produced by Harry Morgan, M.A., M.Div., Th.M.,
Ph.D., LMHC, CFMHE, CCSOTS
This message is part of a series of studies on The Sermon on the
Mount and, like all of my messages, has a study guide available to
you at our website below. A video file is also available on YouTube
at FAITHBIBLEBRADENTON. If you have found this study helpful give
God the glory. If you find an error its my fault.For more
information about this series please contact: FAITH BIBLE
CHURCH1511 Morgan-Johnson RoadBradenton, FL
34211941-729-6600941-981-5387http://faithbiblechurchefc.comhttp://[email protected]
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