The Real Values of the Kingdom: Real Kingdom Goodness 1.0 Matthew 5:17-26

- Last time we looked at the question: who is really blessed? And we saw at the beginning of the Beatitudes that Jesus was proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God, that God is available for those whom we would normally assume have no good news for themselves (or for us). The message of the gospel is that God has made himself available to sinful humanity. God's kingdom is open for business; come in and be his blessing agents.

- From the Beatitudes, we have already begun to get a picture from Jesus that the real values of the kingdom are the opposite of what the world values. After reading versus 17-26, we need to realize that Jesus is continuing to build on that foundation that he laid in the Beatitudes by declaring that the kingdom of God is available for those who repent.

- After reading this passage, I want to ask a question: how did Jesus describe the values of the kingdom that would fulfill the law and the prophets?

- The answer that Jesus gives might sound like he is placing a heavy burden on the shoulders of those who turn to him in repentance. Listen to what he said, ²⁰ "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."

- When we first look at this verse, it might seem to us that we need to be more religious law keeping and more careful about how we follow the laws of Moses. But that's not what Jesus is saying at all.

- As he said, ¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹ Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

- His first listeners may have thought they were hearing him set aside the law with his pronouncement of the Beatitudes, but rather than setting aside the law Jesus declared that he had come to fulfill the law. He made it clear to his listeners that he wasn't talking about the interpretations of the scribes, Pharisees, teachers of the law and the traditions of the elders. No, Jesus was talking about the heart and spirit of the law which God gave to Moses.

- What we need to keep constantly in front of our minds about this sermon of Jesus is that he is not giving us laws to place an even heavier burden than the law of Moses on top of the Christian. The sermon on the mount is not a code of ethics, but a description of the attitudes and actions of the heart of someone who is living in the kingdom of God.

- Remember, the Pharisees and teachers of the law are the ones whom Jesus accused of being hypocrites, religious fakes, and fraudulent in their observance of the law. So, what is it that Jesus was saying? What kind of righteousness exceeds, or goodness surpasses, or is greater than the righteousness of the scribe, the Pharisee, or expert in the law?

- Jesus was exposing for his listeners that the kind of problem that Pharisees, scribes and teachers of the law had was a heart problem. Their righteousness was all about the exterior, it was about show. Their righteousness was not enough because they sought to keep the law for the law's sake not for its intent!

- Their righteousness didn't have hands and feet. Their righteousness was really self-righteous. They looked upon the common people as beneath them and unclean. They read the law and they didn't get it! They didn't understand that the point of the law was to reveal their own sinfulness.

- When faced with the challenge of the second greatest Commandment about loving neighbours, their righteousness asked the question, "And who is my neighbour?"

- What then is the righteousness of the scribes, Pharisees and teachers of the law?

- Their righteousness, as Dallas Willard says, is a righteousness that says, "I didn't!"

- Their righteousness is the kind of righteousness that looks at the 10 Commandments and sees them as a list of don'ts.

- I don't put any other gods before God. I don't worship idols. I don't take the name of the Lord in vain or abuse his name. I don't forget to keep the Sabbath; I make sure I don't do anything on that day. Mom and dad are doing okay and I gave at the temple so I don't dishonour them. I've never murdered anyone. I don't cheat on my wife. I don't steal from anybody. I don't lie or cheat. I’ve got good stuff. Why would I want my neighbour’s stuff? I don’t covet. That makes me a righteous man. Not like the rest of those people; what a bunch of sinners!
- I don't know about you but that sounds a lot like the impression that nonbelievers have of people in the church. They think that in order to be a Christian you have to be religious by following a list of don'ts. And if that's what they think, then they've got the wrong idea, and perhaps so do we.
- Righteousness or goodness cannot be measured by what we don't do. Such as, I don't smoke, I don't chew, and I don't go with girls who do! I don't watch Restricted movies and I don't drink alcohol! I don't cuss and I don't dance. I don't gamble, etc.

- The Lord does not look upon outward appearances! The Lord looks upon the heart!

- Jesus described the values of the kingdom that would fulfill the law and the prophets by stating that to enter the kingdom of heaven, your righteousness must exceed or surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. The first example of Real Kingdom Goodness that Jesus gave cuts to the heart of the command not to murder.

- The example of a kingdom heart surpasses a heart that says I didn't murder. Jesus reveals in these verses that the problem is deeper than the act of murder, as terrible as murder is; the problem is much deeper. Disciplining the murderer won't fix the problem because the problem is in the heart.

- 1John 3:15 reminds us, ¹⁵ "Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him."

- ²¹ “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’(an empty minded person) is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell."

- The problem, according to Jesus, stems from what's wrong with the human heart. It is in the human heart that hatred and contempt for another human being made in the image of God resides.

- It is not the letter of the law which Jesus would have his followers keep, but the spirit, heart, and intent of the law. The only way for the listeners of Jesus to keep the intent of the law is to have the Spirit of love residing within them.

- If you are angry toward a brother or sister, if there is hatred in your heart toward a fellow believer, if you hold contempt for another person in your heart, then your heart stands as a witness against you before Almighty God.

- Contempt and hatred for another human being may not be murder but it still kills. For example, according to the Canadian Children's Rights Council, In a survey of 15,000 grade 7 to 12 students in British Columbia, 34% (that's 1/3) knew of someone who had attempted or died by suicide; 16% had seriously considered suicide; 14% had made a suicide plan; 7% had made an attempt and 2% had required medical attention due to an attempt.

- I don't want to oversimplify the complexities of suicide, but we've heard in the news recently of children who committed suicide because they were bullied. I can speak from personal experience as a young person who was bullied that I often thought about suicide to escape my tormentors.

- Anger, hatred, and contempt of another human being made in the image of God may not kill the body, but it kills the will to live in the heart of another person. It empties a person of all zest and joy for life and it leaves a person feeling lost, unloved, and alone.

- This world desperately needs the gospel of Jesus and Christians desperately need to ensure that we align our hearts with the heart of God.

- Jesus goes on to describe the actions of kingdom heart people when they remember that someone has something against them.

- ²³ “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

   - Kingdom heart people will love their neighbours as themselves. When they're on their way to worship and realize that they've done something to hurt or offend their neighbour, then their heart will move them to make it right.

- Scribes, Pharisees, and experts of the law are hypocrites in this matter. They go to the Temple and present their offerings to God (A Jewish spiritual high point) thinking how great they are without considering their neighbours, without considering how they've oppressed, or taken advantage of their neighbours. Such people are willingly blind to their fraudulent, fake religious exercises.

- God doesn't want our worship if we don't love our neighbours because a lack of love for our neighbours demonstrates that all our religious activity is insincere, two-faced, dishonest.

- Sincere Christian faith will express itself through love for one's neighbour and we will first go and be reconciled to a sister or brother before coming to God to offer our gifts.

- Jesus also advised his listeners by reminding them to lovingly settle matters before they are taken to court.

- ²⁵ “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. ²⁶ I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny."

- Paul reminded his Roman readers, "If it is possible as far as it depends on you live at peace with everyone." 

- It is always best, if possible, to settle disputes outside of a court of law because by the time a dispute arrives in court there is no longer any possibility of a win-win situation. When matters between two people enter a courtroom the best possible result is always a lose-lose situation.

- The other side of it is also this: We will all have to give an account before God when the books are opened and the heavenly court is in session, so it is best for us to be reconciled to our neighbours here and now.

- Dr. Dallas Willard describes anger as an emotion which seizes us physically and pushes us to interfere with, and possibly physically harm, those who have frustrated our wills and interfered with our lives. While anger itself is not wrong it is easy for us to see how it can lead to doing wrong. As Dr. Willard writes, "Some degree of malice is contained in every degree of anger. That is why it always hurts us when someone is angry at us" (Willard, TDC, p. 148).

- While anger itself is not wrong it is definitely not something we enjoy, but it is not as easily dealt with as a headache or a muscle cramp. There is no magic pill for anger.

- I mentioned earlier that our hearts need to be aligned with the heart of God. We need an alignment between our hearts and the heart of the Holy Spirit. When we are in alignment, then the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, will be evident in our lives and outwardly expressed to our neighbours.

- Real kingdom goodness comes from the heart and is a reconciler of hearts.

- Because anger is a powerful emotion that not only drives our hearts and minds but drives us physically, then we need to respond with spiritual disciplines that not only bring us into alignment in our hearts and minds, but also bring our bodies into subjection under Christ.

- The discipline of silence and solitude may be especially helpful for us with bringing our hearts into alignment with the love of God and dealing with our anger so that we demonstrate love for our neighbours.

- Silence and solitude may be especially helpful because silence teaches us to be quiet and so often when we sin out of anger it is almost immediately in what we say. As James reminds us, "Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check" (Jas 3:2)

- Solitude is also important for silence so that when we are reading our Bibles and meditating on the word, we are also listening for the voice of God so that we will hear what he wants to say to us and receive the healing our angry hearts so desperately need.

- We also learn from the discipline of silence and solitude to be at peace and at rest with ourselves and with God so that when we have the peace which passes understanding we will be less likely to respond to our neighbours with anger.

- Real kingdom goodness comes from the heart and is a reconciler of hearts.

- Another possible suggestion for a spiritual discipline to combat anger is the discipline of service. When we serve others as a spiritual discipline, we are serving them as an act of prayer and worship for God. By serving others as a discipline, we are placing another human being made in the image of God as equally valuable to ourselves. The discipline of service embodies what really counts, faith expressing itself in love.

- When faith is expressed through service we are showing our brothers and sisters in Christ that we love them, and that discipline brings our hearts into alignment with the heart of God and leaves very little room for anger.

- Real kingdom goodness comes from the heart and is a reconciler of hearts.