Weekly Study Questions: Sermon on the Mount #4
Real Righteousness – Pt. 1
Sermon on the Mount (CGS#4)
Matt. 5:21-30
INTRODUCTION: Three weeks ago, we started our series on the Sermon on the Mount by looking at the beatitudes. Those “blessed” statements in vv. 1-12 sets the tone for everything to follow in Jesus’ discourse. It was a hard sermon to listen to as it challenged every preconception the original audience had of the Messiah. Jesus teaches us that the Kingdom of Heaven has distinctively different values. The question that should percolate to the top for us is, do I embody the distinctive values of the kingdom of heaven? Or do the values of my life align more with the world around me?
Jesus now presses into examples of how these distinctively different values and virtues of the kingdom play out in the lives of his disciples (followers). His point in the larger section (5:21-48) is to expose patterns of sin that are common to everyone listening and then to drive home that true obedience isn’t just a matter of outward action, but it includes the heart as well. Here is another way of saying it, Jesus cares deeply about the condition of our inner lives. Remember, he is speaking to an exclusively Jewish audience here, and they would have been well acquainted with religious obedience and performance. Don’t forget that in v. 20, Jesus told them that their righteousness (right actions) must exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees! But Jesus is talking about something deeper and more complete than just hollow outward actions. We all know “godly” people who look good on the outside but are corroded and ungodly on the inside. Outward behavioral modification is not the primary pursuit of the kingdom of heaven. Instead, it is character transformation. That is what Jesus gets at with the precision of a surgeon in the following verses.
Anger and murder/lust and infidelity – We’ve all been there, so worked up and mad at someone that we utter the words, “I hate them.” Jesus will tell us that this kind of response is no different than murder. Why? Not because we’ve actually murdered someone but because we are allowing a foothold for corrosive sin in our hearts. And while we may never actually murder someone, that corrosion builds up and leads to actions that defame and disregard the dignity endowed to them by their creator. It is the same with lust. Jesus is not prohibiting natural sexual attraction, but he is raising the bar to extend infidelity to even the desire for an illicit sexual relationship. Why? Because it defames and dishonors the good gift of sex that God gave us. And it looks at another person as nothing more than an object for sexual fulfillment. There is no room for that perspective in the Christian sexual ethic.
Jesus has already told us that the blessed ones are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, strive to make peace, and are pure in heart. Our inner lives matter as much, if not more, to God because our actions flow from our hearts. And the Lord doesn’t just look at our exterior actions he sees to the very core of us. That is why Jesus is talking about virtues. And it is why he is fleshing out what those virtues mean so that we might have clarity on how the kingdom is distinctly different than this world. And that we might have clarity for our lives with this truth as citizens of the kingdom desire to glorify God.
GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question. When was a time or an experience in your life when you realized that someone’s outward actions didn’t match their inner life? How did this impact you?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage(s). It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
Note: Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following questions.
- What did you hear God’s Spirit say to you through the passage this week? How does it encourage you? How does it sharpen you?
- How have you seen God at work in your life this week? Have you enjoyed him? Have you heard his voice and the leading of his Spirit? Big ways or small ways.
- What about Jesus’ words in this passage stand out to you? How do they challenge you? How do they encourage you?
- In this larger section (5:21-48), Jesus strips away the façade of rote and hollow behavior (legalism) and cuts to the core of our motivations and inner lives. What are some “socially acceptable” sins that we tolerate in the church? I.e., Gossip, envy, jealousy, gluttony, greed, bitterness, strife, etc.
- What is a step that you can take this week to allow God to have greater access to your inner life?
- It could look like regularly asking the Holy Spirit to convict and clarify areas of sin. It could be an evening time of confession and repentance. It would be a gratitude journal where you write down all the ways that God showed up and provided that day. It could be asking God to help you pray prayers of blessing over those you are struggling with. Etc.