The Exposition of Matthew 5:31-42

August 4, 2020

(Sermon on the Mount)

Questions to be answered in this study

1. How do we understand how the law given to Moses is to coincide with what Jesus says concerning divorce, which is different?
2. Is God placing His approval on divorce or giving license to engage in divorce and remarriage according to Deuteronomy 24? Explain.
3. What is the only exception which does allow for divorce?
4. What is the difference in divorce and other sins?
5. What did Jesus mean when He said those who remarry after divorce commit adultery?
6. We take a vow when we marry to stay together until we die. Why is a vow so important Biblically?
7. What was the Pharisees lame excuse for breaking a vow?
8. How has the bible statement “An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” been misapplied?
9. According to the Bible, why is it never our place to take revenge?
10. How is Jesus the example as to why we should strive not to offend others?

Introduction

Before we get into our Bible Study today, I want to share with you a portion of my devotional time early this morning, which centered on John 16:33. This information is so relevant for the times in which we live when many are discouraged and fearful: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace… In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world,” John 16:33 (KJV).

• I want to ask you today: Where is your mind centered?
• It is either in Jesus, or it is in the world. It can’t be both places at the same time.
• If it is in Jesus, you have a peaceful and joyful mind.
• If it is in the world, you have a troubled mind.

The news clip I read this morning describes our world today, which is an excellent example of why we should not center our minds in the world: “The economy has suffered its worst collapse since the Great Depression; schools are rapidly canceling plans for in-person instruction, and Congress has failed to pass a new emergency relief package. The daily death toll keeps climbing, and the human cost of the virus in America has just passed 150,000 lives. That number isat the time the news clip. The world is filled with tribulation and trouble and not just now but always. The only true peace is in the Lord Jesus. If you are a believer, keep your mind stayed on Jesus and the goodness He has brought into your life. If you are not a believer, please consider accepting Christ as your Lord and savior.

In the previous study, we were looking at what Jesus said were the requirements to go to Heaven. Jesus gave some examples of what true righteousness meant. He told the righteousness required to go to Heaven must exceed that of the Pharisees. Last week we saw that the commandment not to kill included more than the physical act; it had how we treat people. Also, according to Jesus, the act of adultery can be just looking upon a woman to lust after her. There remain four more examples in this chapter. Each one refutes the Pharisees teaching based on the Mishna.

Today we must be careful not to consider these issues as the Pharisees once did by abiding by our rules instead of the Bible’s. It is a dangerous thing to depend on our will and mind while ignoring the facts.

We see in verses 31 and 32 the first of the examples Jesus gives:

Matthew 5:31-32, “It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

In this this example, Jesus compares the Pharisees’ teaching on divorce with that from the inspired Scriptures. Divorce is a complex subject and one you will not often hear about in churches today. It is not a topic I would choose randomly, but we are doing a verse-by-verse study of Matthew. Are we to skip these verses because they are considered controversial by some? I think not.

I admit that I do not have a perfect answer concerning divorce and remarriage, but I do have the best answer I could come up with, which I’ll share as we move forward. Divorce is a sensitive and emotional issue that has touched the lives of many, including Christians. Nevertheless, we need to understand what Jesus teaches on this topic. Keep in mind that just as murder and adultery were not the main emphases of Jesus’ teaching, neither is divorce. In Matthew chapter 19, Jesus will go more into detail on this subject. We will look at that when we get to it later. For now, we need to see the point Jesus is making in this third example.

Once again, Jesus quotes from the Mishnah, “it was said” not “as it is written,” which is a paraphrase of Deuteronomy 24. The law of Moses commanded that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce before he sent her away. Jesus seems to nullify that by saying that whoever divorces his wife “makes her commit adultery.” To understand how the law given to Moses was to coincide with what Jesus says concerning divorce, we must understand something about the culture in that day. In the first place, women had no rights or legal standing. They were utterly dependent on men for their livelihood. Neither would there be alimony or child support in case of divorce.

If a man just kicked his wife out, they were in a very precarious predicament. They were considered to be still married and therefore had no chance of another man taking them as a wife and supporting them. Therefore, a woman was literally without hope when her husband abandoned her. They may have to become beggars or harlots to help themselves. So, the law of Moses was not upholding divorce; it only required a man to at least show mercy on his wife by giving her a chance to remarry and get the support she needed to exist. The law of Moses, in Deuteronomy 24:1, was passed to correct this terrible injustice; it stated that if a man cruelly decided to kick his wife out, he must give her a certificate of divorce. The certificate of divorce at least gave her a chance of survival. Otherwise, another man could take her as a wife without fearing a charge of adultery. Would that technically be accounted for adultery? Yes, but it was better than the other alternatives.

When we consider the law carefully, it is clear that God is not placing His approval on divorce or giving license to engage in divorce and remarriage; He is showing mercy on the poor women who unjust men severely abused. The problem in the time of Jesus was, the Pharisees had taken Deuteronomy 24 to mean a license to divorce and to remarry, which God never intended. Over time the Mishna included many reasons justifying divorce, which were not found in Scripture. The justifying of divorce by the Mishna is an example of how ridiculous its rules were; divorce was justified if a man’s wife did something as trivial as burning his toast. Jesus, in verse 32, sets the record straight; despite Deuteronomy 24, and the Mishnah, anyone who divorces his wife, in turn, makes her commit adultery. Notice he makes her commit adultery. In others words, he forces her to find refuge under another man’s roof for survival and to avoid starvation, and therefore committing adultery.

Jesus goes on to say that the man who marries her also commits adultery. As in most rules, there are exceptions; in this one, we see it in the last part of verse 32. The exception is if there was fornication involved, then divorce is allowed. Some have flagged divorce as if it was an unforgivable sin. It is not. Divorce is no different from other sins, which God does forgive. When there is divorce, we must ask ourselves, is it any worse than violating the sixth and seventh commandments that Jesus addressed earlier, which I might add we all have broken.

We have no right to judge others for the life circumstances of their past. To remain single, for some, would be the best. For others who may not be able to contain themselves, it may not. Paul said it is better to marry than to burn. He meant to burn with lust and possibly give in to it. 

Then what about His statement that those who remarry commit adultery? Here is the best answer, though not perfect; it is based on an example in Scripture: Although the marriage may be founded in adultery, it can be lived out in a life pleasing to God. Though based on adultery and murder, David’s marriage to Bathsheba was lived out before God honorably, and David was declared a man after God’s own heart. Bathsheba is even listed in the genealogy of Jesus. At any rate, those who remarry should not get a divorce since that would further complicate matters. Neither should they go through life feeling guilty, but they should continue their life, as did King David, honoring and serving God.

Now, Let’s consider the following example Jesus gives in v.33-37:

Matthew 5:33-37, “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by Heaven; for it is God’s throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your communication be, Yea, Yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”

In this example, Jesus quotes the Mishna’s teaching concerning the taking of oaths: In the written Word of God, in Numbers 30, we are obligated to keep our vows. In Leviticus 27, we are warned that our failure to keep our vows, even unintentionally, will bring consequences. Only in recent times have written contracts become common. In ancient times contracts were oral. They were solemn and were expected to be kept. Persons known to be untrustworthy were ignored and unable to do business. We take a vow when we marry to stay together until death does cause us to part. God does expect us to keep that vow.

For convenience sake, the Pharisees invented ways to determine if the vow was binding and if it could be excused under certain circumstances. For example, if he swore facing away from Jerusalem, it was not compulsory, but if it was in God’s name, it was. Jesus denounces the Mishnah’s rules on oaths in verse 34; He says swearing by Heaven or by God Himself should be avoided, that a man’s word, Yea or nay, was sufficient for a vow. In v.36, Jesus says you shouldn’t make guarantees about things you can’t control. For us, it means to be careful about making vows. Know for sure you can keep them before you make them.

Next, in verses 38- 42, Jesus addresses the Mishnah’s laws on retribution:

Matthew 5:38-42, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.”

Jesus once again quotes from the Mishnah’s on Exodus 21:24. In this passage, the Lord instructs Israel to measure out justice proportionally. In this section of the law, euphemisms are used as examples to explain how punishment should be in proportion to the crime: “An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.” That has been misapplied to mean if someone does you any harm, you are, in turn, do the same to him. What it is saying is, we shouldn’t demand something more valuable than was taken from us, and actual mutilation was never to be the case.

The Pharisees took this law and made it an excuse for personal revenge, which was opposite from what God intended. God said vengeance is mine and not yours to take. So, in the Mishna, Jews could take someone’s eye if by any means they caused them to lose theirs. It was not intended to be a license for revenge; it was to be fair in our demands for repayment for damages.

The spirit of the law was to show mercy for those who offend us and never revenge. The Bible tells us that if anyone takes something from us, not try to get it back. “Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again,” Luke 6:30. Let them go. I believe by doing it in God’s way; He will settle it for us. That person, in the end, will pay dearly for taking advantage of you.

There is an old classic entitled “What would Jesus do?” That is good advice when we find ourselves in a confrontation with others. Here is the point, it’s the Father’s will that matters, and our obedience to His will, and that is what determines how we respond to the issues of life and whether are acts are righteous acts or not. It is never a righteous act to offend others because we have been offended by them. Jesus went to the cross to bear our offenses that we might be forgiven. He set the example for perfect righteousness. Can we keep our eyes on God’s eternal purpose for us rather than taking things into our own hands to stand for our rights?

We may conclude that the examples Jesus is giving apply to the one offended. Have you ever realized that you are an offender, one who has offended God Himself? By our sins, we have offended God. Through the death of His Son, He has forgiven us. Jesus paid it all that we may be free of our guilt. Since Jesus went the extra mile by showing us mercy and forgiving up for our offenses against Him, can we not find in our heart to show mercy to those who also offend us. Jesus is telling us in these verses for those who are part of His kingdom are expected to live by the spirit of God’s laws. However, the essence of what Jesus is teaching in this chapter is that Heaven is far beyond our reach. You can never get there on your own. No one measures up to God’s standard for righteousness. Jesus did it for us and wants to share his victory with us who trust Him.

Our goal in this life is to please Him as His disciples and represent Him in the best light by living a godly life. It is not a matter of living by many do’s and don’ts: it is being first and therefore doing to please our Lord. A study like we are involved should reveal how far short we are of measuring up to God’s requirements for righteousness and appreciate God’s grace and mercy in His forgiveness. It should also show us how much we are changing as we learn of God’s ways.

If you are not sure that you have the righteousness of Christ and want the assurance of knowing that you are part of His kingdom, please Click Here to learn step by step what God expects of anyone who wants to go to Heaven.