Matthew 5:29-32

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20, ESV) “You have heard that it was said to those of old, (Matthew 5:21, ESV) “You have heard that it was said, (Matthew 5:27, ESV “It was also said, (Matthew 5:31, ESV) “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, (Matthew 5:33, ESV) “You have heard that it was said, (Matthew 5:38, ESV) “You have heard that it was said, (Matthew 5:43, ESV)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28, ESV) TRADITIONAL INTERPRETATION JUST LOOKING TO LUST WAS HEART ADULTERY

Worthy of desperate measures to overcome If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. (Matthew 5:29-30, ESV)

Worthy of desperate measures to overcome… as is all sin “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. (Matthew 18:7-9, ESV)

Worthy of desperate measures to overcome… as is all sin For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23, ESV) Problem of sin begins in the heart

Worthy of desperate measures to overcome… as is all sin I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2, ESV) To exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees one must control the heart

Worthy of desperate measures to overcome… as is all sin AND THAT TAKES…  Acknowledgement  Desire  Prayer  Practice To exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees one must control the heart

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ (Matthew 5:31, ESV) TRADITIONAL INTERPRETATION

“When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, and if she goes and becomes another man's wife, and the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife, then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the L ORD... (Deuteronomy 24:1-4, ESV)

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ (Matthew 5:31, ESV) TRADITIONAL INTERPRETATION He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. (Matthew 19:8, ESV) Jews took an “allowance” because of their hard hearts and made it a law

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Matthew 5:31-32, ESV) TRADITIONAL INTERPRETATION JESUS SPOKE TO THE REAL INTENT OF THE PASSAGE

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Matthew 5:31-32, ESV) And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” (Matthew 19:9, ESV)

 The Pharisees focused on divorce and man’s writings of divorce  Jesus focused on marriage and God’s view of divorce ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:5-6, ESV)

What can we learn? 1. The present is not our only life For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:10, ESV)

What can we learn? 1. The present is not our only life 2. Sin is destructive and serious The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.” (Matthew 19:10-12, ESV)

What can we learn? 1. The present is not our only life 2. Sin is destructive and serious 3. All sin starts in the heart For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-13, ESV) How is YOUR heart?