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Matthew's Book Leader Notes - Session 9
Matthew 6:1-18 In this session we move into chapter 6 and Jesus continue to theme of addressing our inner life as it relates to our faith. In the previous sessions we learned that obeying the Law was not only a matter of our outward actions, but also a matter of our inward thoughts and attitudes. Similarly, in this session, we learn that internal motivations are just as important as the outward expressions and practices of our faith. Jesus highlights three common faith practices (giving, prayer, and fasting). By highlighting these practices, Jesus is first indicating that He expects His followers to be doing these things. If we are not doing them at all, our inward motivations can hardly matter! Like before, Jesus tells us that God is concerned about more than the outward practice alone. He says that these practices are for God and about God and He should be the only audience that we are concerned about. When we practice our faith for the observance of others, we squeeze God out of the equation and the result is an empty exercise.
Interestingly, Jesus did not dismiss the concept of a benefit to us as we do these activities. He says those that do these things for the observance of others already have their reward (esteem, applause, influence, etc.). But He also says that those who do these things for God alone, will also be rewarded (verses 4, 6, 18). He doesn’t tell us what that reward will be (a closer connection with God is already a great benefit), but I imagine that God has a much better “prize box” than the one available those around us!
Verses 14-15 may create generate some questions for your group. On the surface, it seems to contradict the concepts of God’s free forgiveness and unearned grace. Jesus seems to be saying that God’s forgiveness is dependent on our own forgiveness of others. Jumping over to Matthew 18:21-35 will give us greater understanding on the matter. Here, Jesus tells the parable of a servant who was forgiven a great debt by his master but then refused to forgive a small debt owed to him. The message of the parable (and 5:14-15) is that accepting God’s forgiveness should have a profound impact on our hearts which would give us the capacity to also forgive those that wrong us. Therefore, if we do not have forgiveness toward others in our heart, we have not truly received God’s forgiveness. Like most things in our spiritual journey, this is not a switch that is instantly flipped, but rather a process of learning to expand our capacity to forgive others in the same way that God has forgiven us. The fact that Jesus includes this in His prayer tells us that He knows we will work on this and grow in this on a daily basis.
Matthew's Book Leader Notes - Session 8
Matthew 5:38-48 The passages in this session cover two separate but connected thoughts. As you might expect, in both sections, Jesus challenges the accepted paradigm and stretches our perception of what it means to be part of His Kingdom.
In verses 38-42, Jesus speaks to resistance and retaliation. The retaliation element comes from the Old Testament (Exodus 21) laws about fair punishment for crimes that cause injury to others. The intent of the laws was to ensure that punishments did not become excessive. Over time, however, the people began to see the laws as approval to retaliate when offended. Jesus uses hyperbolic language again to emphasize the shift He is making. He exaggerates the examples (let them slap both cheeks, give them tunic and cloak, etc.) in order to make His point. Verse 41 would have been especially shocking because it refers to the occupying Roman Empire. By law, a Roman soldier or official could ask people in an occupied country to carry their gear for a mile so that they didn’t have to carry it themselves. This was a slap in the face to the occupied people and would be a prime example of everything that is wrong with the Roman rule. And Jesus says to “go the extra mile” (I think this is where that saying comes from) rather than resist or grudgingly comply.
In verses 43-48, Jesus gives some of the most difficult teaching to practically live out. He says we should actually love our enemies and even pray for those that are seeking to do us harm! He even goes so far to say that loving those who are good to us or taking care of our friends and family isn’t that noteworthy. We should definitely love those folks and take care of them, but Jesus says even barbarians and corrupt people do that! Following Jesus means learning to love even the people that do wrong and have no love for us. Verse 45 shows us that God lovingly cares for all mankind regardless of their love, or lack thereof, for Him. Verse 48 lets us know that God should be our gauge, not what we can do or what comes naturally to us. God's love is so perfect and complete that He even loves the people who hate Him. That should be our example, our model, and our goal.
In both ways, Jesus is calling us to lay down ourselves (our rights, our self-preservation, our pride, etc.) in order to love others like He loves.
Matthew's Book Leader Notes - Session 7
Matthew 5:33-37 I think of pirates when I read this passage. Pirates (at least in the movies) were notorious for keeping their oaths in a way that benefited them. For example, if a pirate promised to set you free, he could dump you in the middle of the ocean and still say that he had kept his word. Pirates have no integrity and so you can never trust them (consider that a free bit of wisdom to live by).
In these verses, Jesus challenges the issue of integrity (or lack of it) by addressing the common practice of making oaths. An oath is a promise to do something based on the value of something else. Maybe you’ve heard someone say, “I swear on my mother’s grave that I will…” The problem with oaths is that they are only necessary when the person making the promise is not trustworthy on their own. They don’t have the integrity that creates trust in their word.
Jesus is calling us to live lives of such integrity that people do not doubt that we will do what we say we will do. In a world that is so severely lacking integrity, this is a very practical way to be salt and light (session 3) for Jesus to those around us.
Matthew's Book Leader Notes - Session 6
Matthew 5:27-32 In these verses, Jesus further develops the theme that our internal lives are as important as our external lives. The topic in these verses is our sexuality. Jesus uses a literary tool known as hyperbole to make his point. Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement that is not meant to be taken literally. For example, no one who says they are “hungry enough to eat a horse” expects to actually eat a horse. Hyperbole is used to drive a point home with a punch.
In these verses, Jesus wants to drive home to points. First, God’s view of our sexuality is not limited to what we do physically. While Jesus is not saying that impure thoughts are equal to adultery, He is saying that God’s concept of purity even includes our thoughts and desires. Honoring God with our sexuality just got a lot more difficult!
Second, Jesus wants us to know that this is a big deal. His words about gouging out eyes and chopping off hands are not literal prescriptions, but we should not dismiss the intent of the message. Handling our sexuality in a healthy, God honoring way is very important and sometimes strong, decisive decisions and actions are needed. You don’t need to poke your eyes out, but maybe you need to cancel the cable or stop associating with that friend…
Tough question about divorce
Hey, Journey Group Leaders...since many of you are going through the Sermon on the Mount material with Matthew's Book, you may bump into (or already did) some sticky questions about divorce and remarriage (Matthew 5:31-32). With so many marriages ending in divorce in our society, it's an issue we need to address with all grace and truth. Here are some official thoughts from CCC: The Historical Situation
At the time of Christ, the two prominent Jewish rabbinical leaders disagreed about the grounds for divorce that Moses gave in Deuteronomy 24:1-4. One leader attached sexual impropriety to uncleanness while the other more prominent leader took it much further where minor offenses such as the overcooking of dinner became legitimate grounds for divorce. In the case of Matthew 19:3-9, the intent of the question was to stir up trouble by getting Jesus to answer against one of the two schools of thought. Jesus answers them by reiterating the original intent of marriage as a life- long covenant and corrects the Pharisees statement that Moses commanded divorce with permitted divorce because of their hard hearts.
The Exception
Jesus is clear that divorce is wrong except for sexual immorality. The word immorality used here is a general term for sexual uncleanness. Jesus is telling us that anyone who divorces and remarries commits adultery unless immorality has occurred. Jesus, as He does throughout the Sermon on the Mount, goes behind the letter of the Law to the spirit of it. He says that divorce for any reason other than immorality leads to adultery. Let’s remember the Jews in the audience of Matthew 19 would have assumed that a legally divorced person had the right to remarry and never heard of a divorce that didn’t carry with it the right to remarry. The idea that God permitted divorce for sexual immorality but forbade remarriage occurred in the post-apostolic era when the view of sexuality became a necessary evil and celibacy was elevated as the most God honoring lifestyle. Not only was marriage discouraged by remarriage after a divorce but remarriage after the death of a spouse was forbid. Based on Jesus’ teaching, divorce is permitted on the grounds of sexual immorality and assumed the right of remarriage.
The Restriction
If a person divorces on grounds other than sexual immorality and remarries commits adultery. When two people whose divorces weren’t valid in God’s sight come together in marriage, they break their former marriage covenant and commit adultery. But this is not a continuing state; from that point on they are husband and wife. God recognizes two people as married when they have met the civil requirements, even if their divorces were not valid in God’s eyes. So when two people marry after divorcing on grounds other than sexual immorality, they sin against the covenant of the previous marriage at the first sexual union. But this occurs only once as the new marriage covenant now comes into effect. This view should never take away from the effect of Christ’s restriction as deliberate disobedience is a serious matter. Followers who truly love the Lord will not lightly ignore or disobey Him.
The Other Allowance
In 1 Corinthians 7:8-15, the Apostle Paul instructs single people to remain single and married people to remain married and a believer choosing to marry another believer is permissible. However, permission is given for divorce and remarriage on the grounds of the abandonment of a believer by an unbelieving spouse from verse 15. “But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.” Whereas Jesus’ statements in Matthew were addressed to a Jewish audience under the Mosaic Law, Paul’s statements were to believers of Jewish and Gentile descent on the other side of the resurrected Christ. As the instance of Gentile believers married to unbelieving spouses occurred, some marriages were able to remain intact while other nonbelieving spouses may have wanted their believing mate to renounce Christ or end the marriage.
Based upon Matthew 19 and 1 Corinthians 7:15 we discover two grounds for divorce: sexual immorality and the abandonment of a believer by an unbelieving spouse. These two grounds for divorce are also grounds for remarriage.
Ministering To the Offender
We glorify God by showing love for the offenders. This is best demonstrated by treating them kindly, doing our best to lead them to repentance and forgiving them when they do. A mistake often made is to view divorce as the sin of all sins. People who have divorced on inadequate grounds and remarry have sinned, but their sin is just as forgivable as any other sin. People who disobey God in their divorce and remarriage must be shown love, even though we don’t approve of what they did. The aim should be their repentance and restoration to fellowship.
Matthew's Book Leader Notes - Session 5
Matthew 5:21-26 One of my daughters saw the title of this session on the TV screen and said, "I bet you never want me to watch the video that has the word 'stupid' in the title!" :)
In reality, we very much need to hear what Jesus has to say in these verses. Here, Jesus takes the teachings of the Old Testament and reveals how He is taking them to a whole new level. Much of the Old Testament laws were directed at the external life. Commands to not murder, not steal, etc. all dealt with external actions. Jesus takes those commands to a new level by applying them to the internal life. Most of us can say we have never murdered someone...but can we honestly say we have never reacted to someone out of anger or said hurtful things to someone? This is such a big deal that Jesus says it even interferes with our worship of and connection with God.
We live in a world that is quick to tear people down and hurt them deeply. Jesus calls us to live a life of love so strong (through His Spirit) that even we are angry, we don't cause hurt and pain to others.
Matthew's Book Leader Notes - Session 4
Matthew 5:17-20 This session touches on an important aspect of the Bible – the commands God has given. We need to avoid the extremes of making the commands the most important aspect of our faith (legalism) as well as dismissing them because of God’s grace through Jesus (Jesus, Himself, makes that clear in this passage).
One common mistake people make when trying to obey God’s commands, is starting with their behavior. They think, “If I just try hard enough, I can do what God says to do.” The truth is that we cannot obey God’s commands outside of God’s power in our lives and His transforming work in our heart and mind. When we encounter a command that we are not obeying, our first response should be to ask God to first change our heart and mind. Once our heart and mind have begun to change, our behavior will more naturally follow.
I love verse 20 because it highlights the great gift of God’s grace through Jesus’ death and resurrection on our behalf. The admittance criterion into God’s Kingdom has always been perfectly obeying God’s Law. Without Jesus, that burden falls on us (and I, for one, fall very short of that target!). If people are trying to be good enough to get into heaven, it’s a sure bet they’ve already blown it more than once! Jesus lived that perfect life (this is what Jesus meant in verse 17, when He said that He had come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets) so that He could die for us to pay the penalty our sins incurred.
Matthew's Book Leader Notes - Session 3
You Are Salt and Light Matthew 5:13-16
What does it mean to be salt and light? Generally speaking, salt is a reference to our efforts to fight against the sin and moral decay in our world (salt preserves) and light is a reference to the gospel message we share with people who do not know Jesus (Jesus is the light of the world).
There are a couple of things to focus on in this session. First are the "you are" statements. Jesus doesn't say we can be or will be, but we are the salt and light in our world. This speaks to not only His expectations of our lives, but also His belief in us to act as the salt and light of His Kingdom in this world. Jesus believes we can actually do it! Second, is the need to be both different, but also closely connected with the world around us. If we are too similar to the world around us, then we lose our saltiness and our light dims. If we are disconnected from the world around us, then our salt and light never impact those that need it.
Matthew's Book Leader Notes - Session 2
Session 2 – You Are Blessed Matthew 5:1-12
I would say there are two things to focus on in this session. First (and this may be an internal focus for you as the leader) is the focus on these verses as blessings, not commands. Jesus is not telling us how to live in these verses. Rather, Jesus wants us to rethink our understanding of the “good life,” which brings us to the second focus. Many of us would say we are “blessed” when good things are happening to us. Jesus flips that around by saying that these hurting and dejected people are blessed. The key is this: we are blessed when we have Jesus regardless of what is happening in our lives. Is that how you and I truly view life?