“You have heard that it was said to those of old, `You shall not commit adultery.’ “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Mat 5:27-28 NKJ

Strong words from Jesus, but look at his reaction to the woman caught in adultery. “Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.  “Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman is standing in the midst. (Joh 8:3-9 NKJ)

This account took place after a national festival where there was a great deal of drinking and celebration.  The fact that she was caught in the act must have meant that her male counterpart must also have  been present and yet appears to be missing at the trial, or was he?  We don’t know what Jesus wrote on the floor, but clearly, a strong conviction was present. If sinlessness was the requirement for casting the first stone, then none of those present should have even considered picking up a stone. The woman was guilty, but then, so were her accusers. Her repentant heart deserved forgiveness on one condition; she sins no more.

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, `You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother,`Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, `You fool!’ shall be in danger of hellfire. “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, “leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. “Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. “Assuredly, I say to you; you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.  (Mat 5:21-26 NKJ)

The key to the next six sections of the Sermon on the Mount is not about the Law of Moses versus the interpretation of Jesus, but the preceding verse where Jesus says, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:20 NKJ) Jesus required a higher standard of righteousness, the kind that can only come from God.

The Pharisees and scribes had taken the commandment “You shall not murder.” (Exo 20:13 NKJ) and added the text from Numbers 35:30, “Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses, but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty. By doing this, they had reduced the punishment to a civil judgment, rather than a divine judgment. Jesus, on the other hand, raised the standard, telling them that not only should we not physically murder a person, but we should avoid murdering a person with the words from our mouths.  The Pharisees were so self-righteous, they would pass judgment on a person in conversation just by looking at a person.

Years ago they would say, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” We all know that nothing could be further from the truth.  We can destroy a reputation, and tear down a person’s confidence with words.  Children can be bullied to the point of suicide. We should not judge a person by the color of their skin, the clothes they wear be it a hajib or turban. And no, not all immigrants from south of the border are ‘Mexicans,’ and they are not rapists or drug dealers. Neither are all refugees terrorists; they are just looking for a better life.

To the Pharisees, the letter of the Law was civil judgment.  The spirit of the Law, however, was that the anger in a person’s heart could destroy two lives.  Paul suggests in Romans 12 that we offer ourselves daily to God as a living sacrifice. Jesus is telling us to make sure our heart is right before we come to God with our offerings.

“Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:19-20 NKJ)

 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”  So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “`You shall not murder, ‘`You shall not commit adultery, ‘`You shall not steal, ‘`You shall not bear false witness,’ `Honor your father and your mother,’ and, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Mat 19:16-21 NKJ)

 The Scribes and the Pharisees kept the letter of the Law, but they lacked righteousness and holiness, which is the spirit of the Law.  The rich young man who comes to Jesus, has the same attitude as the Pharisees, seeing the Law as the keeping of external regulations.  Remember the first commandment, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deu 6:5 NKJ) He claimed perfection, yet Jesus knew where this man’s heart was with his wealth.  His reaction to Jesus’ words clearly showed that he didn’t ‘love the LORD with ALL his heart, with ALL his soul, and with ALL his strength.’

 As Christians, Jesus wants us to keep the spirit of the Law, in that we should seek inward righteousness and external fruit of our actions, thereby exceeding the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. However, be careful. It is always advisable to examine ourselves before we pat ourselves on the back.

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. (Mat 5:17-18 NKJ)

And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. `Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. `You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. `You shall not steal. `You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. `You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’ (Deu 5:15-21 NKJ)

Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (Col 2:14 NAS)

Why do Christians and churches have copies of the ‘Ten Commandments’ on the walls or outside their building as though they have to keep or meet the full requirements of that law? Paul makes it quite clear in his letter to the Colossians when he reminds us that the law was a “certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and that it is hostile to us.  Jesus came not to change the law or take it away, but to meet the full requirements of that law and nailed the notice onto the cross that said ‘paid in full.’

Now you can if you, so wish, go back and try to live under the law, but the gospel is an invitation to live to a higher standard called grace. Grace enables us to do the right thing, not because of tablets of , but because God has written these things in our hearts and we now have a desire to please him.

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Mat 5:11-12 NKJ)

 Notice here that it doesn’t say “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely because you’re lazy, obnoxious, hard to get along with, or a hypocrite. Sometimes persecution comes because the Christian isn’t Christlike.  Remember, Jesus had the biggest impact on his society by his words and deeds as he ministered within the laws and protocols of his society and culture. Admittedly, he pushed the boundary to the limit.  When we imitate the life of Christ in this way, we can expect trouble.  The Message puts it this way, “count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are feeling uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens.”

When this happens rejoice, because you join a long line of those that have gone before you—some have even paid the ultimate price.  There is nothing that can be said or done to you that they did not do to Jesus.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:10 NKJ)

This text follows directly after the call of the Christian to be a peace-maker.  In other words, if you live the life of a peace-maker, seeking justice, persecution will follow for two reasons. First, because you stand up for poor and the oppressed, demanding righteousness. The Hebrew word is ‘tsedaqah,’ meaning righteousness-justice.  Not just any righteousness or any justice, but that which comes from the Kingdom of God.  The Christian that is persecuted lives their life to serve the King and to implement his Words, deeds, and actions here on earth (Matt 6:10). Social injustice against the immigrants, those caught in the immigration trap such as DACA and refugee.  Fighting racial injustice against African Americans and Latinos in housing, healthcare, education, and a broken judicial system. Economic injustice where a person might need to work two or three jobs to earn a living wage. International injustice against the Palestinians, the children in Syria and Yemen and the ethnic cleansing of minority groups such as the Rohingya. Finally, political injustice where the greediness of the rich and powerful ignores the plight of the oppressed.

Have no doubt in your mind; we live in the kingdom of darkness that is ruled by, “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. (Eph 2:2-3 NKJ) Our spiritual battle is against, “principalities (demonic forces), against powers (those who serve the kingdom of darkness (Eph 6:12 NKJ)  They do not want you bringing Kingdom light into the world. So, when the world tells you to be quiet—turn up the volume.

Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. (Mat 5:9 NKJ)

Is there a difference between peace-making and pacifist?  The dictionary defines a pacifist as, “a person who believes in pacifism or is opposed to war or violence of any kind.”  That same dictionary defines peace-maker in terms of action rather than just a belief. It states that a peace-maker is, “a person, group, or nation that tries to make peace, especially by reconciling parties who disagree quarrel, or fight.”

Perhaps then the Christian peace-maker should go further than just responding to a situation and become more pro-active in bringing the Kingdom principles of love, peace, and righteousness, and as I have stated before, righteousness in the Old Testament is intrinsically linked to justice.  We should be more pro-active, and the idea of war for a Christian should be absurd.

The way of peace they have not known, And there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; Whoever takes that way shall not know peace. Therefore, justice is far from us, Nor does righteousness overtake us; We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness! (Isa 59:8-9 NKJ)

As Christians we need to reconcile our thoughts and actions with those of the gospel, they are not separate.  We’re told to love God, love our brother, even our neighbor and yes, our enemies too.  Hezbollah, the terrorist group in Lebanon, won the hearts and minds of the people, not with a gun, but providing food, aid and medical care. The American president, Dwight Eisenhower said, “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and who are not clothed.”

A peace-maker should be about the ministry of reconciliation.  Working in our societies to find common ground.  Looking for those areas where we can agree and join together, rather than separate. Let me close with this quote from President John F. Kennedy. “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.”

Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. (Mat 5:7 NKJ)

 What does it mean to be merciful? Mercy is really about showing compassion and forgiveness.  Jesus told his disciples, “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Mat 6:9-15 NKJ)

Even though a person might deserve judgment, mercy is shown them, just as we too deserved judgment but God showed us mercy. The Pharisees were all about law and legalism, but Jesus told them, “go and learn what this means: `I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Mat 9:13 NKJ)

I might have an ATM card, but when I last checked the bank requires that I make a deposit before I can make a withdrawal.  There was a well-known preacher who constantly condemned the LGTBQ lifestyle and people until one day he was caught with another man in a restroom.  What was shocking was the hypocrisy, and because he had chosen to live in darkness, operating out of public toilets, everything he touched was dark. He wanted mercy, but his account was empty. Fortunately, God has grace and is rich in mercy.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. (Mat 5:6 NKJ)

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Mat 6:33 NKJ)

How many conflicts, issues or problems are there in the world today?  Too many! But there is a simple solution—we just need to bring everything into right relationship with God. I often get asked whether I’m a Republican or a Democrat,  I reply that I’m neither, as a citizen of God’s Kingdom  I follow Kingdom principles.  Isn’t that what we’ve been praying in the Lord’s Prayer for years—“Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven?”  Our passion, craving, hunger, and thirst should be to see those Kingdom principles applied to the world in which we live and to hold those we place in positions of power accountable.  That may sound like a huge task, but if I make that commitment and you make that commitment, then that’s at least two of us committed to making a difference.

Our example always has to be the life of Jesus.  He didn’t have man-made power, position or influence, but he certainly made a difference.

Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. (Mat 5:5 NKJ)

The meek shall inherit the earth? This is a total contrast to the system of imperial Rome that ruled Palestine during the time of Jesus’ lifetime. Words like aggressive, coercive, hierarchical, expansionist and even racist, but never meek.

King Jehoshaphat gave us a great example. We read, “Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar ” (which is En Gedi). And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD………Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, ….., in the midst of the assembly. And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: `Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. `Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. `You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.” (2Ch 20:2-3; 14-17 NKJ). The enemy was defeated!!

In the New Testament, we read, “And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer.” Matthew 27:12-14

So, why the picture of Gandhi? It’s simple, he was an example of meekness, choosing to practice non-violent resistance against British oppression in India. His example was taken up by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his non-violent struggle against racism and for civil rights.

Meekness is power under control, or as Gloria Gaither sings, “lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.” Meekness comes when you realize that the outcome is determined not by your strength and power but by God.