Matthew 5:31-37
In the late 1700s, two Americans had lived through the Revolution and seen the new country established. One of them, Thomas Jefferson, concluded that God may have set the universe in motion, but any good effects in the current world were the result of human action, not God's intervention. The other American, George Washington, understood that God had worked in the battles and in the creation of the new government. He interrupted his inaugural address with testimony that God deserved the credit and prayer that God would continue to guide.
The first attitude seems to have prevailed in Jesus' time. God created the world and gave Moses some good instructions, but now it was up to people themselves to live as well as they could. Jesus came with the news that there was more to life than carefully interpreting and following rules. God Himself wants to be involved in our lives, making us into good people who think about pleasing Him, not about following rules.
Because God wants to be part of our lives, the teachings of Jesus cover a wide variety of topics. In this class session, we looked at two of them: Marriage and Honesty.
Importance of Marriage
The marriage relationship is part of God's plan for social structure. Marriage is not required of each person; singleness is an option. But there is a definite purpose for marriage. The family unit is based upon a man and a woman committing themselves to each other. This commitment is described as "becoming one flesh," essentially creating a new life. And those who have experienced divorce agree that ending a marriage is very much like ending a life.
Marriage is best understood as a covenant, not a contract. In a contract, two people agree to the terms and conditions of further involvement. Each person is essentially saying, "My rights are as important as yours, and I will cooperate as long as you respect that."
In a covenant, a person commits to an action without an escape clause. God's commitment to Israel was a covenant. Israel could abandon God, but God would continue to offer His protection and guidance. The Old Testament book of Hosea was offered as an example. Both partners in a marriage covenant have committed themselves to the survival of the marriage. Rather than a 50-50 partnership, each person in a balanced marriage is ready to give 90 percent or more. Discussion suggested that both partners in a marriage often feel that they contribute far more than the other person.
Discussion about God's purpose for marriage brought out several interesting points:
- The influence of a marriage lasts for generations. So does the influence of a broken marriage.
- Our bodies are not separate from our spirits. Our actions in marriage, as in all of life, have an impact on our spiritual development.
- The power of our initial decision will influence how well that decision will be carried out. This is why it is important to understand the difference between God's view of marriage (intended to last a lifetime) and the view of many Americans (so long as it's easy).
- Our brains seem designed to create a marriage union as God designed it. We didn't have any trained psychologists in class to help us with the terminology, but it was understood that the brain functions best when a sexual union is permanent.
In a related passage, Jesus was asked about Moses' commands about divorce. Jesus re-phrased the question. Moses permitted divorce; he didn't command it. God intended for marriage to be a permanent covenant. However, if the covenant is broken, there is provision for recognizing this in the legal system. Jesus only mentioned adultery as evidence of the broken covenant. Many Christians today might expand that definition to include abuse, for instance. But the principle behind divorce is a broken covenant, not "incompatibility."
A book was found helpful by some in the class: The Best Year of a Groom's Life/The Best Year of a Bride's Life. (I may have the title wrong; I didn't find it by Googling.)
Being Honest
In Matthew 5:33-37, Jesus reacted to the hair-splitting about what constitued a true oath. In Matthew 23:16-22, some of the fine distinctions are listed. If you swore by the gift on the altar, your statement had to be true; if you swore by the altar, it didn't. Apparently people were looking for ways of sounding honest without actually being honest.
Jesus threw that whole system out. His followers are to be known as honest. Period. Speak honestly, keep your word, and nothing more is needed.
Of course, in a society where everything is measured by how carefully a legal contract is phrased, Christ-followers are expected to sign contracts, take legal oaths, and so on. But Christ-followers are not to play legal games. They don't look for clever ways to deceive or take advantage.
There are some passages (Psalm 15:1-4, Deuteronomy 23:21-23) that emphasize how seriously God takes our promises to Him. Of course, broken promises are no worse (but also no better) than adultery or stealing, and God's grace can bring restoration. But disciples are offered a life of honesty, as God's Spirit works within us.
At the end of class, the topic of foolish oaths was touched on. Jepthah was mentioned, and his story is in Judges 11, with the oath in verses 30-39.
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