T AKIN G OUT THE Matthew 5:27-30 Trash. T AKING O UT THE T RASH

TAKING

OUT THE

Matthew 5:27-30

Trash

TAKING OUT THE TRASH


Scudamore says, “With a vision of creating the ‘FedEx’ of junk removal, I dropped out of university with just one year left to become a full-time JUNKMAN! Yes, my father, a liver transplant surgeon, was not impressed to say the least. He is on my side now.”


Americans produce 154 million tons of trash each year—enough to fill the New Orleans Superdome from top to bottom, twice a day.


Americans produce 154 million tons of trash each year—enough to fill the New Orleans Superdome from top to bottom, twice a day.

Unfortunately, most of that trash could be recycled.


THROUGHOUT THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT, JESUS TELLS US TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH


He doesn’t speak about calling 1-800-GOT JUNK? or recycling.



But, he tells us to TAKE OUT THE TRASH of our lives!



But, he tells us to TAKE OUT THE TRASH of our lives!

He tells us to TAKE OUT THE TRASH of Anger.Easy divorces.Oaths.Retaliation.Hatred.


IN THIS MORNING’S TEXT,Jesus speaks of TAKING OUT THE TRASH of lust.


MATTHEW 5:27-30


We must not confuse what the Lord says here with healthy & wholesome sexuality.


We must not confuse what the Lord says here with healthy & wholesome sexuality.

It was God, after all, who created us male & female.


“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (Gn 2:23, ESV).


“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (Gn 2:23, ESV).Adam had been all alone.


“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (Gn 2:23, ESV).Adam had been all alone.While Adam expresses his relief at no longer being

alone, he does so in physical terms—“Bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.”


Gn 2:23. “Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the

wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love” (Prov 5:18-19, ESV).


Gn 2:23. Prov 5:18-19. “The husband should give to his wife her conjugal

rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again” (1 Cor 7:3-5, ESV).


Scripture speaks quite straightforwardly about sexuality.


Scripture speaks quite straightforwardly about sexuality.Sometimes, Scripture is more straightforward than

we would like to admit.


Scripture speaks quite straightforwardly about sexuality.Sometimes, Scripture is more straightforward than

we would like to admit.But, Scripture’s straightforward attitude in regard to

sexuality informs us: It is God who created sex.There is nothing sinful about sex.We need not be ashamed of being sexual beings.


Those points are important to remember as we study what Jesus said about lust.


Those points are important to remember as we study what Jesus said about lust.

Jesus tells us about:THE TRASH’S STARE.THE TRASH’S SEPARATION.


THE TRASH’S STARE, VV 27-28


“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” (vv 27-28, ESV).


The Jews had heard it said, “You shall not commit adultery.”


The Jews had heard it said, “You shall not commit adultery.” Indeed, God had spoken these words through Moses.



“You shall not commit adultery” (Ex 20:14, ESV).



“You shall not commit adultery” (Ex 20:14, ESV).“If a man commits adultery with the wife of his

neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. If a man lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have committed perversion; their blood is upon them” (Lev 20:10-12, ESV).


The Jews had heard it said, “You shall not commit adultery.” Indeed, God had spoken these words through Moses. In fact, God had even condemned lust in the Old

Testament.



Testament.“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall

not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s” (Ex 20:17, ESV).



Testament.“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall

not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s” (Ex 20:17, ESV).

The Hebrew for “lust” basically means “to desire greatly.”


But, it’s safe to assume that the scribes & Pharisees had accepted the idea that they could push the envelope quite far as long as they didn’t actually commit adultery.


But, it’s safe to assume that the scribes & Pharisees had accepted the idea that they could push the envelope quite far as long as they didn’t actually commit adultery.

But, Jesus says, “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”


It’s remarkable that Jesus says, “Whoever looks at a woman.”


It’s remarkable that Jesus says, “Whoever looks at a woman.” In Jesus’ day, people regarded women as the ones

guilty of adultery.



guilty of adultery.When the scribes & Pharisees wanted to trick Jesus,

they brought a woman caught in adultery.



guilty of adultery.When the scribes & Pharisees wanted to trick Jesus,

they brought a woman caught in adultery.The people believed it was lustful women who led men

astray; men in this society were just above lustful thoughts.


Jesus, however, declares that men are just as culpable as women in sexual immorality.


Jesus, however, declares that men are just as culpable as women in sexual immorality. Jesus’ will speak of a woman’s immorality in the next

paragraph.



paragraph: “Everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery” (v 32, ESV).



paragraph: “Everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery” (v 32, ESV).

The point is that both sexes are just as capable of committing sexual immorality—the blame doesn’t rest on just one gender.


It is the one who looks at a woman with lustful intent that Jesus condemns.


It is the one who looks at a woman with lustful intent that Jesus condemns.The Greek literally reads: “for the purpose of lusting

after her.”



after her.”The idea isn’t that you see a woman & have a

momentary lustful thought.




momentary lustful thought.David, for example.





“It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful” (2 Sm 11:2, ESV).






In that verse, we aren’t told a single sin that David committed—he accidentally saw a beautiful woman bathing.






In that verse, we aren’t told a single sin that David committed—he accidentally saw a beautiful woman bathing.

But, of course, David ended up going much further!


MARTIN LUTHER: “YOU CAN’T KEEP A BIRD FROM FLYING OVER YOUR HEAD. BUT, YOU CAN KEEP HIM FROM BUILDING A NEST IN YOUR HAIR.”


Jesus condemns the looking with lustful intent, for sin begins in the heart.


Jesus condemns the looking with lustful intent, for sin begins in the heart.“What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the

heart, and this defiles a person” (Mt 15:18, ESV).


Jesus condemns the looking with lustful intent, for sin begins in the heart.“What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the

heart, and this defiles a person” (Mt 15:18, ESV).“The good person out of the good treasure of his

heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Lk 6:45, ESV).


HOW CLEAN ARE OUR HEARTS THIS MORNING?


BECAUSE OF LUSTFUL THOUGHTS, WE NEED:


THE TRASH’SSEPARATION, VV 29-30


“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.”


The right side was considered the more powerful side in Jesus’ day.


Jesus says that we need to separate ourselves from the trash lest we be cast into hell.


Jesus says that we need to separate ourselves from the trash lest we be cast into hell. It’s far too easy to take these words as simple

hyperbole.



hyperbole.Origen, a leader in the 3rd century church, supposedly

castrated himself to be more holy.



hyperbole.Origen, a leader in the 3rd century church, supposedly

castrated himself to be more holy.Does Jesus expect that from us?



hyperbole.The people of Jesus’ day would have well understood

these words.




these words.The plucking of the eye was a common punishment for

sexual immorality.




these words.The plucking of the eye was a common punishment for

sexual immorality.The cutting off of the hand was a common punishment

for stealing, including stealing someone’s wife.


HOW SHOULD WE UNDERSTAND THIS WORDS?


THE KEY IS WHY JESUS SAID IT WAS BETTER TO SEVERE HAND & EYE.


THE KEY IS WHY JESUS SAID IT WAS BETTER TO SEVERE HAND & EYE.“It is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.”


This physical world & all of its pleasures are passing away.


This physical world & all of its pleasures are passing away.“The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then

the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Pt 3:10, ESV).


This physical world & all of its pleasures are passing away.2 Pt 3:10.“The world is passing away along with its desires” (1

Jn 2:17, ESV).


WHAT OCCURS IN THIS WORLD IS EVER SO TEMPORARY.


HOW DO WE TAKE OUT THE TRASH?


First, We determine how we shall use our eyes.


First, We determine how we shall use our eyes. Job: “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how

then could I gaze at a virgin?” (Job 31:1, ESV).


First, We determine how we shall use our eyes. Job: “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how

then could I gaze at a virgin?” (Job 31:1, ESV).Like Job, we must make a covenant with our eyes to

keep them from wandering.


A very consistent message of Scripture is that we don’t play around with sexual temptation.


A very consistent message of Scripture is that we don’t play around with sexual temptation.“Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his

clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; none who touches her will go unpunished” (Prov 6:27-29, ESV).


A very consistent message of Scripture is that we don’t play around with sexual temptation.Prov 6:27-29.“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a

person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body” (1 Cor 6:18, ESV).


Second, if we are married, we need to find sexual fulfillment with our spouse.


Second, if we are married, we need to find sexual fulfillment with our spouse.“Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by

agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control” (1 Cor 7:5, ESV).


Second, if we are married, we need to find sexual fulfillment with our spouse.“Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by

agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control” (1 Cor 7:5, ESV).

“Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love” (Prov 5:18-19, ESV).


Second, if we are married, we need to find sexual fulfillment with our spouse.1 Cor 7:5.Prov 5:18-19.

Sexuality within marriage is one of the best ways to keep sexual temptation at bay.


Third, we must understand that sexuality outside of marriage is simply not worth the cost.


Third, we must understand that sexuality outside of marriage is simply not worth the cost.There can be staggering costs for sexual immorality.


Third, we must understand that sexuality outside of marriage is simply not worth the cost.There can be staggering costs for sexual immorality.But, we must keep our eye on the goal.



“By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward” (Heb 11:24-26, ESV).



Heb 11:24-26.Moses understood that by rejecting temporary

pleasure, he would receive an eternal reward.


Fourth, we must love God more than anything else in this world.


Fourth, we must love God more than anything else in this world.“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart

and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment” (Mt 22:37-38, ESV).


Fourth, we must love God more than anything else in this world.“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart

and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment” (Mt 22:37-38, ESV).

If I love God with my entire being—as Jesus here instructs—I have no room for sexual sin or any other kind of sin.


HOW MUCH DO I LOVE GOD?


HOW MUCH DO I LOVE GOD?Are you loving God with your all?

Documents

T AKIN G OUT THE Matthew 5:27-30 Trash. T AKING O UT THE T RASH