Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart shows that Jesus is teaching Israel how to think, not just how to act. He contrasts religious thinking with kingdom thinking by addressing covenant, heart intent, truthfulness, faithfulness, authority, retaliation, and generosity. Jesus moves responses from legal minimums to heart-driven obedience. The focus is not on revenge, loopholes, or appearances, but on integrity, forgiveness, submission, and righteous motives flowing from a transformed heart.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
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Scriptures used in this lesson:
Matthew 5:31-32, Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Leviticus 19:12, Numbers 30:2, Deuteronomy 23:21-22, Matthew 5:33-37, Psalm 138:1-2, Exodus 21:24-25, Matthew 5:39, Matthew 5:40, Deuteronomy 19:21, Matthew 5:41-42,
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
Introduction to Matthew Chapter 5
We’re continuing our study in Matthew chapter 5, and today I’m hoping we can finish it.
I believe I can move through these pages fairly quickly, but there is one thought I want to return to because it is crucial—not just to this passage, but to understanding the entire book. At this point in Jesus’ ministry, we must ask to whom He is presenting the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. The answer is clear: He is presenting it to the Jew, to Israel.
Why Jesus Is Addressing Israel
I keep returning to that point because it is foundational. There are three main reasons this matters. The first reason is the covenant. The Jews were the covenant people, and because covenant is serious, breaking it carries consequences. When they rejected the Messiah, they broke the covenant, and the covenant curse came upon them.
Jesus is warning them here. He tells them that if they do not move from the old covenant to the new, judgment will follow. Later, He repeatedly refers to “this generation” as the one that will face that covenant curse. Covenant is not casual. When you covenant, you are committing your life. That is how serious it is.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
The second reason I emphasize this is because of the writer’s intent. Matthew, the writer of this Gospel, is a Jew. His purpose is to show that the Messiah came and presented the kingdom to Israel. They rejected Him, and because of that rejection, the gospel went beyond them. It went first to the Jew, and then to the Gentile, which is why we have received it.
Understanding these points helps us read Matthew correctly. Jesus is not speaking in a vacuum. He is addressing a covenant people, warning them, and revealing why the kingdom would ultimately be offered to all nations.
The Gospel Given to the Nations
This section shows that the gospel of the kingdom had truly come. Jesus first presented it to the Jews, but because they rejected Him, it was then given to others. That is Matthew’s intent as a writer. He demonstrates that the Messiah came, offered the kingdom to Israel, and that, when they refused it, the gospel went first to the Jew and then to the Gentile. Therefore, we have received it.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
You see this clearly at the end of Matthew. Jesus sends His disciples into all nations to preach the gospel and baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That command exists because Israel would not receive the Messiah. Their rejection explains why the gospel now goes to the world.
Covenantal Judgment and Biblical Understanding
The third reason I emphasize that Jesus is preaching to the Jews is that I believe we cannot fully understand this book, or much of the Bible, unless we know covenantal judgment. That judgment did not await a distant future. It came upon Israel. When that is understood, passages such as Matthew 24 change substantially. What many see as the future suddenly becomes the past.
Much of the church world still looks for something that has already happened. Matthew 24 is an example. I did not understand this when I first taught it, but it was repeatedly confirmed. I am convinced now that this understanding is correct.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
The same principle applies to the book of Revelation. I believe Revelation cannot be adequately understood unless we recognize that God brought covenantal judgment upon Israel. I believe Revelation is a covenant lawsuit against the nation. That phrase comes from a book I wrote called The Days of Vengeance, but it aligns with what I was already seeing in Scripture.
Israel broke the covenant, and judgment followed. Matthew begins by emphasizing Jesus, His lineage, and the land. That land always refers to Israel. The judgments described as coming upon the earth in Revelation are judgments upon that land. If you grasp this framework, you will see that Revelation is not random or future-focused, but covenantal and directed toward the nation of Israel.
Historical Fulfillment of Judgment
I believe this is the primary reason I keep emphasizing these points. What many people still expect for in the future has already occurred. The nation of Israel came under siege in AD 67 and fell in AD 70. That is not a theory. That is a historical fact.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
That nation existed for thirteen centuries and collapsed within a short period. The siege lasted three and a half years, followed by another three and a half years, making a total of seven years. Yet Scripture never calls the tribulation a seven-year period. In Revelation, the number seven appears numerous times, but it is never used to denote seven years. Instead, the text consistently uses terms such as “three and a half years.”
We have projected those numbers into the future, even though the events have already occurred. Still, that does not mean there is nothing for us to learn. We must ask whether there are principles and truths we are meant to apply today.
Covenant Principles Still Apply
Covenant is the key issue. If we break the covenant with God, judgment follows. God’s Word is His bond. He exalts His Word above His name. When He said covenant-breaking would bring consequences, He meant it, and history confirms it. That is why I wanted to emphasize these points.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
It is crucial to recognize that Jesus is addressing Israel here. He is addressing Jewry as a nation. He is calling them out of the old covenant and into the new one. The kingdom of heaven is at hand, and He is urging them to repent and enter it. They were invited but declined.
With that foundation in place, we come to Matthew chapter 5:17-48, which presents a clear contrast. Jesus is setting religious thinking against kingdom thinking.
I do think differently from many preachers, and I try to align my thinking with Scripture. To me, that is having the mind of Christ. There is a religious mentality that can persist even among saved people, and Jesus addresses it here. Being saved does not automatically mean you are thinking correctly. Your spirit may be redeemed, but your soul still has to be renewed.
What Jesus is teaching in this passage is how to think. He illustrates the contrast between religious and kingdom thinking. Religion focuses on outward behavior, but the kingdom addresses the heart. Religion says do not kill, but Jesus says do not get angry. It says do not commit adultery, but Jesus says do not think it. If you think right, you will not act wrong. Sin is overcome by proper thinking.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
If you continually think of death, death follows. When you think life, life follows. Thinking directly keeps you from sinning. The Word of God and the gospel have the power to save the soul. When you are born again, your spirit is redeemed immediately, but your soul is in the process of being saved. Your body will be redeemed later. That is why Jesus focuses so much on the soul and the way we think.
Faithfulness, Divorce, and Heart Intent
This is the real difference between religious thinking and kingdom thinking. Jesus is not just changing behavior; He is transforming the inner man. That is why I use the term “kingdom” so often. The Bible uses it, so I use it. There is a real kingdom of God and a real kingdom of heaven, regardless of how others define it.
When Jesus moves into verses 31 and 32, He addresses the heart condition of faithfulness. This is one of the most challenging subjects for me to teach because it deals with divorce. Religion emphasizes legal correctness. It focuses on paperwork and technicalities. Jesus, however, exposes the actual wrong.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
His concern is not whether the divorce documents are in order. His concern is the intent of the heart. Marriage is made in the spirit, not on paper. What matters to Jesus is whether there is a legitimate, righteous reason for divorce. That is the contrast He is drawing between religious systems and kingdom principles.
Matthew 5:31–32
31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Covenant Faithfulness in Natural and Spiritual Life
Jesus is saying the intent has been missed. The emphasis is not on having the divorce papers in order but on having the right reason for divorce. The Pharisees emphasized legal correctness, whereas Jesus emphasized heart intent. What matters is whether the reason is right.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
I ask this question. If both partners are thinking correctly, would there ever be a need for divorce? If people truly enter the kingdom of God, stay connected to a healthy church, and are taught how to think, divorce would not be necessary. That alone answers the world’s divorce problem, but it requires real change and commitment.
This teaching finds its origin in Deuteronomy 24:1-4. When you study it closely, you see how religious thinking worked. If a man found something displeasing, that was enough reason to dismiss his wife. That mindset reflects religious thinking rather than kingdom thinking. When a person thinks properly, they will not think or act that way.
Deuteronomy 24:1–4
1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;
4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
Deuteronomy 24:1–4 illustrates how divorce was treated within religious thought. A man could dismiss his wife simply because he found something displeasing. The margin explains it as some matter of nakedness, meaning anything he no longer liked. What once pleased him no longer did, so he wrote a bill of divorcement and sent her away. That thinking focused on preference rather than covenant.
Jesus points out that this completely misses the intent. The purpose was never to find reasons to divorce or to make sure the legal steps were correct. The real issue is whether there is a proper and righteous reason. When people think with the mind of Christ, divorce ceases to be the focus. If society learned to think correctly, divorce would no longer be the problem it is. The answer lies in sound reasoning, not in better paperwork.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
This same principle applies spiritually. People move from church to church the way others move from relationship to relationship, staying only as long as things feel pleasing. When something becomes uncomfortable, they leave and look for another place. That behavior raises a serious spiritual question because the covenant is being treated lightly.
Covenant requires faithfulness. In the natural, I do not leave my wife because something changes. In the spiritual, the same rule applies. Disagreement or discomfort does not justify walking away. Leaving because things are no longer pleasing is spiritual adultery. Covenant means commitment, not convenience.
Truthfulness, Vows, and Integrity
All of this ties back to the condition of the heart. It also connects to keeping your word. When I tell you we are going to finish Matthew chapter 5, I want to do it because words matter. This teaching leads directly into the issue of vows. Scripture teaches that when a person makes a vow to the Lord, he must keep it. A man is bound by his word and must do what proceeds from his mouth.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
Leviticus 19:12
12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
Numbers 30:2
2 If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
This applies when a person makes a vow to the Lord. If you choose to vow, God expects that vow to be kept. Scripture is clear that when you make a promise to God, you are not to delay or neglect fulfilling it.
The Lord will require what you vowed, and failing to pay it is sin. The issue is not whether you were forced to vow, but whether you were faithful to your word once you did. Vows are serious, and slackness in keeping them carries responsibility before God.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
Deuteronomy 23:21–22
21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.
22 But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.
If you make a vow and do not fulfill it, that is sin. When a vow is made, it is required to be carried out. Slackness in paying a vow is sin before God.
At the same time, if you choose not to make a vow at all, there is no sin in that. The issue is not whether you vow, but whether you keep your word once you do. This is the clear difference between lying and truthfulness. Vows must be honored.
With that understanding, I want us to read Matthew 5:33 so we are grounded in what the Scripture actually says.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
Matthew 5:33–37
33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:
35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Let Your Yes Be Yes
Jesus is teaching that the issue is not whether an oath is technically correct, but whether a person’s word can be trusted. The religious system taught people to swear by particular objects and then judged whether the oath was binding based on the object used. If they swore by the Lord, it had to be fulfilled. If they swore by something else, it was treated as less serious.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
That kind of thinking may sound foolish to us, but we still do the same thing today. People say things like “I swear on a stack of Bibles” or “I swear on my mother’s grave.” Those statements all come from the same place. They reveal that simple honesty is missing.
The Integrity of a Kingdom Person’s Word
Jesus is asking why anyone should have to swear at all. If I make someone swear on something, what I am really saying is that I do not believe them. When words have to be reinforced with oaths, something is already wrong.
People make these oaths because they are not consistently faithful to their word. If I cannot simply say yes or no and be believed, then something is off. Anything added beyond that comes from evil.
I use the example of a husband telling his wife he will be home at five o’clock. When she asks for a promise, and he must swear on something, this reveals a pattern. She has learned his nature from past experience. His words alone are no longer enough.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
Their word reveals a person’s nature. Either I speak truth consistently, or I do not. My credibility rests on whether people can trust what I say without guarantees. If I start swearing to prove I am telling the truth, that is a warning sign. There is a reason I feel the need to do that, and it is not a good one.
Psalm 138:1-2
1 I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
God magnifies His Word above His name. Your word and your name are inseparable. My word, your word, and our word are only as good as our name. If your word is weak, your name is weak. Your word is your name.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
Jesus teaches that there is no need to swear. Do not swear on or by Bibles, graves, or anything else. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. When anything more is required, something is wrong. That extra effort signals that the evil one has entered the situation.
The word “evil” points to something harmful in effect or influence. It speaks of damage, sickness, mischief, guilt, and destructive behavior. When people cannot simply speak plainly and be trusted, something unhealthy is working beneath the surface.
This applies directly to everyday life. Husbands, wives, parents, and families must be people of their word. If someone has to add promises or dramatic statements to be believed, something evil is already at work. When I cannot be trusted with my word, that is a serious problem. This teaching is practical. It is not abstract theology. It is a simple truth for daily living.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
The Principle of Action and Reaction
I want to remind you of the base we talked about last week, that foundation of plain living. This principle concerns action and reaction and focuses on what is happening in the heart. The issue is whether your response is correct.
This teaching derives from the principle of lex talionis, which means proper punishment rather than excessive punishment. Scripture describes it as eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot. The purpose was never revenge. It was meant to ensure fairness and restraint, not excess.
This establishes that God’s concern has always been with balance and the correct response. The principle is not about retaliation but about a measured, righteous response that reflects the state of the heart.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
Exodus 21:24–25
24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
Deuteronomy 19:21
21 And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Lex talionis is not about revenge. It is about justice that is adequate but not excessive. The principle was given to prevent overreaction. If someone strikes you, responding with far greater harm is excessive. Carnal thinking wants retaliation, but the law was meant to restrain that impulse.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
Jesus takes this principle deeper. He is not focused on legal reaction but on heart response. The real issue is how we respond when action comes against us. That is why He addresses action and reaction. These verses address several areas of life and reveal how kingdom people are meant to respond in each.
The first example comes from verse 39.
Matthew 5:39
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Responding to Personal Offense
When someone strikes me, the natural reaction is to strike back. That response may feel fair, but Jesus teaches that my thinking must change. He redirects me away from retaliation and toward a different heart posture.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
Jesus Himself shows this clearly. When He was mistreated, His heart was not filled with anger or revenge. Even while hanging on the cross, His response was forgiveness. That reveals the principle He is teaching.
The real question is not what the other person deserves, but what is in my heart. The proper response begins with humility. It asks what role I may have played and seeks peace rather than retribution. Kingdom thinking looks inward before reacting outward, because heart condition matters more than outward reaction.
The second situation Jesus addresses is when you are taken to court and found guilty.
Matthew 5:40
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
The natural response is to grumble and insist you were right. Kingdom thinking responds differently. When the court rules against me, I do not just pay what is required. I go further. I ensure the matter is entirely resolved.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
The heart of a kingdom person wants righteousness more than personal advantage. If I am wrong, I accept it. I do not complain, and I do not resist. I take responsibility and make full restitution. The focus is not on what I can get away with, but on what is right to do.
Jesus teaches that restitution goes beyond the minimum. He uses the picture of giving more than just the required garment. The principle is not partial correction but complete restoration. That is very different from how the world thinks.
Vengeance produces retaliation. That spirit keeps forgiveness impossible. Kingdom thinking asks a different question. It looks inward and asks what I did to contribute to the situation. When I examine my own role, forgiveness becomes natural. In that posture, I no longer have anything to hold against another person.
This leads into the broader principle Jesus explains in Matthew 5:38-42. He contrasts the traditional notion of retaliation with a new approach to responding. Instead of resisting evil with equal force, He calls us to respond with a transformed heart.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
This passage is not teaching passivity in extreme situations. Jesus is not saying to allow violent crime or abuse. He is teaching a principle about everyday conflicts and momentary offenses. The focus is on how we respond when something sudden and personal happens. The issue is the heart response, not legal self-defense or protection.
Matthew 5:41-42
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
Jesus then provides examples that illustrate this principle at work. When someone sues you or forces you to go a mile, the question is how you respond under pressure. That leads to the issue of authority. Every one of us lives under authority in some form. The real test is whether we do only what is required or whether we willingly submit from the heart. Doing the minimum is how the world thinks. Kingdom thinking goes further.
If I am under authority, my response reveals my submission. Jesus commands going beyond what is demanded. That shows the condition of the heart. Submission is not proven by compliance alone, but by willingness. Going the extra mile exposes whether I am kingdom-minded or merely obligated.
Matthew 5 Part 4 How to Respond With a Kingdom Heart
The principle also flips when I am the one in authority. I am not only subject to authority, but I also exercise authority over others. The question then becomes how I treat those who are subordinate to me. Authority is not for control or domination. It must be exercised with the same heart I expect from those under me. The golden rule applies here.
Finally, Jesus addresses money. This section addresses how we respond financially, particularly toward a brother. The kingdom principle is not lending with expectation, but giving freely. The real issue is not money itself, but the underlying motivation. Religion acts one way, but the kingdom operates entirely differently.
Matthew 5 Part 4
Matthew 5 Part 4
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