DRAFT ONLY

Introduction
      In our passage for study from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus continues to expound exceeding or "surpassing" righteousness as it applies to the law of vengeance and love.

The passage
      v38. Jesus quotes the principle of proportionate retribution found in the Old Testament, Ex.21:25-25 etc., (found also in ancient secular law codes eg. the Code of Hammurabi). This law served to restrain blood-feuding. The punishment must not exceed the crime.
      v39. Jesus' exposition on vengeance describes true perfection. "Do not retaliate" (better than NIV "resist"). It could be argued that Jesus is restricting retribution for personal insult while allowing justice to continue at the legal level. The trouble is this serves to reduce the law to the doable, cf. 5:19. In reality, this law cannot be done. To not return evil for evil is to place ourselves under the subjection of those with evil intent. Jesus illustrates the point with the strike on the face. This is usually done with the back of the hand and is a serious insult. Perfection requires we take the insult without retaliation.
      v40. Jesus goes on to expound Exodus 22:25-27. Under the law, if you owe someone money they can take, as surety, everything except your upper garment. They can actually take the "cloak" during the day, but must return it in the evening. So if you would be perfect, you cannot even claim your upper garment when there is a debt to repay. If you would be perfect you can't create a financial "safety net".
      v41. A Roman soldier had the right to commandeer civilians to carry their pack for a mile (1,000 paces). If we would be perfect we should freely go the extra mile, even though for a hated enemy.
      v42. Total generosity, "is self defeating. There would soon be a class of saintly paupers, owing nothing, and another of prosperous idlers and thieves", Leon Morris. The perfection of unselfish generosity toward others rather than of personal rights, is not only beyond our capacity, but is not even possible in a sinful world. Such righteousness cannot be done.
      v43. Jesus now expounds the perfect law of love. The Old Testament law differentiates between the treatment due a brother (fellow Jew = neighbour) to an outsider (enemy = foreigners, "sons of darkness"), although it doesn't quite say "hate". "You shall love your compatriot but you need not love your adversary", Jeremias. cf. Deut.23:3-6.
      v44. For those who would be perfect (righteous before God) their love must be non discriminative. Not just sentimental love, but a total desire for the good of others, even persecutors.
      v45. Such non discriminative love belongs to God's character. His natural blessings fall on all humanity. Even his special Fatherly love of forgiveness and mercy is for all who ask.
      v46-47. Discriminative love is no great burden. Even outsiders and undesirables, sinners, pick and choose who they show care toward. God's law of love is on higher plane that that.
      v48. Jesus now summarizes the "surpassing" righteousness of v20. God requires perfection. Legal conformity is of no value, only conformity to the perfectly loving and moral character of God will suffice. Clearly doing such righteousness is an impossibility. Only Christ has done it. If such an ideal is expected of the disciple, then it will have to be awarded as a gift of grace, rather than earned.

Exceeding righteousness
      In chapter 5 of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus develops the doctrine of justification by grace through faith. He declares, in the Beatitudes, that those who are broken before God and hunger and thirst for righteousness, possesses the "kingdom of heaven". He then goes on to expound the true perfection of the law. He does this to complete ("fulfil") its proper function - "the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith", Gal.3:24. Jesus is determined to remove any ground for self-righteousness. He sums up his teaching in v48. Perfection is what is required. Who can claim such perfection? Are there any who can claim to be the wise builder who has built their house on the rock - "who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice"? Matt.7:24-27. How then shall we be saved? "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God", Eph.2:8.
      Although the ideal of self-giving love undermines any claim we may have to self righteousness, it does provide a guide for Christian living. The imperfection of life means it is an ideal we will have to compromise, but none the less one we will need to press toward.