At the end of August, Rob Muthiah concluded our summer series on the Sermon on the Mount with Matthew 5:27-32 — a passage on divorce and adultery.

Rob reminds us that the Sermon on the Mount has been important in the Mennonite tradition — as a call to whole-hearted discipleship that we are all called to live into.

Rob says that if he were sitting and listening to this sermon, he would wonder: Are we in for a stern lecture that reduces abstinence to a couple of rules? Am I up for 20 minutes of public shaming? What will Rob say or not say about marriage for LGBTQ people, or single people? Of all the injustices we could talk about, why this? Aren’t we just going to reinforce negative cultural perceptions about Christians as people who have hang-ups about sex while ignoring bigger issues of injustice and oppression? These are good questions, but hopefully will steer away from the first two, apply to the third as well as others, and see how the last question might play out.

Jesus takes teachings that would be taken for granted by his listeners, and intensifies them. How are these connected to our covenant relationship with God?

One interesting point here is that in Matthew is directed to Jewish culture, and said to men to help protect women. In Mark, for a Greek context, both men and women are held to account. There’s a different message for different audiences. How else might this play out for us in our day? In terms of pornography? In terms of abuse? Jesus’ ministry was about protecting the vulnerable.

Hear thoughts in these areas and more, centered in the context of grace and our relationships with God.

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