An old businessman was asked about the key to his success: He said, “I discovered at early age that most of the difference between average people and people at the top can be explained in three words. The top people did what was expected of them – and then some. They were thoughtful of others; they were considerate and kind – and then some. They met their obligations and responsibilities fairly and squarely – and then some. They were good friends and helpful neighbors – and then some. They could be counted on in difficulties and emergencies – and then some.” This philosophy may be helpful in world, but it is also important in pleasing God.
Picture a mountain; the mountain of God’s will with its peak – the smile of God. The path on this mountain, built and maintained by the Lord, is justice and equity. The only people on this path are born-again Christians – children of God. So this isn’t a picture of salvation; it’s an illustration of the joy of the Christian life. As those saints follow the path, they will reach the summit on Lord’s schedule. If they stray by way of sin, if they stay below the path, they may never experience the joy of the Lord. But if they stay on or above the path, they will experience the blessing of the Lord.
Isn’t that what this Sermon on the Mount is all about? The Law, with it’s negative attitude says, “An eye for an eye” – vengeance. Standing opposite to Moses’ law is the law of Christ – “Turn the other cheek.” A man has sued you and won your coat according to law – the victorious life is to give him your cloak as well. The mind says “Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” The uphill side of the trail says, “Love them all.” Society says, “Salute your brethren and your friends” – the Lord says, “Why can’t we act better than everyone else?” “Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.”
That is the key – even as your Father in Heaven is perfect. Christians basically know what the law says – what justice and equity demand. And we have learned that if we break that law we shall suffer the consequences. Generally speaking, “The wages of sin is death;” “the soul that sinneth it shall die.” Justice demands that fire and brimstone descend and devour us. “But God who is rich in love wherewith he loved us, sent His son to redeem us from that judgment.” Indeed, “Jehovah is gracious and merciful, slow and plenteous in mercy.” In other words, not only is the Lord just, but a justifier as well. He is a “then some” God.
Let’s spend a couple moments thinking about what is said in verse 47.
The place to start, so we don’t miss the point, is with the word “YE.”
I get dozens of emails every day at the church address and my own email address. 90% or more, I never read, because they are impersonal, computer generated ads. Why do I read the other 10%? Because they are personal. When some friend sends me an email talking about a major event which took place in his city, I am far more likely to read about it, than when I see it as an attachment to the weather website I use. They both may say the same thing, but the personal touch makes it more important.
When the Holy Spirit moved holy men of God to pen the holy scriptures, the Lord was not merely the editor or publisher of a newspaper or internet blog. Every verse was inspired by the omniscient God with you in His mind. You may not be the first person He thought of, when He gave that verse to Moses, or Daniel, but you were in His mind nevertheless. When the Matthew 5 was first preached, Christ Jesus knew the thoughts and needs of every future soul. It was given under inspiration of God, every word was inspired of the Lord – and is profitable.
As Jesus preached that day, it was primarily to His twelve disciples, but there was a larger crowd present. And, in the mind of Jehovah, you were included in that crowd as well. Verse 47 is a question of the Almighty God to you and me – “What do ye more than others?” This cannot be sluffed off; it can’t be ignored just because it’s 2,000 years old. This is a question that the Lord is pressing us to answer. The Lord is the Judge, and you are on the witness stand. “The witness will answer the question!” He says with authority. “What do ye more than others?”
The second word to stress is “DO.”
God is not interested in the things you dream about doing for him. Maybe your sin is dreaming about winning some lottery and giving huge gifts to Him. God says, “All the tithe of the land belongs to Me– large and small.” We reply, “That’s Old Testament doctrine,” but the Lord responds, “What do ye more than others?” The question is: what DO ye, not what plans do you have.
It is not necessarily what you SAY more than others. Our Saviour wants us to open our mouths for Him. He wants us to bear witness, sing praises and pray. But in this case as well – “what DO ye more than others?” We all know Christians who are filled with hot air. They make promises and sound good and pious, but have little or no performance. They like watered down gasoline with an octane rating of 50 – they can’t get car up hill. And in cold weather the water freezes in the gas line and the gasoline is useless. They say, “Let’s pray for the sick,” but never visit them; never minister to them; never comfort them. They say, “I sure love the gospel,” but they rarely share it with anyone.
The Lord’s question is not – what do possess more, purpose more, plead more, or plan more. But how much more do you participate than others? What do ye?
Then there is the word “OTHERS.”
Once in a while, as in verse 46, Christ singled out the publicans as a group. “Do you walk taller than these?” It is a shame the Lord even has to ask us to compare ourselves with these people. In 5:20 He adds, “Except your righteous exceed the righteous scribes and Pharisees…” Together these two groups covered the whole spectrum of society. Some were thought of as thieves, and others as super religionists. One group wore Sunday-go-meeting clothes every day of the week, and they prayed in the street. They tithed on mint leaves; they compassed sea and land to make one proselyte. The others were thought to steal those tithes. Jesus asked, “What do ye more than either of these?”
There three kinds of people – Those do only what is required, those who do less than the required, and then there are the “then some.” Our God expects us to do more than others, more than the average, more than the minimum required. Are people more generous that you? More compassionate? Are there folk more uplifting, more devoted to their cause, more hard working than you? Are people with less ability doing more for their God, than you are for yours? What do ye more than others?
And precisely WHAT is it that ye do more than others?
Some babies cry more than others, and so do some Christians. Some people sin more than others; God forbid that it should be me or you. What do ye more others? Is your earthly bank account or list of assets larger than one recorded in heaven? When do you plan lay up a few treasures in Heaven? Are you an American patriot more than a patriot of Heaven “from whence we look for our Saviour?” Are you more quick to go into all world to preaching capitalism than you are evangelism? Are you more interested in Democracy than theocracy? On which side of God’s trail do you walk, upper or lower? Do you depress or uplift, encourage or discourage?
The children of God have solemn responsibilities to do more than others.
It comes with the uniform – our putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. We profess to be Christians – followers of the lamb, disciples of Jesus. What did He do for us? Suffer? Love? Is there any resemblance in us as disciples? “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life, for us and we ought to lay down our lives for others.” We say that we indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but are we more filled than others?
We ought to do more others – because we have received more than others. Paul speaks of “the unsearchable riches of Christ” which we have been given. There are Heavenly blessings. “He that spared not his own Son, how shall he not freely give us all things?” “He that spared not his own Son, how shall WE not freely give HIM all things?”
“What do ye more than others?” Our Lord is not truly pleased, unless we do more than others. We cannot be truly successful in any area of life unless we do more others.