Murder and Kingdom Citizens

Introduction: The Statista Research Department states that Texas recorded the largest number of homicides in 2021, at 2,064 for the year. North Carolina had the second-highest number of murders, with 928 for the year.

The same report states that there was a total of 21,570 reported homicide cases in the U.S. in 2020. The vast majority were male.

Louisiana was the most dangerous state with 15.8 murders per 100,00 residents, while New Hampshire was the safest with a murder rate of 0.9 per 100,000.

The murder rate in the U.S. stands at 6.5 per 100,000. In 2019 the Canadian homicide rate stood at 1.8, and in England and Wales, it was even lower at 1.22 per 100,000 residents. (https://www.statista.com/statistics/195331/number-of-murders-in-the-us-by-state/)

Each day in the United States some 60 people are murdered.

Close to Home

In 2022, four college students were stabbed to death in Moscow, Idaho. The students all lived in the same apartment complex and were all students at the University of Idaho.

We know right now that a suspect has been arrested and that there will be a trial.

The very first murder that we read about in the Bible is the murder of Abel. Cain murdered his brother Abel with a rock (Genesis 4:8). His murder was precipitated by his anger – this is an important point. Don’t miss this. Anger can lead to murder!

The Bible teaches that anyone who murders an individual premeditatively shall be put to death (Genesis 9:5-6; Exodus 21:12).

As we come to our text today Jesus is going to open the eyes of His disciples about murder. What is it, and where does it come from?

I. What the Ancients heard – 5:21

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’

Six times in the rest of this chapter we read, “You have heard it was said…” (5:21-22, 27-28, 31-32, 33-34, 38-39, 43-44).

Not everything we hear do we necessarily understand. We must seek to have a clear and unadulterated meaning as to what we read about in Scripture. Jesus tells us the popular understanding of what the ancients had heard, and then He corrects our understanding.

Amplified Bible: You have heard that it was said to the men of old, You shall not kill, and whoever kills shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the court.

Where do these words come from as we read them here in verse 21? They come from the sixth Commandment,

“You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13).

The command is simple – life is sacred. God laid it out early in the Bible that mankind was not to murder another person created in the image and likeness of God.

Murder was supposed to be off the table.

Jesus made it clear that whoever murders will be in danger of “the judgment”.

The judgment in view here is standing before a judge – the civil court in Israel and the result of a court trial would be physical death (Numbers 35:30-31). We are looking at premeditated murder here. Kill a person intentionally and you will stand trial and face the consequences of such an action.

II. What the Disciples learned – 5:22

22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.

Now, Jesus moves from the letter of the law to the spirit of the law. Remember, Jesus came to “fulfill” Scripture (Matthew 4:17). Jesus came to teach us how Scripture is to be applied to our daily lives. Jesus is going to enlarge the sixth commandment by helping His disciples to understand its true meaning.

Jesus teaches that the command, “Do not murder” includes being angry with a brother or a sister without a cause. To be angry without a cause means that we have broken this commandment. In other words, we have murdered our brother or sister.

The Greek word used here for “angry” describes deep-seated, smoldering, inner anger rather than a flash of anger.

You see, Jesus takes the sixth commandment to a whole other level.

It’s not just the act of murder, but now it’s the thought. It is the feelings we have toward another human being. Jesus is dealing with what we allow our hearts to focus on. Are we guilty of murdering someone in our hearts?

Are we angry with another person without a cause? Understand that there is righteous anger (Ephesians 4:26), but there is also unrighteous anger, and that is what we are looking at here. Anger without a cause.

Three Levels of Judgment

1. The judgment

There is a great danger to be angry with another person without a cause. Jesus says that the danger is judgment. There is the possibility of sitting in a courtroom before a Judge.

It is amazing how a quick action can lead to a lifetime of regret.

Jesus taught anyone calling his brother “Racca” shall be in danger of the council. The word “Racca” means “vain fellow, or empty-headed” – these are expressions of contempt for another human being.

2. The Council

The word “council” here is probably referring to the Jewish Sanhedrin. A ruling body of 70 men.

Next, Jesus teaches,

“whoever says, “You fool” shall be in danger of hell fire.”

The word“fool” means, stupid. The English word we use is, moron. As Christians, we don’t want to go there. How many people are guilty of murder through words?

Dr. Warren Wiersbe writes, Anger makes us destroyers instead of builders.”

3. Ultimate judgment – hell fire

Finally, in this verse, we have the ultimate danger imaginable - hell fire. Hell is the Greek word “geenna” (gheh’-en-nah). It speaks of the valley of Hinnom, a ravine outside the walls of Jerusalem where once children were sacrificed to the god of Molech (1 Kings 11:7). Jews considered it a defiled place, good only as a garbage dump, which was always burning. This place became a symbol of the place of punishment and spiritual death. Gehenna in Scripture is the place of everlasting punishment.

III. What Action do we need to take? – 5:23-24

23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Our first action step is found in verses 23-24.

A. Be reconciled with your brother.

Look at the word, “Therefore”? It means considering what you have just read take the following action. There are five clear steps to take for reconciliation with a brother. They are:

1. Worship God - If you bring your gift to the altar– this is a good thing. Don’t stop worshipping God. Far too many people walk away from God when they have issues with another believer. Don’t be one of them.

2. Search your heart - Remember that your brother has something against you – you recall that you are at odds with another brother or sister in Christ. We can’t worship God and be angry with our brother or sister at the same time. The vertical is right when the horizontal is right.

3. Do what is right - Leave your gift there before the altar and go your way – walk away from your act of worship and take care of the issue between you and the other person.

Charles Spurgeon wrote, “The holy must be traversed to reach the Holiest of all.”

4. Make reconciliation a priority - First, be reconciled to your brother – win your brother back. This is where worship starts. This is the first thing we must do. It’s the most important.

5. Return and give your gift - And then come offer your gift– return and offer your offering to God. Then and only then will your gift be acceptable.

Dr. Tony Evans wrote, “In order to have a healthy vertical relationship – intimacy and fellowship with God – you must maintain your horizontal relationship with others. (The Tony Evans Bible Commentary)

What is the second action step is found in verses 25-26.

B. Agree with your adversary quickly – 5:25-26

25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

What if you find yourself in a situation where someone wants to take you to court and sue you? Well, Jesus tells us how to handle this type of situation as well. We read,

Agree with your adversary quickly.

Who is an adversary? It is the person who wants to take you before a court of law. Jesus is teaching that we should seek to handle earthly matters outside the courtroom (1 Corinthians 6:1-2). And, we should do it quickly!

Spurgeon wrote, “A lean settlement is better than a fat lawsuit.”

Why do people sue others?

What are the Top Reasons why People are Sued?

· Compensation for damages – monetary compensation for personal injury.

· Enforcing a Contract – written, oral, or implied.

· Breach of Warranty – unwilling to honor promises.

· Product liability – product is dangerous and causes injury.

· Property disputes – someone creates a hazard around your personal property. Trespasses.

· Divorce.

· Custody disputes – someone is unfit to raise the children.

· Replacing a Trustee – who is to care for children or grandchildren if someone dies.

· Slander or libel – something said about you that is untrue and that causes harm to you or your business.

· Discrimination and Harassment – based on race, sex, age, disabilities, or any other characteristic that is protected by law.

· Professional Malpractice – professionals cause harm.

I might mention again that often in these situations people get angry at one another, and that anger can lead to physical murder, and if not physical murder, it has probably resulted in emotional murder.

Why should we seek to take care of matters where someone might want to sue us? Jesus said,

Lest your adversary deliver you to the judge.

If we refuse to take care of earthly matters, people will eventually turn to the legal system. Jesus is teaching that now is the time to make things right between you and another person. Don’t wait until you received a notice that you are being sued.

The judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.

As I read these verses, I saw how fast and furious things can go.

· Your adversary may deliver you to the judge.

· The judge may deliver you to the officer.

· The officer may throw you into prison.

Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

Apparently, it appears that court cases are about money owed. Where do people take advantage of others? MONEY!

Jesus is teaching that it is better to pay what you owe than go to court and have everything taken away from you.

In biblical days if you owed someone something and you were taken to court and you were found guilty you were placed in prison until your debt was paid in full. This was Roman law, and the problem was that one’s debt couldn’t be paid from prison.

By the way, how many people are murdered over MONEY? Anger over money owed, or money required can lead to murder.

Again, I quote Spurgeon, “Thus our Lord and King restores the law of God to its true force and warns us that it denounces not only the overt act of killing, but every thought, feeling, and word which would tend to injure a brother or annihilate him by contempt.”

Conclusion: What are some take-home truths from this section of Matthew 5? Here they are:

1. Murder is morally wrong and will face judgment.

2. Being angry without a cause is morally wrong and one will face judgment.

3. Murder begins in the heart – therefore, deal you’re your anger quickly. Don’t nurse your grudges.

4. Follow the action steps to keep both your vertical and horizontal relationships right.

5. Agree with your adversary quickly. This means you take the necessary steps required to settle out of court.