Risking Stepping Out in Repentance (Matt. 5:21-26)
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Call to Worship:
Call to Worship:
13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. 14 Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God. 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.
God’s Law:
God’s Law:
Lord’s Day 40 (Q/A 105-107)
Assurance of Pardon:
Assurance of Pardon:
39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.
Reading #1, for perspective:
Reading #1, for perspective:
2 “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, 3 so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. 4 “When he flees to one of these cities, he is to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state his case before the elders of that city. Then they are to admit him into their city and give him a place to live with them.
Reading #2, main reading:
Reading #2, main reading:
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. 25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Intro: a riddle
What is possibly tougher than prison…takes more adrenaline than a bare-knuckled car chase…and would be more beautiful than the most majestic Lake Michigan sunset?
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
21. “Y’all heard that it was said to ancient (“archaic”) people, ‘You shall not kill/murder,’ and ‘whoever would kill/murder would be liable/guilty to judgment/decision/conviction’.
Y’all heard that it was said to ancient people, “You shall not murder,” and “whoever would murder would be liable to conviction.”
100+ years is considered “antique.” Surprisingly just 20 years is considered “vintage.” So what then is “ancient” (NIV84, the “people long ago”—it’s our word, “archaic”)?
Moses is ancient. The Law at Sinai is ancient. Exodus 20:13 originally given was ancient (~1450 BC), and then it got rehashed 50 years later (~1400 BC) at Deut. 5:17. Numbers 35 also is ancient: the many metings out of death and vengeance upon anyone who has killed someone else, including one who is in “safe harbor” of a city of refuge but then leaves the city and happens to meet the avenger of blood on the road.
Even older than Moses of course is Noah, and God said these things to Noah forbidding shed blood after the flood: Genesis 9:5-6.
5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. 6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.
See Ex. 21:12, Lev. 24:17, Num. 35:31,33. Torah of Moses. Shedding blood means your blood will be shed.
All of these are longstanding, old givings of law and commandments and parameters. Giving out commandments and prohibitions, and also adding to them punishments for death, and murder, and manslaughter, intentional or accidental.
Murder that causes death. Malice (shoving, punching) that doesn’t lead to death, but causes injury. Accidentally letting a hammer slip while swinging it, and the hammer hits someone and kills them.
You shall be put to death. “The avenger of blood shall kill him.” Whoever causes loss of life shall, himself, forfeit his own life. Judged, convicted, and sentenced. (Often) you were put to death yourself.
These were long-standing laws and parameters, and they were still in effect. Still being taught--by scribes and Pharisees. Still being interpreted, and still being (pardon the pun) executed.
There is speculation though they were being interpreted, shallowly.
Matt. 5:21 has a direct quotation from the decalogue of course, Ex. 20:13, the sixth commandment. But if your Bible has cross-references, you probably notice the second quotation has no Old Testament reference. Instead, it most likely came from a common teaching of the rabbis, the Pharisees, or the scribes--the religious officials. And they want to make “judgment” a matter of the mere outer form, of the mere outward expression and acting-out of murder. Nothing of the heart, though the decalogue certainly had had the heart in mind to begin with.
Surface-level interpretation and teaching, so that there was rampant and far-flung “success” in carrying out the law. Outright murder wasn’t rampant or commonplace, and so people were largely “good.” People were largely “okay.” People largely weren’t “lawbreakers” or “sinners.” People were largely “righteous” and comfortable as “innocent.”
Who was to be liable? Who was to be culpable? What actions were susceptible to judgment and punishment?
The religious officials were making it easy. (Recall the rich young ruler’s sense of confidence. Jesus asks about the commandments, and “murder” is the first one that the ruler mentions. Then the ruler’s bloated sense of confidence, probably not purposely inflated: Matt. 19:20, “All these I have kept.”) Religious officials no doubt padded his conscience! Only the outright murderer, killer, taker-of-life was susceptible and criminal.
Jesus will take it, though, to its root...
22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
22. “But I say to y’all, everyone being angry/irritated/enraged with his brother will be liable/guilty to judgment/decision/conviction. Again, whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca’ (empty/fool/senseless/blockhead/donkey), will be liable/guilty to the Sanhedrin. And anyone who says, 'Moron,' will be liable/guilty into the hell of fire.
But I say to y’all, everyone being irritated with his brother will be liable to conviction. Again, whoever says to his brother, “Raca,” will be liable to the Sanhedrin. And anyone who says, “Moron,” will be liable into the hell of fire.
(ANGER)
Jesus later, Matt. 15:19, points out the root and source of murder is anger in the heart.
One commentary points out rabbinical literature itself was using “raca” without impunity which, thus, would imply a certain permission and approval given by the rabbis for others to use it. -- The public appears to have taken them up on the permission, too! It was a flippant word in the Aramaic world, used regularly and thoughtlessly, carelessly and freely.
F.F. Bruce: “raca” was Aramaic empty in the head, and “moron” (fool) was Greek empty (corrupt) in the heart. -- Imagine trying to start bringing together a small organization and community (Eerdmans Commentary), and meanwhile the project participants are running around, making light and fun of each other in ridicule. The organization isn’t benefiting. So Jesus, the Rabbi par excellence, and the very Lawgiver himself, the living breathing Word of God, brings the Law back to its original intention: working on the outright deed of “murder” but also keeping just as central the heart behind the outright deed, “anger.” (It’s just as coveting in the original Law demonstrated that the heart was as much in view and bounded by the decrees.)
Jesus is fulfilling the Law, recall, bringing it to its “fill,” its completion and its perfection: not abolishing it (Matt. 5:17).
He is exceeding (Matt. 5:20) the outward (easy) “righteousness” of the Scribes and Pharisees, ushering in the kingdom of heaven.
Another commentator: Jesus was God at the giving of the Law. So when he speaks in Matthew 5, he remains the lawgiver, and is not just another interpreter!
Matthew Henry thinks the three (judgment, Sanhedrin, and fire) represent three levels of capital punishment in Jerusalem: beheading at the magistrate, stoning at the Sanhedrin/council, and burning at the Valley of Gehenna.
It seems unlikely though that Jesus is building “degrees” here or “jurisdictions.” (I don’t think he’s agreeing with the lax religious officials who are citing certain crimes that are more serious and others that can be sloughed off or neglected.) Instead, he is building the seriousness of all these infractions, which otherwise were judged harmless and permissible for followers of God to do to each other: ridiculing and belittling, berating and casting down. They’re all serious! In the divine operation, they’re all liable to get you charged, convicted, sentenced and punished!
Jesus is not at all allowing the pressure off of certain infractions here, or saying that hell-fire makes “fool” (moron) a worse offense than being “angry” and facing “judgment.” This is the whole point of the passage, and the doubling down on anger generally in the whole category of “murder...”
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
23. “Now if you are offering/presenting your gift/offering upon the altar and there you are reminded that your brother has something against you,
24. “leave there your gift/offering before/in front of the altar, and go away/withdraw/depart. First be reconciled (renewed in friendship/peace) with your brother, and then coming, offer/present your gift/offering.
Now if you are offering your offering upon the altar and there you are reminded that your brother has something against you,
leave there your offering in front of the altar, and go away. First be renewed with your brother, and then coming, offer your offering.
(BROKEN RELATIONSHIP)
What do we do when we have a “fenced table” (for those of us who know what that is)? It’s fenced—so first we check the church directory, to make sure we’re listed there as a member. Then we check our heart, and yep, we still believe in Jesus. Check, and check. Then we might even say a prayer asking God for any forgiveness we might need from him. We’re good, right? We’re “righteous,” and we’re able to come to the table. Or so we think...
This is for the one who may be the perpetrator, the party guilty of the wronging. For the one who has been wronged and was the victim, there is elsewhere Mk. 11:25: in time of prayer, give forgiveness to one who has wronged you. Also there is the interesting summation and capstone to the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus himself gives in the very same sermon on the mount, Matt. 6:14-15: forgive, in order to be forgiven.
Matt. 5:23 though is for the guilty one, the one who has done the wronging. In Greek, the one who in a moment “is reminded” of the wrong. A spontaneous remembering. An instant triggering of the memory.
For the one who remembers their own culpability, it is theirs to leave the comfort of religious ritual and action, and they must be the one to go out and seek reconciliation and forgiveness.
It can give an interesting factor, then, to realize in our own creed that “communion of the saints” precedes “forgiveness of sins.” Communion of the saints (WCF 26) is fellowship with each other in Christ, sharing “joyfully in love” and using our gifts, one to another, to each other’s benefit. There is a “mutuality” of “edification” that should be happening in worship--and if one realizes that they’ve been party to breaking that edification and have wronged someone, then they need to leave and go out to make the steps toward amends and renewal of fellowship.
Matthew Henry: if we let communion pass us by because we have known a wrong we have committed, but at the same time we don’t then go out and make the reconciling and restitution--then we have committed two sins in the same instance. In that case, we have not in any way honored the Table of the Lord! We’ve not at all pleased the Lord in that case.
Communion Preparatory Exhortation, Grey Psalter: “Let us examine…love for God and love for our neighbors. … Search whether we love our neighbors as Christ commands. Do we unselfishly live for the welfare of others? Do our lives reflect the godly virtues of obedience, fidelity, integrity, justice, humility, and contentment? Do we seek reconciliation with our neighbors? — Then the prayer: “Daily increase in us the greatest gift of all, our Christian love. — Then the minister’s reminder: “Those, therefore, who hope in works or virtues of their own, and who do not show love to God and neighbor, have no true place at the Lord’s supper. … As we find faith, hope, and love within us, we ought gladly to obey our Lord’s command and come with full expectation of God’s open house of mercy.”
Why would we let ourselves get in this position, though, letting the communion pass by rather than be reconciled? The answer: repentance feels icky--admitting wrong is uncomfortable!
What’s easy: repenting to God at communion, saying “I’m sorry” in the privacy of your own prayers, your own pew, silently in your own thoughts and piety. It betrays nothing to anyone around you of the sin you committed; you still look good; you don’t chip anything away from your reputation, your good name, your pleasantness in the community.
Also, you could just as well take the communion and do nothing whatsoever, despite knowing there’s a relationship that’s broken and needs mending. Those are easy. Those are, to reconstruct a different term, CHEAP grace. It’s EASY living, FREELOADING at the table.
What’s hard is leaving and finding the brother or sister, and repenting. Getting up from your chair. Leaving the solace and security of your own prayers and thoughts and pews. Finding the brother or sister, and admitting to them “I was wrong.” “I messed up.” “I need your forgiveness.” THE RISK OF STEPPING OUT IN REPENTANCE.
ILLUSTRATION: In 1941 a 10-year-old boy and his friend realized they didn’t have enough money to pay for their meal at their local restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City and ran away. The bill was one dollar. Many years later then, in 2014, the man’s daughter went back to the restaurant and gave an employee the five dollars to cover the 73-year-old check, along with some interest and inflation. Her father was too embarrassed to go in, and he waited in the car outside.
Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell, “Man Pays Bill with Interest More than 70 Years Later,” in 300 Illustrations for Preachers, ed. Elliot Ritzema (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015).
What’s risky? IMAGINE THE SCENE OF MATTHEW 5, AT THE ALTAR! The interruption to the communion service. Someone gets up from their pew. Climbs over others to get to the aisle, to get out of the row. Maybe shrieks or gasps as they’re “reminded” (a humorous word choice of Jesus, for sure!) of the wrong they did: or the apology and repentance they owe.
Then, who are they meeting on the other side? How will they be received? Will they be laughed at? Scorned?
Then they arrive to the person. And every word…every inflection of the voice…every move of the body…every queue of eye contact is weighed, measured, judged. In a split instance. To weigh for genuineness, sincerity, truthfulness.
Imagine the pressures, the tensions on their minds as they have to go to the person, thinking all the way. What will I say? How will they react? Will they forgive me? Do I deserve their forgiveness?
The embarrassment and shame alone can make the act risky of admitting our own fault and coming forward in repentance!
Then I come to Numbers 35:6,9-12,15,25,26-28 or Joshua 20:2-4, and the stakes become really high! These passages remind me of the playground game for kids, Cops and Robbers. Robbers have to capture as many beanbags as they can around the playing area without being tagged and caught themselves by a Cop--and the Robbers are safe from being captured, as long as they are back in their Safe Zone where the Cops can’t touch them. Leaving the Safe Zone is risky. Leaving the Safe Zone makes you vulnerable.
Israel was given a Safe Zone, too. Numbers 35 had the punishment of death, certainly, if you were the perpetrator and you killed someone. However--Numbers 35:12 give us “cities of refuge:” places where the killer could go and remain in safety, as long as they stayed put and as long as they remained in the city’s walls until the death of the high priest.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
25. “Exist, having goodwill/being friendly/making friends/settling a case/finding a solution with your accuser/adversary/opponent/plaintiff quickly/swiftly/soon/without delay/speedily/hurriedly while you are with him on the road, lest your accuser/adversary/opponent/plaintiff might deliver/betray/hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer/underling-who-punishes, and into prison you would be cast/thrown/tossed/done away with.
26. “Amen, I say to you, you would never go out from there until you rendered/restored/repaid the last half cent.”
Live, having goodwill with your accuser without delay while you are with him on the road, lest your accuser might hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the punisher, and into prison you would be thrown.
Amen, I say to you, you would never go out from there until you repaid the last half cent.
(COMPROMISE)
One commentator: this is an early support for the “plea agreement.” But this doesn’t make much sense.
The plea bargain and agreement is usually created by the prosecuting attorney, not by the party who has been wronged. (Jesus gives us something that the wrongdoer initiates on their own, with the victim of their harm and wrong.)
The plea bargain often also is a guilty plea to a lesser charge. (This does not seem to be Jesus’ point in the least!)
The almost identical instruction is given in Prov. 6:1-5.
1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another, 2 if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, 3 then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor! 4 Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. 5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
The word “officer” (NIV84) originally referred to the under-rower on a ship. You lose the court case, and you’re sent to row on the galley-ship as a servant and a slave.
The kicker: “ancient law,” Numbers 35:19, says that meeting the avenger on the road -- i.e., the representative of the one who was wronged -- meeting him on the road means your death. “The avenger of blood...when he meets him (the murderer), he shall put him to death.” Numbers 35:21 repeats the command, for emphasis.
Settle matters. Give, and take, to make an agreement. Make a compromise.
A good quote: “True repentance is never too late, but late repentance is rarely true.”
Word Pictures in the New Testament comments that, often, personal pride can get in the way and cloud things in such a way that a fake “principle” is concocted. In those cases, don’t go in such a direction. Instead, Jesus could point out here that “compromise is better than prison. … It is so easy to see principle where pride [alone] is involved.”
Reminder: Job 22:21, God can be a plaintiff, too.
21 “Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.
Conclusion: the riddle
What is possibly tougher than prison…takes more adrenaline than a bare-knuckled car chase…and would be more beautiful than the most majestic Lake Michigan sunset?
It’s repentance, done truthfully, genuinely, and fully. The wrongdoer looking the one they harmed in the eyes. Having to hear from the one who was harmed, how they were harmed. Hearing from the one they harmed, what the harm took away from the person. Learning the full extent of the harm that they caused. Cutting them to the core so that the remorse and repentance start to build up, naturally.
Then honestly, genuinely, and fully: the wrongdoer dealing with the harm and the wrong that they caused. Seeking reconciliation and healing. Repenting of the harm/the wrong. Asking for forgiveness without demanding. And seeking real answers, not just escape from the shame or embarrassment, and not just trying to skirt punishment or ramifications. But dealing genuinely, honestly, and fully.
Seeking to mend a bridge that had been broken. Seeking to rebuild fellowship and community. The “communion” of the saints.
Adding to the riddle, in the gospel—what also defies death more than a grazing bullet?
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Closing Prayer:
Closing Prayer:
1 How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
Parting Blessing:
Parting Blessing:
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.